Harpers Bread House

Bakery · Chinatown

Harpers Bread House

Bakery · Chinatown

5

271 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

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Harpers Bread House by Robert Sietsema/Eater NY
Harpers Bread House by Robert Sietsema/Eater NY
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null
Harpers Bread House by null

Highlights

Tucked away in Chinatown, Harper's Bread House offers a delightful spread of onigiri, Portuguese egg tarts, and other baked treats, all at wallet-friendly prices.  

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271 Grand St, New York, NY 10002 Get directions

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$1–10

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271 Grand St, New York, NY 10002 Get directions

+1 212 226 8882
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$1–10

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Jul 26, 2025

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@eater

Where to Eat in Manhattan’s Chinatown

"The decades-old institution remains one of Chinatown’s top bakeries, a place for ultra-affordable Chinese pastries. Hot dog scallion buns are always a smart move, as are the freshly made onigiri rice balls. But the chief draw is a warm egg tart (dan tat), filled with custard dense with the richness of egg yolks and with the top bruleed for a Macao-inspired treat. Also, look out for the ham-and-omelet breakfast sandwich." - Robert Sietsema

https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-chinatown-manhattan-nyc
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@eater

13 Breakfast Sandwiches to Start Your Day

"In the midst of greater Chinatown on the traditional Lower East Side, Harper’s Bread House specializes in dan tat (egg custard tarts) and onigiri (Japanese rice balls). But a range of premade sandwiches includes ham and egg, a submarine-shaped roll made on the premises, with a porous slice of omelet layered atop for a few dollars. A simple slice of ham goes inside as well. It’s a minimalist marvel." - Eater Staff

https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-breakfast-sandwiches-nyc
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@eater

NYC’s Top Restaurant Dishes of 2020, According to Critic Ryan Sutton - Eater NY

"Dan tat at Harper’s Bread House: I haven’t tried enough egg tarts around the city to be able to declare one or another the best." - Ryan Sutton

https://ny.eater.com/2020/12/18/22176298/top-dishes-nyc-restaurants-covid-pandemic-2020-ryan-sutton
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@eater

This $1.25 Breakfast Sandwich Is a Tasty, Minimalist Marvel - Eater NY

"Harper’s Bread House specializes in dan tat (egg custard tarts) and onigiri (Japanese rice balls). A range of premade sandwiches includes 'ham and egg,' a submarine-shaped roll made on the premises, with a porous slice of omelet plopped down on it, and on top of that a simple slice of ham. The cost is mind-bogglingly cheap: $1.25." - Robert Sietsema

https://ny.eater.com/2018/8/1/17615704/ham-egg-breakfast-sandwich-harpers-bread-house-nyc
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John Y

Google
We initially came in to try the egg tarts. We got 1 of each and picked up a rice ball too. The coconut egg tart wasn’t so great. It was dry to the mouth. You need a cup of tea or coffee to help wash it down. The Portuguese egg tarts and regular egg tart was great. Nice filling and the crust was nice and flaky. There’s a large selection of the rice balls, we got the spicy salmon and it did not disappoint. Coming back to try the other flavors.

Jessica Yang

Google
Harpers is only a block away from the Grand St D stop, making it a super convenient place to pop into. I have been coming here for yearssssss. They have so many options of onigiri rice balls! Perfect for a snack or a meal if you grab more than one. The egg tarts here are a solid choice. I always always also get the dried pork cake. Good balance of sweet and savory.

Batman

Google
Experience/Environment: This place is a hidden gem. You walk in and it’s not very appealing but it has soooo many things. Cases of pastries, breakfast foods, desserts, you name it. If you walk deeper, there’s the beverage bar. But wait, the ladies at the pastry cases have drink menus too. Idk, this place was just dope. Price: GREAT. Bring cash. Food: Delish. The drink I got wasn’t great. But I think it was me. I ordered something new. They made it and I just didn’t like it. Service: Awesome. Auntie was very nice. Answered all my questions, and I didn’t have to wait long at all. NTT [[Next Time Try]]: Really wish I was more hungry or had the chance to go back. The onigiris looked delicious and a very good price. Thank me later ;) Smile, eat, hydrate. Live honest and don’t settle. Hope to see you out there! xo

Sean

Google
Waiting in line? Why? What? Just scream your order and skip the people ahead. Do not go if you’re not a local who is not used to skipping lines or get your spot skipped during waiting in line. There is no concept of waiting in line at this business. If you are trying to be polite and give other people a little space in the store, the local auntie and uncles will skip right past you like nothing happened. Matter fact these ppl are proud they were able to skip ahead of you and order. The staff don’t care and seem to just take orders from who is the loudest or rudest. Even if you’re at the front of the line making eye contact with the staff, they will proceed to ignore you and take orders from the loudest person or someone they know. They also seem to treat white folks better than us Chinese folks. The breads and rice rolls were decent but I have more respect for myself. This is not how a business operate. I will never go back to this bakery again. It sucks because I grew up near here and want to support small business. There is no respect or customer service. I can afford to go to a better bakery with better service and business operation, there are literally 10+ in a 2 block radius. I suggest you young folks have some respect for yourself too and go to a better bakery.

Berta

Google
Great onigiri options and prices. The onigiris are also amazing! The place has three tables if you need to sit to eat. Only issue we had was their door doesn’t quite shut all the way, and in a winter day, you could feel the (insanely cold) wind if you were sitting at the tables. Worth it, though!

Milla Paananen

Google
Cheap and quick bites! Have not tried their baked goods, but had their onigiris. Purple rice w crab salad is a must! Also the wasabi crab is good.

Christine Kim

Google
we ordered the coffee roll cake, the cheesecake, and a purple rice eel onigiri for 8.50 total. the coffee roll cake was quite pretty but tasted bitter and had an overly spongey and dense texture. the cheesecake, on the other hand, was very nostalgic to us as it reminded us of a chinese bakery treat we used to get when we were very young. it is much lighter than american cheesecake and is hard to find unless you live near chinese bakeries. the only ding with this is that it's a little too sweet. i've had their onigiris before and know that they're great value, so overall i would definitely recommend this place!

Isabella Grandic

Google
(4.5/5) - very good onigiri, I especially liked the eel, but it was a bit rice heavy for me. Extremely good prices! Cash only
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Holly C.

Yelp
The rice balls are such a steal! They pack it not only with rice but actually fill it with sufficient toppings to make it a meal! My go to a are the octopus salad and the curry chicken! Bring cash since it's cash only!
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Matteo R.

Yelp
Since Kam Boat Bakery closed down, I struggled to find a new go-to place for Portuguese egg tarts in Chinatown. Don't get me wrong: there's plenty of excellent Portuguese egg tarts to be found in Chinatown. But some bakeries charge $2.25 per tart, which is kind of expensive. Enter Harper's Bread House, an unassuming bakery that has been around for decades and that flies a bit under the radar due to its location on the East side of Chinatown across from Grand Street that is less busy and also less touristic than main Chinatown. The Portuguese egg tarts at Harper's Bread House may be the best bang for your buck in Chinatown, as both egg tarts and Portuguese egg tarts are the same price, $1.50. The Portuguese egg tarts have a firmer, flakier crust and a lightly burnt yellow custard that is tasty and pilllowy soft. They also sell a Brazilian version of the egg tart that uses coconut, although I still prefer the Portuguese version. They also sell an amazing variety of onigiri or Japanese rice balls: Buffalo wings, bacon & egg, octopus salad, dry pork, Korean spicy spam, purple rice crab salad, purple rice eel, shrimp tempura salad, crawfish salad, Teryaki fried chicken, curry chicken, seaweed, tuna, spicy salmon, spicy tuna. All priced $2.50-$3. I'm a fan.
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Mike R.

Yelp
Harper's Bread House is one of the cheap eats Chinese bakery cafés in Chinatown. They also have a juice and tea section called "Fruit Vanity," plus some seating. Decided to try some items that I haven't tried out in other similar places, i.e., their sizable Chicken Bun, sizable for $2.50, and my first ever Wife Melon Cookie. The chicken cutlet and other fillings in the bun were less interesting than they appeared and relatively dry, although the sandwich could be filling for the price. As for the Wife Melon Cookie, it may be cherished by people raised on it, but for me it was just a nondescript sweet flavor without any melon or other special taste. I'm also not especially wowed by egg tarts, which I understand is one of Harper's specialties, although I had them served often for desert when traveling in China. (Also, not a fan of red bean paste deserts.) Perhaps these items are more geared towards customers with either more muted bakery palettes and expectations or plain nostalgia for these specialties, so I admittedly may not be the best judge. Although writing both of my choices off my Harper's Bread House "bucket list," would stop by again to try out other items available. Please leave me a suggestion of what else might be worthwhile to try on my next visit.
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Kunyan X.

Yelp
This place is super affordable, especially being in Manhattan Chinatown. Come here with a mindset of affordable basics and you'll be happy. It recently expanded its space to hold bubble drinks so it looks bigger inside. Some seating available but it's mostly to go. Probably one of the only Chinese bakeries to sell onigiri rice balls, don't expect it to be Japanese taste. The onigiri comes with many flavors like teriyaki chicken, curry chicken, octopus salad, etc. Line up as you walk in and one of the workers will greet you. I think they speak enough English. Overall, I would come back for affordable goods.
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Audrey W.

Yelp
Stopped in here at the end of an outing in Chinatown where my husband and I ate way too many dumplings and steamed buns. So the pastries were taken to go. I ordered several Portuguese egg tarts, a pineapple bun and a coconut tart. Eyes way bigger than stomach. When I got home and looked at my bag full of treats, I realized that's not what I got. But I was still far too full to eat anything, and considering I spent less than $10 on a pile of baked goods, I'm not mad. When I finally did eat an egg tart (not the Portuguese ones, sadly -- they didn't make it into my bag), it was quite good. Not too sweet. Nice flaky crust and the custard wasn't overly eggy. (I haven't eaten my other items yet. And even though all I really wanted was a Portugese egg tart and I didn't get that, I'm still giving this place 4 stars -- for price and taste and convenience of being the last place to hit up before hopping on the subway. I'll tackle that pineapple bun tomorrow.)
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Kitty H.

Yelp
Visited for the first time since we parked the car nearby. Surprised to find a Chinese bakery store selling onigiri rice ball. We were not paying much attention until we saw many customers coming in to buy those rice balls. So we bought a few to try. We bought eel and spicy tuna, $2.75 each. Price is definitely reasonable. The rice was nice and moist. Still luke warm, packed with ingredients. I was told they made it on site. Because of the fast turnover, they are usually fresh. We also tried some other products: the iced milk tea is only $2.95, good tea flavor. Their infamous custard is $1.50. I find it nothing special. It's good, but I'm not sure about being the king of the egg custard tart. The hot coffee..... is in the trash right now. My kids enjoyed the paper wrapped cup shape cakes. They were moist and rich in egg flavor. Other pastry/ bakery items are very reasonably priced also. We will definitely return.
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Rohini G.

Yelp
Tried the egg tarts which were perfectly custardy (but still well set) and flaky! Also $1.50 a piece and the shop had several other baked goods to sample. I will be back!
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Jess W.

Yelp
Onigiri 4/5 Either still very hot or sometimes to cold but it get's a 4 because of all the variety and majority of the time, everything is perfect temperature Purple rice eel is my favorite along with crab salad purple rice Egg tart 4/5 Cold. If they could put a heat lamp over them, they will jump up to a 4.25. It cannot rival New Flushing bakery, which just closed it's doors last month, but it's a close second Service 1/5 See ambiance Ambiance 1/5 This shop attracts extra homeless people outside asking you to buy things for them inside the shop This shop does not have system of who was first in line, so it becomes crowded in the cashier area The juxtaposition is in the back, which has now been rented out to sell upscale boba to the right and fried snacks on the left.
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Vicky L.

Yelp
Saw a lot of good reviews on the onigiri and decided to try it out. A bakery that sells onigiri? That's not common. Purchased the spicy eel and spicy tuna and both were very disappointing. The spicy eel I was expecting like a spicy mayo type of sauce but it was wasabi! Personally I am not a fan wasabi. For the spicy tuna, the tuna was not in chunks and it wasn't spicy. Both onigiri had more rice than filling. The price range for all the onigiri is $2.50-$2.75. Definitely affordable, but the flavoring and filling was not there for me. Maybe the other fillings are better? Also, there are only a few tables with limited seating.
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Gloria W.

Yelp
Portuguese egg tarts were the most affordable I've seen ($1.25), and they were both delicious and authentic. Their other pastries were also mostly below $2, and the interior was very clean and well-kept. There was some seating available as well. Pastries were well worth it and staff is quick to serve.
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Meagan N.

Yelp
A hidden gem. I am obsessed with the tofu skin and seaweed salad onigiri. The salmon and tuna are also solid. I love stopping by to grab a few onigiris and then sitting down at the park to watch local basketball. The filling is always very generous and the seaweed always crispy.
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Jane S.

Yelp
No frills Chinese bakery, great Portuguese egg tarts. Would stop by again when in the area.
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Howard K.

Yelp
Most affordable and highest quality Portuguese egg tarts across NY Chinatown and Flushing. This place miraculously hasn't changed their prices in a decade. $1.25 for egg tarts and $1.80 for most breads/pastries. Look to the more central parts of Chinatown on Mott or the new bakeries in Flushing and you're easily seeing 2.25 - 3 for the same stuff at lower quality. I always stock up when we down here
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Ryan Y.

Yelp
I came across Harpers after recommendation from a friend. It is a Chinese bakery that also sells onigiri. I ordered the tuna onigiri ($2.50), spicy eel onigiri ($2.75), and eel onigiri ($2.75). Out of all the places I have tried, this tasted the best and has the most rice and filling packed into their rice balls. There is a large variety. The spicy eel had wasabi in it, which paired nicely. I didn't get to try any breads, cakes, or tarts, but the prices were very affordable. I would gladly come back to try more items if I'm in the area.
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Kelly L.

Yelp
After coming multiple times for their variety of onigiri (ranging from $2.50-$2.75), I decided to try the sausage bread ($1.50). I have had better elsewhere due to the bread being a little dense, but it's hard to beat the price! Will definitely continue to drop by every time I'm in Chinatown for their onigiri. My favorite is the eel and tuna.
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Elizabeth X.

Yelp
Cute bakery, great treats! The sweet bun on the chicken bun is delicious, and I enjoyed the egg roll. There's some Mayo in there too. Would return!
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Alexandra L.

Yelp
Came here to try the onigiri and got crab salad and spicy eel. The spicy ones don't contain spicy mayo/hot sauce which I usually expect, instead it contained wasabi. It wasn't really spicy, but I didn't mind too much. Still tasted good. For $2.50-2.75 an onigiri, this is an affordable snack option and had a lot of rice and decent amount of filling. I definitely want to try some of their other onigiri options, like teriyaki fried chicken and purple rice crab salad. Didn't try any of their pastries since I got full but they looked good and will return to try those as well.
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Abbie M.

Yelp
Nestled in Chinatown, this bakery is my go to for their rice balls which is super affordable, convenient and also super yummy! I've been coming here since years ago and shockingly their prices are still really affordable. They have a lot of options to choose from and most are around $3 or under! When I came here I got 3 rice balls for $8 which is such a steal given how expensive things are nowadays. They also sell a variety of Chinese breads and pastries, and also hot and cold drinks. If you're looking to grab a quick bite - this is the spot. They are cash only so make sure you bring cash! The cashiers are usually in a rush to get you to order since it's a bit busy. The customer service isn't amazing but the food is yummy so I keep coming back anyways haha
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Kristine Z.

Yelp
Really friendly shop with cheap prices around $1-$1.50 for breads! A lot of people come for the onigiri but I only tried the red bean bun, coconut raisin bun, and coconut tart- all were the perfect sweetness and great flavors. Highly recommend!
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Geyanne L.

Yelp
Egg tart was 10/10. Was so cheap but such great quality. It was hot and flaky on the sides. just perfect! Their pork bun was also so good. I have to come back to try their pineapple bun - it was so big and was so tempting but I was too full to get anything else. Their triangle rice balls were a hot seller as well!
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Teddy P.

Yelp
Both egg tart and Portuguese egg tart were yummy and at $1.50 such a good price! Cash only as a heads up!
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Rosanna N.

Yelp
This place in one of my go-to breakfast, lunch and snack places. It has some of the most affordable and delicious onigiris, coffee and bread. It recently connected to a bubble tea next door and is now super convenient to get boba at the same time. The service is super quick but there is almost no sitting space. My favorite is definitely the chicken curry onigiri, the shrimp salad onigiri and the eel! I am always back there when I can. It is also super easy to eat on the go!
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Ming Z.

Yelp
Harper's Bread House, located right outside Chinatown in NYC, earns a solid 4-star Yelp review. It's a super bustling place with an extensive array of baked goods. I specifically visited for their onigiri, which were not only incredibly cheap but also delicious--so much so that the person before me ordered about 30 to take home. I opted for the spicy eel onigiri, and the eel-to-rice ratio was quite satisfying. The service was impressively quick, making it a convenient and tasty stop near Chinatown.
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Jackie D.

Yelp
Tried their onigiri, opting for the salmon and kimchi flavors. The space is small with minimal seating, but the wait wasn't lengthy. The menu offers a diverse selection of onigiri and bakery items, coupled with a boba shop. Unfortunately, the onigiri fell short on flavor, with an overwhelming sense of rice overshadowing the filling. On the upside, the prices are budget-friendly, making it a decent option for those on a budget. Despite the flavor discrepancy, the affordability might warrant a return visit.
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Lauren T.

Yelp
Bo lo bao (pineapple bun) for $1.25!! I love the bo lo bao here, and it's fresh out of the oven. It tastes so fluffy and delicious. I'm planning to bring home 10 of these to show my family how good they are.
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Hong Kim L.

Yelp
Onigiri! The best rice balls I've ever tasted. Never can leave a visit to Chinatown without making a pit stop for my onigiri fix. Some of my personal faves are the spicy tuna, spicy crab, curry chicken and eel onigiri. What makes their rice balls unique compared to other tea shops is how they mix the rice with the furikake flavorings to make the taste pop. As good as plain rice balls are, I love the extra work this shop puts into these items. And affordable too! For sweets, I recommend the coconut custard cup tarts and pumpkin flat cakes as you don't normally see this in other Chinese bakeries. Be sure to keep track of time as this place closes early in the evening.
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Terrance C.

Yelp
5 Stars purely for the onigiri. The eel onigiri is the best I've had. Only problem is that this place is cash only. Beware of the menacing door openers in the front. The prices are very cheap and the drinks are good as well. The bakery items are also good.
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Victoria E.

Yelp
Such amazing Portuguese egg tarts and coconut egg tarts. Japanese rice wrap is quite amazing too. I would not go anywhere else but here for Portuguese egg tars. It's super flaky and the burned top is lovely. It's really not expensive. In San Francisco, you can get it at Pineapple King but not as good as here and twice as expensive. I'm convinced New York Chinatown has the best Chinese food. I have not been wrong for the last 30 years!
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Anna T.

Yelp
Tried rice ball and cake today! Kimchi rice wasn't good but crab was on point! W the price so really good for grab n go!
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Sam S.

Yelp
There were many Chinese bakeries right in the area but my friend recommended this one to me so I decided to give it a try. I was a bit worried that it might be difficult to order in English but I had no issues. I ordered about 8 buns and it only ended up costing a bit over $10 which I thought was a really good deal as there are other places in the area that charge almost $4 for a single bun. I did enjoy my coconut cream bun but I will say that I have had better elsewhere.
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M T.

Yelp
I've been to Harpers several times in the last 2 years. I can happily say they've never let me down when it comes to their product. I really like the bento rice balls. The octopus salad and eel are winners. I also really enjoyed their Portuguese egg tarts and sponge cakes. They have a lot of customers but they manage to take my orders in the order in which I enter the establishment. I appreciate that. It doesn't happen often when I'm in Chinatown. There are two places in all of Chinatown that my neighbor will actually buy his sweet buns from and this is one of them. He will not vary because he knows the quality that he gets there. That's saying a lot, especially when you consider the fact that my friend likes to look at businesses that have failed their health department inspections being reamed out on camera. It's a takeout place so ambiance isn't really the thing here. But do be aware that there are usually one or two vagrants outside. Are the front door begging. If you're put off by that kind of thing don't even bother coming in here cuz they don't move.
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Nora C.

Yelp
Harper's Bread House Ratings: 4.4/5 Food: 4.75/5 - Wandering around the city and was mad craving for some egg tarts, and lucky enough to stop by Harper's. I ate my two bakery items very quickly, because it was delicious. I got Portuguese tart and wanted to try something new, so I got the coconut tart as well. See the description below on these two items. - Portuguese Tart [GET]: The egg tart has a thicker crust than other egg tarts, but it's super flaky and incredibly buttery. The custard is insanely soft and light with a nice eggy flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness, and it literally melts in your mouth like pudding. It tasted like it came straight out of the oven, warm and gooey. The burnt sugar on the top was lovely, added a tiny bit of sweetness to the egg tart and crisp. - Coconut Tart [GET]: This coconut tart was much flakier and buttery than the Portuguese tart. It was a bit too flaky and there's crumbs falling everywhere when I bite into it. The texture was quite dry from shredded coconut flakes throughout the tart, and I wished it was more moist. The downside was that there was no custard fillings inside, I hope there was some sort of cream or custard in it. I think overall it's a great egg tart, but wasn't good enough to blew my mind. Ambiance: 4/5 - Your typical Asian bakery shop located in Chinatown, NYC. It is located on the corner of Grand Street right next to a park. The interior is old and rusty with no indoor seating available. There are many sushi onigiri and bakery items in those display containers with price tags. Also, there's many classic Chinese New Year Asian decorations still hung on the wall. Keep in mind that there are many people walking in and out of the shop and a decent amount of staffs working in the kitchen in the back, so it can be loud. Price: 5/5 - The prices here are amazing, not just for egg tarts, but other things as well. The Portuguese tart and coconut tart were both $1.25, so I got both items for literally only $2.50. I think this is the cheapest Portuguese egg tart you can find in NYC. Wonderful prices for some delicious pastries, so definitely worth every of my pennies. CASH only too. Service: 4/5 - Staffs are efficient at what they are doing. As soon as I walked in, the aunties greeted me and started asking me for my order. They quickly wrapped up the items I wanted and put it in a bag, then handed to the cashier. I pay and got my food all in less than 5 minutes, so they were pretty quick. BLUF: A hidden gem and a popular Chinese bakery shop to get some BOMB Portuguese egg tarts in Chinatown for only $1.25. It's so yummy and perfect, and I loved it, and would 100% return again for other things. Please come to Harper's for a very delicious and pleasant surprise. Also, remember to bring CASH.
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Dianna H.

Yelp
My friend and I walked by this Chinatown bakery and the $4 for 2 watermelon slush sign outside caught our eye. We came at the end of the day (around 5 pm on a Saturday), so unfortunately they were sold out of most bakery items, but the watermelon slush was delicious. Not too sweet and had a solid watermelon flavor. I can't remember I paid $2 for a slush anywhere in the states and was super happy to find this hidden gem in Chinatown!
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Gloria M.

Yelp
One word: riceballs. This small bakery is pretty simple and straightforward. They offer all the classic baos but their main attraction are the rice balls, in every classic and unique flavors you can think of. I have tried a few different flavors and they have all hit the spot. My favorites are fried chicken, curry chicken, shrimp tempura and dried pork sung. Then again, I have tried the other flavors and been pretty impressed as well. Maybe I'm just easy to please but I'll be making my rounds back for more.
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Lingxiao C.

Yelp
Japanese curry chicken onigiri is absolutely DA BOMB. They're SO generous with the chicken filling, which has really strong and author Japanese curry flavor. What I love most about their onigiris is the consistency of great quality and flavor - you just know it's guaranteed to hit the spot. It's also so much better than the pathetic onigiris sold at those popular Asian grocery stores like Katagiri and H Mart, which are usually composed of 90% stale rice and 10% bland fillings.
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Joey V.

Yelp
My go to on a hot summer day for an ice cold Hong Kong milk tea and a window seat with a view of bustling Grand Street. Quintessential Manhattan Chinatown.
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Teresa K.

Yelp
Cash only but great selection of drinks, buns, and rice balls! Definitely a good spot for a quick snack/bite especially when there are so many different types of items to choose from. Their rice balls are always a hit as there is a good amount of filling, crispy seaweed, and the rice is season well. The customer service can be a hit or a miss but luckily, so far so good!
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Angie K.

Yelp
I'm always down for a trip to Harper's, even out of the way. My go to item are their onigiri ($2.50-2.75). They're always warm and fresh (none of that old refrigerated stuff at the market with hardened rice). I also love the Portuguese egg tarts ($1.50). Everything is reasonably priced, so it's not taking a big risk to try something new. The aunties there are nice and helpful, and even if there's a slight language barrier there, I always come out with everything that I asked for. Their hours have changed slightly due to COVID, but as of July 1st (when I asked), it's every day from 7:30-5:30pm. I went when they were closed once and had a panic attack that this closure was permanent -- this place is really that important to me. Cash only.
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Tracy F.

Yelp
I walk by this place for years and only recently, I've started noticing a line in there. A line for bread and pastries? Nope - a line for rice balls! The rice balls are so good and the filling is just right - not too much, but also not too little where you feel like you're only eating rice. The seaweed is always crispy so you know it's fresh and made the day of.
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Lisa N.

Yelp
Let's get that bread-- I mean, egg tarts. I got half a dozen egg tarts. Although, it is not the best egg tart I have ever eaten, it wasn't bad either. The crust is a little too dense for my preference. The ratio of crust to custard is too high, as there isn't enough custard in the tarts. Soft custard filling wasn't overly sweet. Just wished there was more custard filling. However, it did satisfy my egg tarts cravings. Customer service was good. Egg tarts was average. I think it's cool that this place sells onigiri (rice "triangles"). Totally unexpected coming from an Asian bakery in Chinatown. Whenever I come back to New York, I will try this next time. *CASH ONLY*
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Ella L.

Yelp
Didn't think bakery was special compared to any typical Chinese bakery. They had your usual bun -- pineapple bun, bbq pork bun, pork floss bun. I came in to try their rice ball. Price for the buns and rice ball was decent. I didn't try their buns though. I was pretty disappointed in the rice ball, the filling was very very minimal, more rice. I got the purple rice with eel and the spicy crab. If you have a budget this is a good bakery to stop by. Service was ok, the lady was kind of rude and impatient because she wanted me to order fast as she was also trying to take the next customer's order even though the store wasn't even that packed.
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Tina W.

Yelp
SUPPORTING CHINATOWN I have been passing harper's bread house forever and never step my toes into the store until this covid season where I really dig deeper into chinatown and you know all those little stores are not disappointing at all. They had Nirigi, chinese bakeries, bread and some dim sum options.Oh, dont forget to order their shakes, so delicious. it is a good spot to grab some snacks if you are hungry.
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Carrie C.

Yelp
I like coming to this bakery for their rice balls and summer fruit drinks. The egg tarts are not bad too. Rice balls, $2-$3 price range, they have a variety of chicken teriyaki, eel, seaweed inari, crab meat etc. The 'spicy' ones has wasabi. They sell out quickly. Bunch of great deals on drinks, such as 2 for $4 watermelon shake. $4 for mango etc. Don't know another place with good deals like this one. Don't expect much service from a Chinatown bakery, they often forget to respect the line. Try to remind the locals that you were in line first and literally just shout out loud what you need at the window by the cashier.
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Heidi M.

Yelp
This review is strictly about their fresh af onigiris which I 10/10 vouch for: I stop by at least once a week to grab an onigiri or two for breakfast (I save the 2nd one for the next day - they keep well and still good a day later!) ... and it's probably one of my favorite grab & go breakfast items ever. The ingredients are always incredibly fresh, warm and delicious. They're also cheap & affordable - depending on which one you get it'll cost you $1.25 / $1.75 / $2.25 or $2.75. There are almost 20 different ones to choose from and they occasionally experiment with NEW! flavors if you're feeling adventurous. I usually go for the bacon egg & cheese (yes, still talking about onigiri) or eel / spicy eel. Shrimp tempura's always good too... you just can't go wrong with any of them really. I'd take an onigiri from Harper's over a bagel any day. (*may or may not be a bias asian)
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Connie H.

Yelp
This place is definitely on pair with Tai Pan IMO. I'm so happy I decided to come in this weekend since I will be surely coming back again for some baked goodies. First: they have onigiri ($2-3 each) which gives them a leg up on Tai Pan. Second: while their pastry selection is smaller, most pastries range $1-2 which is such a STEAL. Like most places in Chinatown, don't forget to bring your ca$h monies!!
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Heying D.

Yelp
This is a hidden bakery gem at the outer border of Chinatown. I've tried several bakeries in the Manhattan Chinatown and this one is the best of them all! The baked goods were incredibly good and the prices were great! We had the pork bun - the filling was savory and sweet with bigger pork chunks. The dough was chewy and soft. The bun was warm and fresh out of the oven. The portuguese egg tarte had more crust than others but it was so incredibly buttery and flaky. The custard was nice and soft, not too eggy tasting. The sponge cake was just heaven. So pillowy and airy, and not too sweet. Perfection! We also ordered a red bean bun, but the order got mixed up and we got the bread cake instead. It was a nice surprise. It's like a vanilla sponge cake sandwiched between two thin bread dough layers. A very delicious surprise. The iced coffee was perfect, just the right ratio of milk and coffee. The most amazing was the watermelom slush. I ordered it without additional sugar and it was just perfect. Just watermelon and ice cubes blended up. So yummy and healthy and perfect. I really love this place!
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Imani C.

Yelp
Since I have school in the morning, I usually stop for breakfast there. The food is good. But today I only had my money in coins, $1.50 in coins. When I went up to pay for my Pork bun they refused to take the money and said "We don't like pennies" I told them that it wasn't only pennies and that I had quarters as well, They still refused, I really like the food there, but i felt as if i was discriminated, its not fair that I had the same money as another person but was refused service because of what my money looked like.
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Jill A.

Yelp
Mean workers. I ordered a drink and the lady yelled at me and rolled her eyes. Is it because I don't speak Chinese? Who knows. Eff this place.
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Sandra L.

Yelp
The onigiri here is amazing quality and only $2.50 or $2.75. I used to go to yaya but these are much better. The purple rice eel is my favorite. The pineapple buns are also really good and only $1