Yasmin was trying to find this white Chinese steamed spongy rice cake (Pak Tong Koh). I pointed at the outdoor corner markets underneath the Manhattan Bridge on East Broadway, but she said she already tried there. So we walked around to find it.
We passed by Golden Bowl seeing if it was in the window. No luck, but I did see these scallion doughnut rings. The lady at Golden Bowl tried to get me in, but instead I walked over next door to Yi Mei Gourmet and got it. Why? There was one person in line and none in the other. Cheap. Three for $1. It was fried crispy scallion-filled dough. I thought it had sort of a fishy or seafood aroma to it. It left my fingers very oily.
We went into several bakeries. None of them had the steamed rice cake, but I did get a craving for mooncake after I saw so many. So we went back to the first bakery that had the cheapest ones, Golden Fung Wong on Mott. The Lotus Paste mooncake with Two Yolks was $2.25 I believe. I told Yasmin that the yolk is good luck, so having two yolks is double. I thought I made that up, but it turns out it’s true.
We were stuffed and parted ways. I headed back to the train and walked by one of the outdoor corner markets underneath the Manhattan Bridge (South East corner of East Broadway and Division), where I saw what we were looking for this whole time. A bag of the Pak Tong Koh steamed cake for $1. It must’ve been the mooncake yolk luck. The cake had a tad of sweetness and yeast flavor, but mostly bland. Airy, spongy and felt like fake boobs. Extra lucky.
Yi Mei Gourmet Food Inc. – 51 Division St. Chinatown NYC 10002
Golden Fung Wong Bakery – 41 Mott St (btwn Pell & Bayard St) New York, NY 10013
Outdoor market for Pak Tong Koh steamed cake – S.E. corner of East Broadway at Division, near the Manhattan Bridge
