While upscale restaurants are finally beginning to see the beauty of wrapping things in bacon and popular chocolatiers are mixing bits of the stuff into their cocoa vats, ethnic eateries like Chiu Quon have been praising the pig for millennia. And if this bakery isn't using pork in something, it's at least throwing a handful of sesame into the mix.
A popular treat here manages to marry the best of both ingredients into a dense little cookie. Sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, this is one pastry that knows how to balance the best of many post-dinner delights—and at 60 cents each, you can't afford not to try one.
Other desserts include walnut paste cookies covered with sesame seeds, lotus moon pies and coconut tarts (all less than $1). The bakery also offers dim-sum and a variety of buns including custard-filled, sweet-topped and (barbecued) pork-infused (95 cents).
Before setting foot into this spot, you'll have to swallow any gastronomic apprehensions; the goods here are not for the faint of stomach. Clear plastic boxes containing sweet and sour chicken feet, for one, are enough to make the squeamish hightail it to the nearest Dunkin Donuts. But epicures and venturesome types alike will undoubtedly appreciate the exotic treats that line the shelves of Chiu Quon.
Average cost: <$10
Centerstage Reviewer: Stacy Warden
