The Bite: Cheap, Delicious Dim Sum Breakfast At The Good Family Bakery
THE BITE: Three dollars and eighty cents for a delicious dim sum breakfast? Yes, please!
When I wandered into Good Family Bakery Sunday morning, the little store near the corner of Avenue U and East 14th Street was already packed. Most of the long, cafeteria-style tables were crowded with hungry guests and a line had formed along the counter where clerks were hurriedly taking orders. Clearly, the spot was popular with neighbors.
Unlike many Dim Sum restaurants, Good Family Bakery doesn’t serve its food on trays carted around the room. The ordering process is pretty simple: you walk up to the counter, place your order and then carry it to one of the shared tables. Or you have it bagged if you’re ordering to go.
The restaurant’s atmosphere is also pretty bare bones. There are a few framed artworks of chinese calligraphy and a TV in the back of the room plays a Chinese-language channel. However, the spartan decorations seemed to be part of the store’s charm. Guests were curled up beside the window reading the newspaper, family and friends huddled around tables gripping paper coffee cups and exchanging smiles and conversation. The relaxed environment made for a welcoming place to warm up with hot food and a cup of tea.
I ordered the pork and shrimp shumai ($2), a steamed pork bun ($0.80), and a cup of green tea ($1). For the price of a load of laundry, I had full breakfast.
I was a little disappointed by the tea. At other Dim Sum restaurants, I’ve grown accustomed to being served a jasmine-infused brew that sparkled with flavor. Good Family Bakery served a generic brand of green tea called Tetley, which can be found in almost any grocery store.
However, it was the steamed pork bun that won me over. The sweet, jelly filling, mixed with meat and onions created an orchestra of flavor in my mouth. And the bread had a soft doughy texture that was similar to eating a biscuit fresh out of the oven. The shumai was equally tasty. The pork and shrimp had stewed inside the dumpling so that every molecule of flavor was released in both aroma and taste when I opened the delicately-wrapped treats.
If you’re looking for a relaxed neighborhood spot for a delicious breakfast that will keep your belly and wallet full, consider dropping in to the Good Family Bakery.
Good Family Bakery, 1317 Avenue U, between East 14th Street and East 13th Street, 718-998-8988. Open Daily, 7am – 6pm.
The Bite is Sheepshead Bites’ column exploring the foodstuffs of the Sheepshead Bay area. Each week we check out a different offering from one of the many restaurants, delis, food carts, bakeries, butchers, fish mongers, or grocers in our neighborhood. If it’s edible, we’ll take a bite.
