Asian Sweet Bakery

TLDR: JUST GO! (But be careful of timing as they do sell out of the best items) I hope this place isn’t a secret to Madison residents but if it is it is legitimately the best kept culinary secret in this town. They supply a lot of the local Asian markets with legit authentic Chinese baked goods but I like to go straight to the source and I’ve learned that the best time to go is around 11 am. You can’t go too early because some things won’t be ready yet, but if you go too late you risk missing out on all of the good stuff I just cleaned them out of ;) Cheese bread usually won’t be ready until later and is a great choice for a first visit. Think a fluffy long hunk of bread with mayo and cheese melted on top. Next hit up anything with bbq pork in the name. At the top right of the main display case they have an additional display with smaller items. If they have any of the deep fried bbq pork dumpling thingies try them for something with a texture that will be new to most westerners but absolutely delicious (they don’t seem to make many of them so consider yourself lucky if you get some). Last recommendation is the zonza, aka Chinese tamale. It’s rice, soybeans, and a chunk of fatty pork wrapped in leaves. I buy all they have and eat them for breakfast throughout the week. Lately I’ve liked them better heated after unwrappingthem with a little butter and salt. They have a bunch of other stuff too and the prices are still pretty good even after the inflation that’s been hitting everyone. I usually spend around $50 and walk out with several bags full of goodies that will be lucky to survive the weekend.

Get the egg custard tarts! We were introduced to this wonderful treat in China Town, San Francisco. Since then, we've been searching for somewhere to get them and this is the place! Absolutely delicious decadent treat! And the prices are so good. We walk out of there with 2 bags of goodies for under $15. The cheesy twists are also fantastic!

The fridge to the right when you walk in has Thai tea, the big cans! You'll probably notice the weird-looking, leaf-wrapped bundles on the counter, they are really good. The cake slices in the case on the right are a bit pricey but they are delicious. The menu has roast eel and it's as good as you hope it will be. They take card, too, so you better fill up a few boxes with pastries. It's all made daily and this is the kind of stuff you'll wish you had brought home more of. The rainbow egg roll, and the hotdog bun are the only offerings I'd personally never order again.

For a Hong Kong style bakery there really isn't any better in Madison, not that there are many to begin with. Very standard, and cheap, cha chan ting foods. Workers there speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. The place is small but does have a few tables for seating. Generally pretty fast food though the building is a bit old.