It’s very natural for me to draw parallels between SoCal and NorCal eateries, since the former is my birthplace and the latter my adopted home. This especially rings true with Asian food, which is huge in certain parts of the LA area as well as the Bay Area.
Sheng Kee Bakery to me is the NorCal equivalent of JJ Bakery. Both started out very popular with the Asian parent crowd and gradually became more popular with teens and young adults, especially those who grew up eating the wonderful goodies and pastries offered at the two shops.
It was quite an interesting change of scenery the first time I entered the new Berkeley Sheng Kee. Definitely an entirely different setup from the ones I’ve been to in the past, and a lot more hip and catered toward a younger crowd. Almost like an 85C Bakery, complete with a line of chatty college students stretching throughout the store.
A welcome change, if I must say so myself. I quickly grabbed a pair of tongs and a tray and proceeded to pick out some old favorites as well as some new (and interesting) combinations of bread and pastries. The pineapple bun (with red bean filling) was a must. The BBQ pork bun with glazed honey? You know it. And because I was feeling a bit experimental, I picked up a bread called Purple Romance (a purple-ish taro-infused bun).
The lady at the register rang me up, and I also ordered a boba milk tea. To my surprise it came in a Half & Half style wide cup. I thought they’d have trademarked that cup style by now.
The buns and pastries were delicious – the pineapple bun very sweet, the BBQ pork bun fresh and meaty. Even the Purple Romance had a lot of taro flavor without the artificial sweetness that comes with most taro breads.
The boba milk tea on the other hand left more to be desired. Personally, I prefer sweeter variants, and if I’m paying $3 for boba, I’d expect them to at least make it on the spot. But nitpicking aside, I really enjoyed my first visit to the new Sheng Kee, and for around $2 (or less) per bun, I’d say this place offers a great balance of value and taste.
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