“Out of all the hyped food I've tried this has to be the most disappointing. The filling was about half chunks of fat and the top was insanely sweet.”
H3
All 439 rated mentions, most helpful first
“Out of all the hyped food I've tried this has to be the most disappointing. The filling was about half chunks of fat and the top was insanely sweet.”
H3
“Mei Lah Wah (Pineapple roast pork bun absolutely met my expectations and more. Chewy stretchy bun with sweet crispy top and fatty flavorful pieces of pork, what more can you ask for. It’s definitely one of the heavier items but I loved it)”
H3
“5- Mei Lai wah I never had until now pork buns and let me tell you something it was really really good, the bread taste like some bread that I had in Venezuela before, the filling of pork was tasty, between the regular one and the pineapple I would recommend you to get the pineapple.”
H3
“The bun was also good, but the filling was just not up to par in terms of flavor and technique.”
H3
“the filling is so disgusting - usually way too fatty or sweet, could even have unrendered fat and nasty gristly textures”
H3
“Mei Lai Wah is absolutely not a must visit and I honestly don't get why it's so popular here The pork buns are so inconsistent and the filling ends up being gross in some way: way too fatty or sweet, lots of unrendered fat or nasty gristly bits”
H3
“I don't love Mei Lai Wah's roast pork buns. I mean, I'll still eat it, but I find the bread a bit too dense and heavy for this type of bun and the filling has too much fat pork for my preference.”
H3
“Mei Lai Wah uses too much pork fat in their roast pork buns. It’s very decadent when it’s still hot, but pretty gross when it’s cold; just biting into gobs of pork fat.”
H3
“People shit on them for the sauce being too sweet or the meat being too grizzled or whatever but it's still the only spot where you're guaranteed to get a fresh hot bun because they're so popular.”
H3
“I've been there a couple times and just find the filling of the pork buns to be overwhelmingly sweet and fatty. I was hoping for some nice savory tender pork to sink my teeth into, but it was so rich and syrupy I almost couldn't finish it.”
H3
“I'm not a pork person, but the roasted bun was so good and so cheap as well! Definitely was the highlight! The pineapple bun was nice as well. I guess I could've skipped the chicken bun as it hardly had any filling and was very doughy.”
H3
“Yeah the bun quality seems nice but the actual meat filling is poor. Lots of super fatty bites with no lean meat”
H3
“The fatty chunks work very well when it’s still hot cause it’s kinda emulsified in the filling. But once it’s cool, it’s kinda gross. I honestly wouldn’t eat a Mei Lai Wah pork bun unless it was at least warm.”
H3
“Mei Lai Wah uses super fatty and cheap meat too. You are literally never know and can get a chunk of fat. I feel like people love Mei lai Wah cause it literally taste like bbq sauce. It’s too sweet for Asian palate.”
H3
“mei lai wah for me. it's the og — like $2.50, less sweet, and the pork actually tastes like roast pork instead of dessert.”
H3
“the filling has been so inconsistent between being way too sweet or straight up nasty with unrendered fat/gross cartilage bits”
H3
“The color of the buns and insides turned brown instead of the reddish color, and taste is totally off.”
H3
“People will say they're overrated but I like that you're guaranteed to get a fresh hot/warm one since they bake then non stop.”
H3
“Mei Lai Wah is only good when it’s straight out of the oven. It gets pretty meh once it’s cools down cause the fat solidifies.”
H3
“they are super inconsistent and the filling is usually super sweet or has nasty fat/cartilage/gristle bits”
H3
“I personally love them and go out of my way to get their regular pork bun. I recommend them!”
H3
“They are by far the best pork buns you're going to get in New York City not to mention the most fresh you're going to get”
H3
“In general I find mei lai wahs filling to be more savory compared to other cha siu bao in Chinatown. They’ve got more of an oyster sauce-y flavor than the typical bright red filling.”
H3
“Good. I had heard mixed opinions on the flavor and how heavy it was, but it actually seemed like a good compromise between different flavors, and I would have gladly eaten more than one.”
H2
“the pineapple roast pork bun was good, but i wouldn’t race back for it. 7”
H2
“really good pineapple pork bun but a little over hyped imo”
H2
“pineapple roast pork bun is what i yearn for. it was absolutely delicious and sweet. 10/10”
H2
“Worth the chaos, incredible flavor profile and was super fresh - 11/10”
H2
“I prefer the pork, but both were great, specially for the price and speed.”
H2
“This was delightfully sweet, savoury, and crunchy.”
H2
“amazing pork buns”
H2
“Food from Chinatown like Mei Lai Wah pork buns, rice rolls from Tonii's, Wah Fung platter, handpulled noodles and pork pancakes from Spicy Village”
H2
“unreal baked roast pork buns. I would willingly join the line any day.”
H2
“Their buns have progressively gotten more crappy fat inside vs meat. It’s noticeably a different quality than 4-5 years ago”
H2
“the pineapple pork bun is indeed really good and fatty.”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah’s has a higher fat content nowadays, which personally I still like but is not for everyone.”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah for baked pork buns and big buns”
H2
“Move through Chinatown and try to beat the line for a pork bun at Mei Lai Wah.”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah (Chinatown, pork buns)”
H2
“The quality is great - the baked pork bun is so airy and delicious - I'll go out on a limb and say it's better than Mei Lai Wah's (too thick for me).”
H2
“The ratio of fat and lean pork has been an issue for awhile but hey tourists and social media loves it.”
H2
“The pineapple bun is like crack.”
H2
“It was common knowledge in Chinatown that mei lai wah has the best pork buns in chinatown.”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah’s Pineapple Roast Pork Buns”
H2
“Love their Big Buns”
H2
“Don’t get me wrong, I love their pork buns, I’ve been going there since I was a kid.”
H2
“Not even the pineapple one, which I think is not as good as the original.”
H2
“I think the pineapple one is too sweet. Plain is more savory”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah Is worth a stop especially if you get there early enough to snag a pineapple pork bun.”
H2
“Mei Lai Wah has a pan fried rice roll with XO sauce”
H2