Restaurant Review: Shan Shan Bakery

SHAN SHAN BAKERY 10552 97th Street Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

I love Chinese bakeries! Growing up in Scarborough (a suburb of Toronto) lead me to a quick discovery of this delicious magic. What more could a kid want other than sweet, golden, glazed buns - and all for about 50¢. That's economical use of allowance money, that's what that is. As an adult the nostalgia is real and I still love grabbing a tray and tongs, ready to pick out an array of savoury and sweet treats. I recently learned about Shan Shan Bakery when it was chosen in the Favourite Bakery category on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list. Plus it's located in Chinatown. This is all that I needed to hear! I visited on a Saturday afternoon with full intentions of having Chinese bakery as my lunch. Edmonton's Chinatown (in the McCauley neighbourhood) is a bit of a rough area, which is a shame. Especially because the food finds in this part of the city are incredible. Street parking is usually not a problem and I was able to park directly in front of the bakery. Everything about the shop was ticking all of the right boxes. Location in Chinatown? Yes. Dingy questionable storefront? Yup. Interesting cleanliness factor inside? You know it. (Although this place was better than most.) This is exactly as it should be and the only way that I'll have it. Keep your decor expectations low when entering this bakery. It's not supposed to "look like" anything. The walls are a mint green and that's good enough. All you need to worry about are the rows of cases that contain good, good buns. Yes, the plastic cases are somewhat murky to look through - this just means that they're doing it right. It should be noted that Shan Shan is a cash-only establishment, however they will also accept eTransfers if you don't have cash. The number one thing synonymous with Chinese bakeries is the tray and tong system. You'll find a stack of plastic trays and a row of tongs at the entrance of every Chinese bakery and Shan Shan is no different. You sanitize your hands (as per the sign), grab your tray, grab your tongs, and go about loading up your tray with whatever strikes your fancy! It's fun! You then bring your tray up to the cash where your bill is tallied and your treats are either boxed or bagged. I began to cruise the aisles like a shark. First I wanted to see everything, then I'd make my selections. All of the usual suspects were present; baked buns, steamed buns, breads, little pastries - all sorts of things. Eventually I had a tray full of delicious delights that I couldn't wait to dig into. I brought my tray, loaded with nine different items, up to the cash and was charged a whopping $15 for all of it. I proceeded to feed my entire family.

Shan Shan does not have a seating area so you will need to be prepared for a grab-and-go situation. No problem! You can easily eat all of this in your car like I did!

I began to devour the buns, taking bites of everything! This is what I selected: Green Onion Ham Bun ($1.40). It looked a bit like a cinnamon bun, except with a bright speckling of green onion and bits of ham on top. The sweet dough was light and tasted very fresh. This became a theme with all of the items at Shan Shan - these might have been some of the freshest Chinese bakery items that I've ever experienced. I liked that the green onion and ham was found within the dough, as well as on top. Very flavourful. Tuna Fish Bun ($1.40). What can I say? I'm a fan of tuna. The same delightful dough but this time with a savoury tuna salad inside. I liked that the filling wasn't dry and that there were pops of crunch from what I believe to be celery mixed in. Very good. Wiener Bun ($1.40). The holy grail! This one is a real guilty pleasure of mine and the bun that I truly crave and long for the most. Every Chinese bakery has them. I got three of them because there would be no sharing. This bun has a hot dog inside of it. And this hot dog is wrapped in a golden, sweet, pillowy bun. This version was perfect and it was everything that I dreamed for it to be. I also loved that Shan Shan's version has a bit of style to the shape of their bun.

Long Donut ($1.90). I've had Chinese donut sticks before... But not like this one. Beautifully golden and crispy, this donut was not greasy at all. I loved the pastry very much because while it was simple, it embodied a subtle and glorious salty-sweet flavour. Absolutely the best Chinese donut I've ever had! I will be back for more! Fun fact: These are actually eaten as a breakfast item in China.

Red Bean Sesame Ball ($1.40). I wanted to try the red bean bun but it was already sold out. However, these balls are a Chinese bakery staple, you'll always find these seedy orbs. And this one? It was the best (BEST!) one I've ever had. Ever! These pastries are soft and chewy with a red bean paste center. What set this one apart is the deliciously crispy exterior. It was perfect. Mini Winter Melon Pastry ($1.40). Loved this! Not sure if this is a special seasonal item. The pastry was light and flaky and each bite melted in my mouth. The light winter melon filling was sweet and delicious. I want another one of these very soon. Custard Egg Tart ($1.90). The shell was a bit generic but nice enough. The filling was very eggy, which I suppose is to be expected! Creamy and enjoyable to eat, I was not mad at this tart at all. I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Shan Shan Bakery is the BEST Chinese bakery that I've ever been to (even compared to the so-called best Chinese bakery in Toronto's Chinatown). It was exactly everything that I wanted it to be - and more. The man working was kind and helpful and the buns were legit. But even more than that, their quality far surpassed what I'm used to. There are so many buns to try and they've got all of your favourites - except they'll be fresher and better and more delightful than ever before. The bar has been set. I cannot wait to return for more. Shan Shan is my new go-to place for Chinese bakery.