Honey Buns

Charlotte, NC

Fluffy baos, juicy meat, and Thai tea

Super G Market has become one of my favorite places to frequent when I visit Petchiboon in North Carolina.  Being from Atlanta and living just 20 minutes from China Town and Asian central, I got used to just going around the corner to find Asian delicacies, groceries, and snacks.  This is not a luxury that Petchi has in Charlotte.  Until Super G.  This grocery store is home to a cozy little food court restaurant called Honey Buns.  10 points for a fun name.  ^_^  Honey Buns serves a variety of steamed "baos" filled with a delicious mixture of yumminess.  (They even use bamboo steamers, which makes them even better!  But I digress...)  Baos, as they are traditionally called, are native to China but have become popular in a variety of countries. 

First, let me preface our meal by telling you that this is a great place for cheap eats.  Buns average about $1.25 with nothing on the menu over $5.  Just remember to bring cash because Honey Buns doesn't take credit, debit, checks or barter.  


The first thing I tried was a big cup of Thai tea.  The tea had a nice flavor, not too sweet.  The cream was a bit on the heavy side but was still silky deliciousness on that hot summer day.

Petchi and I do not discriminate when it comes to food so we decided to share buns of several different varieties: Korean, Chinese, Barbeque, and Vietnamese.  The Korean bun looked a bit like a football with a kneaded roll seam on top.  It was definitely one of the more bland buns we got but tasted much better with the hot pepper sauce they offer at Honey Buns.  
The Chinese bun was much rounder and taller than the Korean bun but was similar in that it was a bit bland.  The bun was filled with a ground pork mixture and probably several more veggie ingredients that didn't really stand out to me.

The BBQ bun was better than the Chinese and the Korean.  The bbq pork was shredded and had a sweet smokey flavor that was a little different from the bbq pork you would normally see in an Asian butcher shop/restaurant but still tastey.
My definite favorite was the Vietnamese bun.  This bun looked to me to be the largest they had on the menu and was chocked full of pork, a piece of Asian sausage and half of a boiled egg!  The filling was flavorful and unlike some I have had in other experiences, this one was not too salty.  

All of the buns we ordered had a good 'filling-to-white-fluffyness' ratio and most deserved repeat adventures.  The white bready part was just the right color and consistency and oh so delicious.  There were lots of other things on the menu, sweet and savory, so we definitely need to come back and give everything a fair tasting.  Overall a successful adventure that satisfied our little tummies.  

Until next time... :D