46 Mott Bakery

Sweet Tofu Pudding

46 Mott Bakery was opened in 2018. Patrick Mock, the bakery’s general manager, was born and raised in Chinatown. He worked for many years at another Chinatown institution, Joy Luck Palace, before being invited to work here by the owner, Tony Chen.

Patrick grew up eating tofu puddings, rice cakes, and herbal teas, so it was personally important for him to continue selling the old-school nostalgia in his shop. But what Patrick is most known for isn’t his food but his contributions to the Chinatown community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he partnered with Send Chinatown Love and New York State’s assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou to donate over 70,000 hot meals to front-line workers, the elderly, and low-income residents.

But Patrick didn’t stop there. Looking for creative ways to bring more foot traffic to the deserted neighborhood, he came up with the “Light Up Chinatown” initiative in December 2020. Working tirelessly alongside volunteers from Pearl River Mart, Think!Chinatown, and New York Chinese Cultural Center, the team hung up 250 lanterns two days before Christmas.

And it worked! The colorful lanterns adorned with Chinese characters and whimsical illustrations became an Instagrammable spot overnight. They brought back hope, joy, and vitality to a struggling community hard hit by xenophobia and anti-Asian hate crimes. The grassroots initiative even caught the attention of actor Will Smith. He personally presented Patrick with a $50,000 grant from Google and a $10,000 grant from Asian Americans for Equality to further his mission.

Thank you, Patrick, for all that you do for our community!

📍 46 Mott Bakery
46 Mott St, New York, NY 10013