Go Believe Bakery

Steamed Big Bun

Go Believe Bakery is a local Chinatown bakery opened by Shu Cheung Lai. Originally from China, he was inspired to go into the food industry due to his father, a wonton noodle maker. Back in his youth, he could either learn how to make noodles or bread under a government stipend program. He chose bread and learned how to bake when he was 23.

After arriving in the US in 1987, he worked at two different Chinese baked goods factories in Brooklyn. Over a decade later, he finally saved enough money to open a bakery with his peers on Bowery Street. When the B/D Grand Street Station closed for a few years after 9/11 in the early 2000s, he sold the business and briefly ventured into the restaurant industry. Yet, his love for baking compelled him to return to Chinatown and open Go Believe Bakery in 2012.

During the pandemic, sales were down by 50-75%. So Mr. Lai’s daughter, Connie, began helping her dad brainstorm ways to promote the business. Coming from a tech background, she helped the bakery establish an online presence by reviving its Instagram page and promoting the business on delivery platforms like Seamless and Grubhub.

At Go Believe Bakery, you can find various Chinese breads, pastries, and comfort foods like congee, steamed rice rolls, noodle soups, dim sum, and frozen dumplings made in-house. Mr. Lai is most proud of his fluffy steamed buns with different fillings, from savory options like the pork buns to sweet options like the golden lava egg yolk buns.

I tried the big bun the other day and was pleasantly surprised by the filling! It was packed full of ingredients, including pork, Chinese sausage, quail eggs, and veggies.

📍 Go Believe Bakery
239 Grand St, New York, NY 10002