Buns are the main attraction at Maxin Oriental Bakery, a tiny storefront on 441 in the same plaza with other Asian eateries like Saigon Cuisine and Silver Pond. The place features just a couple of display cases filled with Chinese pastries and not much else. The buns is where it's at. They cost anywhere from $1 to $1.50 a pop and are filled with everything from fragrant roasted pork to red bean paste to Bavarian cream. Two of those and a drink from the cooler in back is a cheap, filling lunch that beats the crap out of any drive-through.
I tried a roasted pork bun for $1.30 on my latest visit. It was
bigger than your typical dim sum bun, maybe five inches in diameter.
The dough was sweet and airy, with a slightly sticky glaze on the
surface. I bit my way to the pocket of roasted pork inside and found
it to be a great combination -- the sweet bun against the savory, fatty
pork. The meat was spiced with something I couldn't put my finger on.
It tasted fragrant and slightly floral in a way but also peppery.
Besides the buns, you can get moon cakes (an autumn festival treat
filled with duck eggs) and more typical Western pastries like sponge
cake and puff pastries. The bakery is cash only, so come with some
greenbacks if you want to hit the buns.
Maxin Oriental Bakery
4269 N. State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes 33319
965-335-1388
