Grand Opening: A Pop-Up Bakery Hidden In an Alley of Chinatown

While most people may have heard of Mr. Jiu's restaurant at 28 Waverly Pl, few may have heard about the "pop-up" bakery that also operates out of the "Kitchen" right next to it, called Grand Opening.

Operating as a pop-up since 2019, Grand Opening was operated by Melissa Chou, the star pastry chef that helped three different restaurants earn a Michelin star. She used to be opening pastry chef at Mr. Jius, and Grand Opening was supposed to be her first solo venture. She took a break at the beginning of 2020 to visit family back in New Zealand, but had to stay much longer due to COVID. Her return in late 2021 means she's ready to make Grand Opening a dedicated venture.

Keep in mind that Grand Opening is a pop-up, which means you need to pre-order off the website, unless you want to come on Sundays to Mr. Jiu's, where you may find Melissa at the window with a selection of what's available, and this is more about what she wanted to make instead of what fits into the menu. And the menu changes every week.

While you will find something "similar" to the traditional Chinese items like bolo buns or egg tarts, these are not your typical dimsum cart or bakery stuff. The sponge cake may look similar to the classical Chinese version, but the seasonal ingredients are quite distinct, such as jasmine mousse, blackberries, and ginger custard, and it will vary depending on what's in season. The Parisian egg tart is thick and deep with vanilla bean flecks and torched on top. Very... chef-y variation indeed, and nothing you'd really expect to find in Chinatown... which is a good thing. But the prices are a bit on the steep side, more in line with what you'd expect in a European patisserie.

This little box of 3 pieces cost me... $19.24 with tax. And let's just say these are pretty much the only thing left by 11AM.

3 pieces from Grand Opening. for just under $20 USD
courtesy author

The flat piece is delicious. The apricots are just right, and there's cream custard under them and the pastry was crisp. The cookie was interesting, as the outside is slightly crunchy yet the inside is soft, somewhere between an oatmeal cookie and a chewy chocolate chip cookie. The square bar is a bit too tall to fit into mouth, but it's two pieces layered and the middle filled with fruit filling. They are delicious, but they are a bit on the expensive side.

If you are in Chinatown Sunday Morning, about 10-ish, walk by 28 Waverly and look for Grand Opening, which is a window next to Mr. Jiu's main entrance, with a small neon sign. You may find something pleasant you were not expecting.

Comments

Dragon Gate and its Surprising History

You can't come to SF Chinatown and leave out Dragon Gate, aka the Chinatown Gate, at the corner of Bush and Grant. But do you know its history? Chinatown Gate, aka Dragon Gate, San Francisco Dragon Gate (aka Chinatown Gate, aka Dragon's Gate) was designed by Clayton Lee and others in 1967 in response to a mayoral competition, and his was the winning entry. Originally two gates were proposed, but the other gate leading to Barbary Coast was dropped due to lack of funds, and cost overrun. The gate itself was designed after a Chinese "pailou 牌樓" or "paifang 牌坊", which were the "gates" that marked separate fang 坊, or "ward" within a city. However, later it evolved into a purely decorative element. As with tradition, the gate faces South, and is composed of a large gate with two smaller side gates. The gate has a lot of its materials donated by Taiwan (Republic of China) including artisanal tiles, roofing, and the two guardian lions. Despite...

So What Exactly Are the Tongs of Chinatown?

The Tongs of Chinatown started off as an attempt to do good, but ended up corrupted by greed and turned into a term of evil. But what are they really? Tong 堂 literally means the main room or a hall. It could be termed an "association", and they still exist today in San Francisco Chinatown. Hop Sing Tong, or 合勝縂堂 (lit: united victory main hall) photo courtesy of Wikipedia / Wikicommons The Tongs started as immigrant associations serving people with common former residency, common dialect, or common ancestry. The tongs will help people fresh off the boast to adapt to the new culture. If you can find a tong that is affiliated with your village or your clan or speak your dialect, you will be welcomed. You will be given a bed for the night, then help to find a job, and find proper housing. The tongs also offered both physical and legal protection. By 1854, the Chinese have been ruled to have no right to participate in the court system . In People vs. Hall, a Chinese witnes...

Waverly Place: more than just a Chinatown Alley with a Sordid History

Waverly Pl was far more than just an alley in San Francisco. During the earliest days of San Francisco, it was apparently known as "Pike Street", at least until the 1906 Earthquake. I cannot find any historical references on when the name was changed. Many references imply state "Waverly Pl, (formerly Pike St.) while other references imply stated Pike St. Even from the earliest days in Chinatown, it was known as a place of brothels, and allegedly both Bella Cora and Ah Toy, the two most famous madams of Chinatown, have brothels at or very close to Pike St. (later Waverly Pl). For a while, the brothels co-existed with barbers on the same street, where sailors and miners can get a haircut and a shave for 5 cents, and later, 10 cents. So the area was also known as Five Cent Street or Ten Cent Street for a while. But the street remained mired with vices. A "crime map" prepared for SF City Supervisors in 1885, note the blue and red vices mapped. courtesy Cornell U...

The Hidden Chinatown of San Francisco

Search This Blog