Rainbow Bakery Calgary is hands down one of my favourite Chinese bakery in Chinatown. This bakery is a nice introduction to Chinese baked goods if you’ve never tried it before.
The bakery is located inside Dragon City Mall in Chinatown, and they’re usually open the whole week (except Mondays). The store itself is quite messy, unkempt and probably not as clean as other bakeries, but I can’t help but go back. Rainbow Bakery has always been a favourite of mine, ever since my high school days.
They sell Chinese-style pastries, buns, mochi, cookies, etc., but it could vary day-to-day. You “order” by putting what you like on a tray that they provide, and then pay at the counter. CASH ONLY! Additionally, if you want a tiered cake (for a wedding, party, etc.), you can order a custom-made cake from them.
My favourite and my family’s favourite from this bakery are their wife cakes. They are chewy pastries with a sweetened winter melon filling. Winter melon is a sort of squash/gourd that the Chinese use both in savoury dishes and sweet pastries. When candied, they just add a bit of a soft crunch to the wife cake, and it’s very tasty!
I bought 12 wife cakes for my family ($2/3 pieces), and a red bean bun for myself ($1.50). Caution: the wife cakes are very sweet but very good, so it’s perfect with a cup of tea.
I just love Rainbow Bakery! If you’ve never tried Chinese pastries or just want to try something new, try this bakery in Chinatown!
Recommended? Yes, for Chinese baked goods!
COST: Cheap. Prices are excellent for the baked goods! For a bun or a few pastries, expect to pay $1-2. Beware: CASH ONLY!
TASTE: Very good. Food is always excellent! My favourite—wife cakes—are sweet, chewy and highly addictive. Their mochi dumplings are chewy and sweet, and their buns are soft and filling as a snack. Everything is tasty!
ACCESSIBILITY: Easy. Rainbow Bakery is located in Dragon City Mall, at the entrance of Chinatown. It’s very accessible by foot from the train stations, but still a bit of a walk (~10 minutes).
ATMOSPHERE: Okay. I’m almost reluctant to give this a score because there’s really no atmosphere since it’s a takeaway bakery. It’s a bit messy and probably dirty, but I don’t really mind.
SERVICE: 5/10. The lady at the counter is quick, efficient and won’t make small talk. But, don’t take it as bad service. In North American standards, this pretty bad service, but this is Chinatown.
Rainbow Bakery Calgary
Address: 135 – 328 Centre Street SE, Calgary AB
Phone: (403) 234 – 9909
Hours:
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 11AM – 6PM
- Wednesday: 11AM – 6PM
- Thursday: 11AM – 6PM
- Friday: 11AM – 6PM
- Saturday: 11AM – 6PM
- Sunday: 11AM – 6PM
Website: chinatowncalgary.com
This is not a sponsored post.