This old-style tea parlor/coffeehouse has been around for at least 50 years. The owners have never changed their winning formula -- cheap, delicious pastries, dim sum (nothing fancy, but all freshly steamed), and strong, old-fashioned coffee. There is always a mob of people getting take-out at the counter. Roast pork buns are especially popular among the Philippino customers -- I have often seen them buying 6 dozen buns at a time to go.

The tables and counter stools look like they have seen much wear over the decades. The formica tabletops are well-patinated and the stools have been "reupholstered" with vinyl tablecloth material strapped down with metal wire. This place has a distinctly masculine feeling to it; you won't see many women eating there on their own. There always used to be a haze of cigarette smoke in there until smoking in restaurants was banned.

Here are my son-in-law and his cousin Ah Dee enjoying some of Mei Lai Wah's famous egg custard tarts. The crust is light, slightly oily and deliciously flaky, setting them apart from the characterless ones sold at some of the modern Chinese bakeries. My children have been very fond of these tarts since childhood. They were a nice treat after Chinese school on Sundays.

Today they also had a sweet, sticky pastry "bowtie" that had just come out of the kitchen. My daughter reported that it was absolutely perfect. Their bill came out to $3.50, which is a small price to pay for perfection!

Mei Lai Wah Tea Parlor, 62-64 Bayard Street, New York, New York 10013