New eatery is literally the toast of Chinatown

If you love the aroma of Chinese-style homemade, baked bread, there’s a new place in Chinatown where you can get your fix.

It is Three Uncle’s Toast, named to reflect its homey feeling, with freshly baked treats made from scratch using fine – and unusual – ingredients.

The bakery held its grand opening recently with a ribbon-cutting and lion dancers. The scent from its products has been wafting onto the street ever since, drawing a steady stream of customers.

Don’t let the name of the place fool you. “Toast” is synonymous with “loaf” at the Bellaire Boulevard site, which bills itself as a spot where patrons can purchase and enjoy hand-made and home-made style quality baked goods” like those found in bakeries in China. The staff makes the products from scratch with no food additives.

“We have found that American palates enjoy milky-tasting Chinese breads just as much as Chinese,” said Jane Liang, the store’s owner. “The response from everyone has been just great. We’ve been very pleased with the response to what we offer.”

For visitors, mouthwatering concoctions have a decidedly Chinese twist with items such as “Red Bean Toast” and even breads with shredded, dried pork baked within. For less adventurous palates, there is chocolate bread, cranberry bread and coconut and raisin bread.

A big favorite is the Crown Toast, baked with cheese, in the form of a Windsor-style crown.

“That’s what we ordered and it is delicious with a buttery taste,” said a first-time visitor to the store. “We will definitely be back.”

The Three Uncles Toast brand is fairly well known in hundreds of locations across China. Liang has the rights to help with franchising stores in the United States.

She already owns a few other food-related stores that mainly sell smoothies. She said she has plans to expand her Three Uncles footprint to either New York or California if the Houston store proves to be successful. She may also add stores across the Houston area outside of Chinatown.

The store is bright and airy with cartoon-style black and white graphics of the Three Uncles adorning the walls. Goods are packaged in attractive orange-colored bags.

Items are pricey. Loaves start at about $7, but most are in the $13 range. At the even higher end are the “Black Pepper Sausage Toast” ($15) and the Durian Custard-filled loaf at $14.