Pork Bun Experts Mei Li Wah Closed By Health Department

Old-school pork bun bakery and restaurant Mei Li Wah is currently closed after a visit from the health department. A notice on the bakery at 64 Bayard Street in Chinatown says the department shut it down on Thursday. According to city records, the bakery’s health grade is "pending," with violations for keeping cold food above a certain temperature and not having a place to wash utensils. A woman at the bakery who says she’s the owner tells Eater in Mandarin that the main issue seemed to be that the department wanted them to get a bigger dishwashing setup. She did not know when they would reopen.

The bakery, which has been open since the ‘60s, is known for its baked char siu bao, a toasty bun filled with sweet Chinese barbecued pork. It’s not the first time that the bakery’s been closed by the health department. They closed back in 2008, and when they reopened a few months later, the temporary closure seemed to have no impact on the popularity or quality of their pork buns. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.