Coconut Cocktail and Taro Pineapple-Polo Buns

I love visiting Asian bun shops :)

Even when my pockets are empty (why are uni textbooks so expensive =O=) I still go to stare at all the pretty buns lined up in rows, waiting for people to come by with their tongs and trays and snatch them away

Everyone in my family has their own special favourite bun. My sister always gets a char siu bao. My mum likes the pineapple-polo buns with taro filling.

My dad is addicted to the jien duy - crispy deep-fried balls covered in sesame seeds with red bean paste inside (you can see one in the background of the taro bun photo). We're always telling him he's not allowed to eat his jien duy because they are too oily (but he eats them anyway)

Pineapple-Polo Bun with Sweet Taro Filling

Grandma only visits the Chinese bun shops that sell yum-cha-style stuff. If she does the bun shopping, she always brings back a takeaway box filled with wu kok (crispy deep-fried yam puffs with bits of pork/shallots/mushrooms inside).

Coconut Cocktail Bun, yum!

My all-time favourite is the coconut cocktail bun!

How do you pick a good coconut bun?
WELL I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION! haha De very best coconut buns have glazes that are super shiny and brown, and heaps of sesame seeds on top! It should also look quite firm and stout - if it's deflated and pasty looking, steeeer clear!

If you manage to find a good one, your tastebuds will be well rewarded. Breaking open a good, fresh coconut bun is a joy :) and once you get to the sweet yellow coconutty filling, you will never ever turn back.

Surprisingly, it is also one of the cheapest buns, it normally costs around 90c to $1.10 (AUD, that is)