A Pandan Cake In NYC's Chinatown That Takes 3 Days To Make Got This Pro Baker Raving

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During my book tour for my latest cookbook, "108 Asian Cookies," I stopped by Bánh by Lauren, a warm and cozy third-culture bakery and cafe nestled in the Two Bridges neighborhood of NYC's Chinatown. Lauren Tran, a former Seattle native, is the baker and owner. What truly fascinated me during my visit were Tran's famous and viral pandan chiffon cakes, an elegant, cloud-soft creation filled with delicious coconut mousse layers that, as Tran informed me, takes up to three days to bake, set, assemble, and finish. 

Tran's gorgeous cake has an impressive total of eight layers, including the layer of fresh cream on top, stabilized with just a little sugar. The not-too-sweet cake is a pure labor of love, and I tasted every hour of Tran's craftsmanship in each bite. I really wished I had flown the cake back to Seattle with me.

Her pastries menu also includes Tran's signature bánh bò nướng, or Vietnamese honeycomb cake known for its springy, bouncy, and chewy lace-like interior. Vibrantly jade green and fragrant, thanks to pandan as a primary ingredient, the cake is another not-too-sweet Asian dessert that's simply intoxicating.

But why does it take three days to finish making the pandan chiffon cake dessert? Well, it's the mousse layers, usually made with whipped cream and egg whites, that take time to firm up and set in the fridge. Eight layers can easily collapse if just one layer is too soft. Additionally, the crucial step of separating all the eggs to make chiffon cake takes time. 

I spoke to Tran about how she works, and listening to her describe her process was like watching an artist explain brushstrokes. She had quiet pride in her voice as she described weaving Vietnamese flavors into French-style pastries like chiffon cakes and macarons. She also made it clear that she's reclaiming the narrative about which flavors get to belong in pastry. Flavors she highlights, alongside pandan, include Thai tea and Vietnamese coffee.

As I left the bakery, it struck me how much grit hides within Tran's soft, cloudlike cakes and her bakery. Going viral brings a rush of joy, attention, and impossible lines, as Tran has experienced, but after that comes the harder chapter: Soaring NYC rent, rising ingredient costs and tariffs, and the challenge of convincing a city addicted to croissants that pandan desserts deserve the same love and reverence. It's a story so many Asian American bakeries know far too well. The buzz fades and the algorithms move on. But the work, our work, continues as we carry the invisible labor of proving that our flavors and desserts aren't just a trend or fad, but a legacy worth fighting for.