The Local Legend Behind NYC Chinatown’s Favorite Sponge Cakes | Secret’s Out | NYT Cooking

Description

In 1992, 14-year-old Fernando Ponce Sosa immigrated from Mexico to New York City in search of opportunity. Hailing from a family of bakers, he took an entry level job at Kam Hing Bakery, a longstanding institution in Chinatown. There, he trained under Mr. Tsang, the founder of Kam Hing whom Fernando lovingly refers to as “xi fu,” Cantonese for “master.” After nearly 20 years of working at Kam Hing, Fernando became fluent in Cantonese and an expert in the art of making sponge cakes. In 2020, with the encouragement and blessing of Mr. Tsang, he opened Spongies Cafe. Follow along to watch how Fernando and his wife, Sasinee, run Spongies Cafe seven days a week. His customers include Chinatown locals who have known him since he was a teenager, eager tourists who make time in their trip to try his famous sponge cakes and New Yorkers traveling across boroughs to try his pastries. Over the years he has become a local celebrity, but despite all the buzz and attention, Fernando is only focused only on two things: innovating his sponge cake flavors and serving the Chinatown community he says has adopted him as their own. ------------------------------------------ Download the Cooking app for daily dinner picks, helpful tools, and even more videos: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nyt-cooking/id911422904 VISIT NYT COOKING: https://cooking.nytimes.com/ SUBSCRIBE to NYT COOKING: https://nyti.ms/3FfKmfb A paid subscription gets you full access to our recipes, daily inspiration and a digital Recipe Box. YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2MrEFxh INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2DqJMuD FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2MrTjEC TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2RZB6ng PINTEREST: http://bit.ly/2W44xng About NYT Cooking: All the food that’s fit to eat (yes, it’s an official New York Times production).