This is QW HuaXing Bakery,one of the few remaining old-school Cantonese bakeries offering a broad selection of traditional pastries and fried snacks at prices reminiscent of the early 2000s.
Fried Items
Sesame Ball with Red Bean Paste ($2.50)
Initial contact delivered a crisp, lightly chewy glutinous rice shell alongside mellow red bean sweetness, establishing a familiar Cantonese bakery profile. Through the mid-palate, the toasted sesame coating became more pronounced, while the shell softened into a pleasantly elastic chew. Texture combined the thin crisp exterior with the smooth red bean filling, resulting in a cohesive structure. The finish resolved into earthy bean sweetness with lingering toasted sesame. Aftertaste carried gentle nuttiness alongside a light oil richness.
Fried Glutinous Rice Dumpling ($2.20)
Initial contact delivered savoury glutinous rice with restrained seasoning alongside a crisp fried exterior. Through the mid-palate, the glutinous rice became progressively softer and chewier, while the filling contributed additional savoury depth. Texture combined the lightly crisp shell with the dense, sticky rice interior, resulting in a balanced contrast. The finish resolved into a savoury, lightly seasoned profile with lingering chew. Aftertaste carried subtle umami alongside residual glutinous richness.
Fried Taro Dumpling ($2.50)
Initial contact delivered earthy taro with a delicate savoury filling beneath a crisp, lacy exterior. Through the mid-palate, the taro shell softened into a light, fluffy texture while retaining its characteristic layered crispness. Texture combined the aerated taro pastry with the moist filling, resulting in a well-defined contrast. The finish resolved into mellow taro sweetness with lingering savoury notes. Aftertaste carried earthy taro alongside light oil richness.
Deep-fried Dough Stick ($2.50)
Initial contact delivered a clean wheat flavour alongside a crisp exterior and airy interior. Through the mid-palate, the dough became progressively lighter and more elastic, maintaining its open structure without becoming greasy. Texture combined the crisp shell with the hollow, chewy centre, resulting in a cohesive structure. The finish resolved into mild wheat sweetness with a clean finish. Aftertaste carried subtle fried dough notes with minimal oil residue.
Donut ($2.50)
Initial contact delivered restrained sweetness alongside a crisp sugar-coated exterior, establishing a lighter profile than many bakery doughnuts. Through the mid-palate, the tender interior became apparent, remaining airy rather than dense or cakey. Texture combined the delicate sugar crust with the soft dough, resulting in gentle contrast. The finish resolved into mild sweetness with lingering wheat notes. Aftertaste carried light sugar sweetness alongside a clean finish.
Baked Items
Beef Curry Puff ($2.50)
The pastry was lightly flaky and crisp on the exterior but carried an unpleasant stale oil character, while the interior remained undercooked. The beef filling was very soft and mushy, with only a mild curry powder flavour that lacked the aromatic spice expected of the style. Structure: underdeveloped.
BBQ Pork Pastry ($2.20)
The pastry suffered from the same stale oil character and undercooked interior as the curry puff. The filling lacked the distinctive savoury-sweet barbecue pork profile, presenting instead as an overly sweet, mushy mince with little textural definition. Structure: unbalanced.
Sweetheart Cake ($2.80)
The pastry again exhibited the same stale oil character. The filling was redeemed by generous pieces of candied wintermelon, providing genuine fruit texture and restrained sweetness. However, the characteristic stretchy glutinous rice flour layer was largely absent, while the sesame flavour was insufficient both within the filling and on the surface. A traditional lard-based pastry would have provided a more authentic flavour and texture than the margarine-like pastry used here. Structure: compromised.
Egg Tart ($1.30)
At approximately 5 cm in diameter, the tart was noticeably smaller than a standard Cantonese egg tart, resulting in a higher pastry-to-custard ratio. Eaten at room temperature, the pastry remained crisp but carried the same unusual margarine-like flavour found elsewhere in the range, while the custard was overly sweet with little discernible egg character. Brief reheating transformed the tart considerably: the pastry retained its crispness while losing the off-flavour, and the custard softened as its egg flavour became more pronounced. Although modest in size, it became an enjoyable and particularly good-value egg tart when served warm. Structure: improved significantly with reheating.
Red Bean Paste Bread ($2.50)
The bread presented with a crisp exterior, while the exposed ribbons of red bean paste added chunky texture and visual appeal. Initial contact delivered mellow earthy sweetness alongside a tender crumb. Through the mid-palate, the contrast between the soft bread and lightly crisp red bean ribbons became more apparent without overwhelming the bread itself. The finish resolved into a gentle red bean sweetness with a clean finish.
Pineapple Bun with Red Bean Paste ($2.50)
One of the stronger items in the range. The thin pineapple crust contributed just enough crispness to contrast the tender, fluffy interior, while the red bean paste added both flavour and textural interest beyond that of a traditional pineapple bun. The filling, however, remained concentrated in the centre rather than extending towards the edges, leaving some bites without its benefit. Even so, the restrained sweetness and balanced textures made this one of the bakery’s standout offerings.
Overall, a dependable neighbourhood Cantonese bakery whose traditional fried snacks and breads remain its strongest offerings, with the baked pastries varying considerably in quality.
QW HuaXing Bakery is located at 295 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131.