Charlie's Bakery

Charlie's Bakery is a small, family owned bakery and Chinese restaurant located in a strip mall in midtown. Both aspects of the location are pluses because if a place can stay busy for years and is able to do so without a high profile or shi-shi ambiance, the food is probably good.

We hit Charlie's about once per month for their Saturday dim sum. The dim sum set up at Charlie's is a not like the dim sum halls I've seen in NYC, San Francisco, Honolulu, or Tucson where waiters push around steamer carts and you pick your items as you go. I really like that style of dim sum, but at Charlie's you go to the counter and order your food and then they bring it to your table. Again, part of what I like about saturday morning dim sum is the carts and kettles of tea and general buzzing about on a busy weekend. However, Charlie's food more than makes up for any loss of sense of fun.

I would rank the food served for Saturday dim sum to be above avaerage when compared to the other places I have eaten. I have had better at a couple places in NYC's Chinatown and at one place in Honolulu, but it beats the rest.

The options are quite varied, flavorful, and well-prepared. As far as I can tell, the majority of the menu items are prepared in house and from scratch. There is a great variety and the prices are good. Two people can have a good meal for $20, and they can get fat for $30.


The baked good are above average, and the breads in particular are good. I haven't tried the filled rolls, but I've been told they are a tasty, cheap breakfast when you are on your way to the Kenai to go fishing.

It is a family business with a half dozen different people from several generations all pitching in, which is something I personally like to see. Also, the kitchen is very open and is well laid out and is spotless.

The Chinese entrees are typically excellent, the best I've seen in Anchorage, and comparable to what I was used to at the better places I frequented in Honolulu.

It may seem counter-intuitive to go to a bakery for the best Chinese food in the city, but there you have it.