From India to Plano: Hot Breads Brings Pastries, Chai and Street Snacks

Hot Breads began serving its signature Indian street snacks in the South Indian city of Chennai. After quickly becoming a local favorite in India, the spot has gone international. Hot Breads celebrated 6 years in Plano in January of this year, and it’s racked up the same support that it has in Chennai.

Hot Breads is pretty much a one-stop shop for all things Indian street food. It’s a place where people can come hang out, grab a bite, perhaps have a glass of hot masala chai with a traditional fresh pastry or even purchase a mixed bag of fried snacks to take home.

Tradition in India calls for snacks with evening tea. At Hot Breads, the snack counter is open from 4 to 7 p.m. The onion pakora ($2.99), made with thin onion strands coated in gram flour then deep-fried, is a customer favorite. The egg bonda ($1.99) comes with hard-boiled egg halves coated in masala curry powder, breaded and deep-fried until crunchy.

Indian baked goods add to the experience (and smells) here. Shelves at the front hold dozens of colorful pastries cut into rectangular slices just as you’ll find them on the Indian streetside. Flavors include plum ($5.49), gulab jamun ($4) and butterscotch cake ($3). Pastries are baked fresh daily and come with a light chantilly-like cream sandwiched between layers.

Fruit rusk ($2.99) is another teatime snack you can find in the Hot Breads bakery. A buttery cookie typical of Indian cuisine, rusks come with a caramelized crust and dried fruit chunks baked inside. Scented with cardamom, rusks are best eaten soft. These are typically dunked into a glass of hot masala chai until soggy. There’s something satisfying about how the cookie acts as a sponge, soaking up the flavors of the chai.

If it’s an entire meal instead of just a tea-time snack you’re after, Hot Breads sells full-size entrées. Choose from different biryanis (around $12 each), curries (around $10) and even dosa ($7–10), an Indian version of the French crepe. Dosa here comes with a crisp exterior that flakes to the bite, giving way to a softer interior that’s stuffed with a curried potato filling.

Hot Breads, 4940 McDermott Road, Plano. Sunday – Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.