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Bao Bao Cafe

4.2 (298 reviews)
ModerateNoodles, Chinese
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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BAO BAO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Little Hot Pot 麻辣烫
Alexis S.

LOVED this mini hot pot! Ordered it to go because it's a pretty small dining area and I was super happy with the prices. You can adjust the spice level and of course I ordered it spicy. Everyone is super friendly when I walked in. I'll def be back if I find myself back in manhattan soon.

Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉面
Hoa L.

Delicious food that comes quickly and for a great value! They have meal sets and individual entrees along with a variety of rice and noodle options. There's a small amount of seating inside and a self service drink fridge. The beef noodle soup I ate was filling and freshly made. It came in a to-go container and was suitable for dine-in or takeaway.

Christopher Y.

Small Asian restaurant with seating in the back. Super friendly and helpful staff at the front. Got the eel over rice and Taiwanese fried chicken over rice. Both were good and would be a perfect to-go meal if you're in the area. Reasonably priced and worth the visit. Good variety on the menu and I'm sure you'll find something you'll like or wanna try.

Bao Bao Noodles 宝宝面
Janet C.

Solid spot with decent portions for the price - a good affordable quick lunch spot for those in the area. The server / cashier is very friendly as well. There are seats in the back.

Beef with Rice牛肉盖饭 Bam Bam Noodles 拌拌面
Smeeth W.

The beef with rice was kind of underwhelming. It was a little too sweet and way too much rice and not much beef. The bam bam noodles are salty but flavorful. The service is minimal because you are excepted to take your food and take them back when done, so I would say tips should be optional, since there's not much service involved. There's an open kitchen, therefore the whole dining area is kind of smelly. I wouldn't recommend this place, but it's in deed quite cheap.

Brown paper bag
Nancy A.

This is a truly hidden gem that I never found out until now. I came here a couple of days and was amazed at how fast the food was prepared! I ordered a bao bao rice platter to go and my order was ready in 1 minute! I did not even have to wait at all! It was shockingly fast! My order was very neatly packaged in a brown paper bag with utensils and napkins. I grabbed seconds just in case they did not include them in my bag. I was so happy that the bowl was very filling. The restaurant packed the bowl to the top. It was a lot of food. The minced pork meat in the bowl was very fresh and tasty with the chili peppers to add that spicy kick. The rice was very refreshing and cooked really well. The rice was not mushy or overly dry. It was just right! I'm definitely going to get the same bowl again next time I stop by. The ambience of this place was casual and hip. Very cozy with paintings on the wall. There was a long hallway that was very nice to admire because of the yellow brick wall. The place can be a bit too tight and was very crowded when I was there so I took my order. It was definitely hard to get a table. There were coat hangers on the wall for people to hang their jackets.

A5. Popcorn Chicken
Justin C.

Bao bao Cafe felt like home. Wooden designed Asian tables/seats, typical for Taiwanese restaurant. Classic Taiwanese beef noodle soup with lots of extra toppings to add. Popcorn chicken bento that was crispy with a great assortment of carbs, fiber, and protein. The best type of bento. The aunties at the front were super nice and accommodating and the food came out super quick. Lots of space inside the restaurant as well if you wanted to grab a quick bite + study.

Beef with Rice牛肉盖饭
Jenn T.

I love this place! They have pretty good Taiwanese food. This time around, I went for the Beef over Rice, which consists of chopped up slices of marinated beef with bok choy over rice. I felt the beef was a good amount and the rice drenched in the oils of the beef was delish! But what topped off the experience was the service. Big shoutout to Jay, who I've run into a few times I've been there. He's always so accommodating. This is a small cafe with a bathroom and seating in the back, nestled in downtown not too far from the 9/11 Museum, Oculus and Mercer Labs museum. I would highly recommend checking it out after some sightseeing. It closes at 8pm everyday, though, so best get there soon! Enjoy!!!

Rand E.

Good no frills chinese box lunches. Had the pork box lunch which included a good sized portion of braised pork belly, a large scoop rice, some steamed broccoli and a tea egg. Also had the eel rice bowl with a good portion of eel. Quite tasty but no atmosphere in cafe.

Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉面
TT L.

The soup was delicious. The staff was fast. I had a veggie soup that is gluten free and added chicken. The restaurant is very spacious.

A3. Dipping Bun
Raymond W.

Good food done fast! The popcorn chicken had great flavor and still moist inside. The dipping bun was a favorite amongst the kids. Also got the pork belly rice play but forgot to take a picture before I devoured it. The pork belly was tender and marinated well.

Pork Belly
Ka V.

Pleasantly surprised with this little place in the Financial District! I originally wanted to have lunch by the piers but my husband wasn't feeling it and my 4 year old wanted rice so Hubby found Bao Bao Cafe. The menu is posted on the window with photos of the entrees and we ended up going with the Eel over Rice for my husband, Pork Belly for me, Popcorn Chicken for our younger 3 and Beef over Rice for our oldest. We did not dine in, but found a place to sit to enjoy our meal. The pork belly was flavorful, filling and delicious with equal parts of sweet and savory all around. There were perfect amounts of meat-to-fat ratio in my pork belly cuts, and my husband couldn't stop reaching his chopsticks over for a piece. My oldest enjoyed his beef and rice and chose it because there was bok choy (he likes his well-rounded meals!) and the Popcorn Chicken were very good. My younger 2 are 4 and 2 years old, and anticipated American popcorn chicken but didn't stop them from eating their meal.

Pork belly meal
John P.

Amazing. Delicious well done food, quick and affordable. I had the pork belly lunch which came with white rice, some broccoli with some vinegrette, and a tea egg. The pork belly was well done. Perfect mix of well cooked pork and soft fat in a tangy sauce. Good sized portion too. With soda $16. Is eat here all the time.

Unagi --- yummers! Isn't it pretty? Tasted more than pretty, let me tell you.

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6 months ago

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3 years ago

Cheap, greasy Chinese food with chintzy servings of protein and Times Square branding.

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Really good Korean food for the price. It has some seating, but you should really pick this place as a grab and go.

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1 year ago

Pretty good food in a casual dining experience. It's a good stop if you're in the area, or maybe a chance to take a break from sightseeing.

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Tipsy Shanghai

4.0(155 reviews)
3.4 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East
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Ordered eggplant in garlic sauce, fried rice, steamed pork dumplings. Everything was scrumptious…read more So glad I found this place, which will be my new go-to. I also ordered the coconut dessert, which was cancelled from my order because they were out. Sometimes when this happens, restaurants will call to suggest an alternative. I do wish they would have done this, but overall, a great experience.

I had not been back to Tipsy Shanghai for perhaps a year or two, and I was surprised by how much…read morethe food quality seems to have deteriorated. We ordered three dishes that I had either enjoyed before or was familiar with: Wuxi Pork Ribs: The ribs were quite decent, tender and juicy, with a nicely balanced sauce. But there was nothing particularly memorable about them. The menu says the secret recipe has been passed down through generations for more than 110 years, but I found that claim hard to reconcile with what was on the plate. Slow-roast a slab of pork ribs for four hours at 250°F, I can get a very similar result at home. Famous Assorted Bowl: This used to be one of my favorite dishes here, and I ordered it almost every time I visited. Unfortunately, this time it was a real disappointment. The ingredients no longer tasted freshly prepared, well-seasoned, or flavorful. Instead, much of the dish had the bland, slightly lifeless quality of previously frozen food. Even the shrimp in the soup did not taste particularly fresh. Boiled Shredded Dry Bean Curd with Chicken and Shrimp: This is a classic Yangzhou dish and another item I used to order regularly. In the past, the bean-curd sheets were cut into extremely fine threads, with a soft and delicate texture that absorbed the flavor of the broth beautifully. This time was completely different. The bean-curd threads were hard and dry, with the texture of a packaged frozen product, and they had absorbed almost none of the broth's flavor. What had once been a delicate, carefully prepared dish now tasted surprisingly flat. Overall, Tipsy Shanghai used to be a restaurant I returned to for several specific dishes. However, both the quality of the ingredients and the care in preparation seem to have declined noticeably.

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Dun Huang - N1

Dun Huang

4.4(394 reviews)
3.4 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East
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I was pleasantly surprised by Dunhuang! It definitely hit the spot on a cold, rainy day. We came by…read moreon a Sunday around 3pm and were seated immediately. The restaurant itself is clean and well lit--a great place to stop by for a good, hearty meal. We ordered the Lanzhou Beef Noodle and Pork Hamburger. I really enjoyed both dishes. The noodles were cooked perfectly, and the beef was delicious. I will say that I wish the broth had more flavor, but it did feel light and clean. The pork hamburger came with a good amount of meat, which I appreciated. It was super juicy and flavorful. The service was quick and attentive, and I felt that the prices were reasonable. All in all, super great meal!

Was looking for a restaurant nearby since it was pouring outside, and this place turned out to be a…read moregreat find. Came here for dinner on a weekend. The restaurant is near my friend's place. The place was exactly what we were looking for... Inexpensive, cozy and comfortable atmosphere! The place was a little busy, and didn't take reservations, but we were seated immediately. Amazing service and delicious food! The food was fresh and came out fast. Portions are generous, so you definitely won't leave hungry. My favorite dish was the Signature Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, which was delicious and flavorful, and also gluten free, dairy free and soy free. Others had something else I had no interest in to remember the name. Their menu has many options to offer, including gluten free, soy free, and dairy free options. We would come back again and highly recommend you check out this place if you are in Murray Hill Manhattan. My only complaint was that I noticed a male staff member leave the restroom without flushing the toilet, which took away from an otherwise positive dining experience.

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Momosan Ramen & Sake

4.1(2k reviews)
3.4 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East
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I have to say the service was incredible! The hostess noticed that I am pregnant, and she ended up…read moreputting me at a booth which was more comfortable than some of the other seats available. I really appreciated that. And then when the server was taking my order, he also made sure to outline some of the potential risks, such as the soft boiled egg in the ramen. I came here for lunch on a weekday, and I thought that the portion size for what you pay was great. I got the tonkotsu ramen and california roll. I left feeling comfortably full. I appreciate that we never felt rushed to finish our meal, even though the restaurant was pretty busy during lunchtime. It's clean and I like the modern ambiance, and there's also two bathrooms available for use. I would definitely come back for lunch or dinner!

Service: 4.3/5 Food: 3.5/5…read morePrice: $20-$30 if you love carbs, you'll love their lunch deal--$24 for ramen + rice bowl/sushi (dine-in only). I do find it weird that some items on the lunch set menu are missing from their full menu. I guess that helps incentivize? quiet on a Friday at lunchtime, only a few tables were occupied. What I Ordered: - Pork Gyoza: crispy + flavorful dumpling, I liked the fresh grated scallion sauce, but could've done without the extra oil drizzle - Tokyo Chicken Ramen: tender chicken, solidly good broth + noodles, a side of pickled cucumbers is an interesting choice - Curry Don Rice Bowl: classic taste with chunks of pork belly, good sauce to rice ratio

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Mi

Mi

4.0(3 reviews)
3.2 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East

Had walked by a few times but a on post gym Trader Joe's run the pictures were enticing enough…read more Got a Lanzhou beef noodle combo with a drink and a lamb burger. The beef soup is clear and light and the noodles have a delightful texture, with a slight chew and good bounce. There's a good portion of braised beef as well. Tender but a bit fatty for my taste, but given the portion it's not going to kill you. Lamb burger ended up as overkill and will be consumed as leftovers but a quick sampling let me know that it's gamey and fatty with strong notes of cumin. Not a bad thing, but something to note for people that might not generally enjoy lamb or cumin. Black pepper beef rice bowl was solid too. Spice wise, you can calibrate accordingly but I'd recommended at least their regular spice level. Decent amount of tenderized but still chewy beef. Both dishes came with a salad of celery, carrot, cucumber, peanuts and seaweed strips in a light sauce. Couldn't quite figure out the sauce but it was lightly tart and refreshing. Space is clean and modern. Neutral wood, well lit. Service is friendly enough. If you dine in, you order at the kiosk and they'll deliver to your table. We had leftovers that they graciously packed up. Solid choice. I hope they stick around as they do bring a different cuisine to the area.

first time trying chinese halal food and it did not disappoint!…read more had a mix of more common chinese dishes and uyghur dishes. got several of the popular noodle dishes and the bun. all were very flavorful!! service was fast. the portions were a bit smaller than I would've liked but still fairly filling. overall quite good and a good regular spot in murray hill.

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Bao Bao Cafe - noodles - Updated October 2026

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