Affordable lunch in the heart of manhattan where everything is expensive! I got the taiwanese fried chicken box which came with pickled daikon, hard boiled egg, broccoli, and rice. I love the coconut milk they have and was surprised to see all the Asian beverages they have to offer I asked for mild fried chicken and it was perfect! It was crispy and warm with a little heat. My coworkers love it read more

The food is delicious the service is fast and quick and the ambiance is active and fun! For a small and tiny restaurant the food packs a punch - I'm happy I found this gem of a spot near my office - and for $13 plus a soda I ordered the delicious Beef Soup spicy I'll definitely be back read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - A5. Popcorn Chicken - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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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!!! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - A3. Dipping Bun - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Pork belly meal - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Bao Bao might be the kind of cafe you would just walk by and not give a second thought to. Don't make that mistake! The food is so good here and so reasonably priced for the area, I had to give it a 5-star review. Bao Bao is a five-minute walk from the Millenium Hotel. It is a tiny place with a few tables behind the cashier. While not everyone's cup of tea, I kind of liked the ambiance because it felt like a stall in one of the outdoor food markets we visited in Osaka and Kanazawa last year. Nothing fancy but who cares. I don't! I'm an unagi fan and theirs was excellent, prepared to perfect doneness, not overcome with sauce (unlike a similar dish I had in Seattle recently which was the same price and so underdone, I couldn't even finish it. Gross!) Hubs ordered the pork belly plate which was impressively loaded with meat and even more impressively prepared. Delish. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Unagi --- yummers! Isn't it pretty? Tasted more than pretty, let me tell you. - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Pork Belly - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Bao Bao Cafe definitely deserve 4.5/5 stars. My family and I were traveling to NY. Our Marriott Hotel is couple doors down. The cafe is pretty small. I decided to order to go and bring it to our room. Jay is the front cashier. He was very nice and informative. He recommended the R4 Pork Belly rice plate 4.5/5 stars $13. The pork belly was very soft & it literally melt in your mouth. The flavor was good. My kids our R5 Popcorn chicken rice plate with egg (non spicy) $11.50 4/5 stars. The popcorn chicken was big, tender, & juicy. Flavor was pretty. My husband order N1. Bao Bao Noodles with ground pork & adding slice beef $12.45 4.5/5 stars. I really like the slice beef. If I was to come back to the Financial District. I would definitely come back here. It is very close to the World Trade Center & the Oculus. Highly recommend. read more

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Haven't been here in a while but I remember enjoying their little hot pot noodle years ago. Decided to add beef to my little hot pot noodles and ordered the popcorn chicken. The noodles were just like how I remembered them, mildly spicy, packed with veggies, and made with sweet potato noodles. I really enjoyed their popcorn chicken and was surprised at the portion size. They were larger chicken chunks with an incredible crunch. I didn't expect the takeout containers since I was dining in, but the food was as good as I remember and at a reasonable cost. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Little Hot Pot and Popcorn Chicken - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Great overall experience. Food very affordable! Service was great. Space is limited. Menu very straightforward and has pictures. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Entrance - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

I ordered the pork belly meal and although, it was tasty, it was just to salty. It came with rice, an egg and some broccoli. However, underneath the broccoli was this congealed type of substance. I have no idea what it is. Not sure if perhaps someone forgot to microwave or reheat it. It was nasty, I didn't eat it. Just had the rice, egg and a couple of pieces of the pork belly. Gotta do better Bao Bao. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - The congealed substance underneath the broccoli. What do you think it is?? - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Food is good, variety menu, service is fast, ambience is OK for fast food. Location's very convenient for hotels and tourists. The value of the food is great compared with the other places around town specially tourist areas. read more

My first visit here showed me what I've been missing all this time. You can count on quality throughout their menu. The staff made sure I received service and answered inquiries with sincere interest. The meals please the palate without emptying wallets. Everything was enjoyable & I'll definitely be back! read more

Cozy restaurant service a mix of Asian dishes. The cashier was friendly and I originally wanted to try a noodle dish but the pork belly and popcorn chicken combos looked so satisfying. I split them with a friend. Food wise, they both were impressive. For a low-key restaurant they really did both dishes right. The chicken was seasoned well, made with thigh meat, and maybe one or 2 pieces were on the drier side but still fantastic. The pork belly was super tender, gelatinous, and full of that braised soy flavor. Overall would give this place a 4.5/5 for their food. Prices seem reasonable as well. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Pork Belly and Popcorn Chicken - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped by here to get a quick bite after work I ordered the eel over rice and a side order of baby octopus. Both items were average and what you expect of the items with nothing being phenomenal or subpar. The reason this place gets a boost in rating? It's a decently priced place with an assortment of delicious items on the menu, and in this area it's a godsend read more

Bao Bao Cafe - R3. Eel Over Rice A4. Baby Octopus - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Really tiny place near WTC. Bare minimum decor. The cashier was pleasant and polite. The service was efficient and no-nonsense. The menu was quite simple with only a few items; the prices were very inexpensive and affordable. Yet it offered some fast, authentic and delicious noodle soups and meal boxes. It's amazing that for the price of simple haircut, one could get a great meal in the expensive NYC financial district. The competition must be intense for a hole in the wall restaurant like Bao Bao to earn its place and survive. We ordered: 4*Popcorn Chicken 盐酥鸡：crispy fried chicken was tasty and delicious. 4*Bao Bao Noodles 宝宝面--noodle soup with minced pork and veggies on top: I ordered medium spicy which turned out to be perfect, the soup was flavorful and mild spicy. 4*Little Hot Pot 麻辣烫--Glass noodle with veggies, tofu skin, Chinese mushroom: I could add more ingredients but I decided not. The soup was tasty and it gave the dish a zesty flair. 5*Bam Bam Noodles拌拌面: Stirred & seasoned dry noodles with minced pork on top; very good, must order dish for me. 5*Pork Belly with Rice五花肉盒饭 Marinated pork in five-spice and brown sauce, served with tea egg and veggies: it was perfect, tasty, juice, and delicious. If you like pork, order it and it won't disappoint. 4*Veggie Ramen w/Pork Broth 蔬菜拉面Ramen noodle soup with bok choy, cabbage, Chinese mushroom & egg. It was pretty good. It wasn't spicy enough for me because I ordered medium. So I added some spicy sauce and it tasted better. Next time I should just order spicy hot. For cheap eats, I believe it deserves a 5* rating. read more

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

Solid spot. I think their popcorn chicken meals the best thing they got. Usually get it nice and spicy. Perfect texture. Solid portions. And comes with rice. Hard boiled egg and few pieces of broccoli. Excellent all aroubd read more

Went to get food, and saw this. Any resto that takes care of their staff like this gets my vote! read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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.

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

Ordered Eel over rice for delivery with others and food was still warm. $18.00 for this bowl of eel over rice. Gave two big pieces of eel was definitely worth it. Very delicious with a side of seaweed. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

My fiance and I were in lower Manhattan looking for something delicious to eat that wasn't far from One WTC and wasn't expensive. We found this place online. It was less than 10 minutes walk. It wasn't busy when we arrived on a Saturday at 2pm. Upon entering, I'll see the menu is on the wall. It's not extensive. There were about 10 meals to pick from. The pork belly meal caught my eyes but my partner chose it. So of course I had to pick something else so we could try each other's food. I chose the bao bao rice. Both meals cost $9.75 each. We did not have to wait long for our meal. We sat at the small table near the counter. There are more seatings in the back. I wasn't sure we could freely go back there and sit. The staff in the front told us to sit in the front. Maybe the back was full. I didn't get to see it so I can't tell how big or how many seats there were. Back to the food. The food was absolutely delicious! Great portion for the price. Definitely filling. The food was flavorful, nicely seasoned. My partner and I really enjoyed our meal. Definitely will be back next time we are in lower Manhattan. read more

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Stopped for dinner here after reading about it on Yelp - it seemed to be a good, inexpensive Asian restaurant in the neighbourhood, so I was eager to give it a try. Definitely not a lot of seating available (only a handful of tables in the front and a few larger tables in the back) but when I arrived there was only 1 other couple eating. They don't have table service - you order at a counter and take your food to your table - so there's a lot of takeaway/delivery orders (as opposed to dining in), too. I ordered the Bao Bao Noodles - a simple noodle soup with minced pork, and veggies. Overall, quite yummy - noodles were well-cooked to a nice hardness, and the broth was rich and flavourful. I ordered the lowest spice level, so it was not that bad - but I can definitely imagine that the higher spice levels would be quite strong, so be careful! I was also pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive this was for the area - quality Chinese food in FiDi is definitely rare and a welcome sight. It's just too bad they close at 8pm, because I'd definitely drop by a lot for late-night eats :) read more

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I got the pork belly plate. It wasn't bad but it also didn't excite me. The tea egg was neat but looked better than it tasted and seemed overboiled read more

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I got the Bam Bam noodles and popcorn chicken. The popcorn chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can choose whether you want it spicy or not. The Bam Bam noodles were okay, although I expected them to be spicer, like dan dan noodles. Instead, they have a pretty strong soy sauce flavor. It's pretty small inside with only a few tables so I recommend getting this to go! read more

Bao Bao Cafe - N2. Bam Bam Noodles - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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It's a great lunch spot in FiDi, but I still gotta look at Google maps every time to find its exact location. There's always construction around, but once you get to this little hole in the wall it's great. They keep their menu simple with probably a maximum of 20 items. The fatty pork belly that's red braised is my go to. It pairs well with rice and there's some vegetables so you don't feel like 1000 lbs after. The other favorite is the popcorn chicken rice combo. It's Taiwanese style fried chicken that has a different batter than other fried chicken. The spicy one is also very flavorful. Depending on inflation, the chicken is a much better deal since the portions are quite large. read more

Wish i knew about this place sooner! EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE asian/Chinese staple dishes- noodles, rice dishes, and unagi over rice for $15!! Super great deal. Also very nostalgic of homemade ground beef stir fried rice and coconut milk drinks. read more

This is a hidden gem. Everything we have tried has been great. It may have me fooled but some of the dishes are really authentic.

Great option around the area :) I get lunch here pretty regularly if I'm craving noodle soup and something spicy. I usually get the bao bao noodles and I ask them to switch regular noodles to glass noodles. There's a minimum of $10 for credit card so bring some cash! I used to order on the ritual app 10 minutes before I go pick it up but realized the price is a dollar more on the app now :( They're very quick in getting the order ready. If you want to eat there they also have some tables in the back. Use my referral link for a discount on the ritual app if you sign up! https://invite.ritual.co/RITA46072 read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Bao bao noodles - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Small shop but was definitely worth stopping in for some hot food on a cold day! The cashier was very nice and patience with me while I had an extremely difficult time choosing between their 12 items on the menu that day. There is a big table for 6 people and 2 small tables for 2 in the front of the restaurant, but there are more trackers in the back for more privacy. I ordered the little hot pot and added pork and my partner ordered the pork belly. It came out quickly and was steaming hot. I thought my little hot pot was good, but I felt that it was missing a little more saltiness. It had the pork, noodles, bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu skin, so it's understandable that it needed that extra bit of salt to cheer up the tastebuds. I honestly still really enjoyed it because it was so delicious and really well cooked, maybe this just wasn't the right plate for me. Would love to come back another time to try another plate! read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Menu - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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Like a breath of fresh air for the Wall st area! I've always struggled with finding great places to eat here that aren't American or pricey. This is probably one of the best Chinese/Taiwanese places around to grab a casual, yet comfortable meal. The menu has the usual pork belly, braised pork, and Taiwanese popcorn chicken. I got the grilled eel over rice while my boyfriend got the popcorn chicken with rice. Both were sizeable portions and tasted like Chinese comfort food at its best. I was delighted to see the eel comes with seaweed salad to pair with the rice. There was so much popcorn chicken in my boyfriend's dish that he gave me a quarter of it. It's salt/pepper rub is so addicting that we almost finished all of it despite being way too full. As an added bonus, every order of popcorn chicken comes with a free bubble few of choice from the place next door! It doesn't get any better of that. What a delicious meal we enjoyed, seated at the comfort of one of their tables. This is quality food at an excellent price point. Compliments to the staff and chefs for a great experience. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - A5. Popcorn Chicken over rice - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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My first time here. I ordered their eel over rice. It was tasty. It took about 15 minutes for my order to come out. I will definitely come back to this place. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - R3. Eel Over Rice - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

This cute little place is located conveniently downtown if you want to stop by for a quick meal. My sister and I came in the middle of the day during lunch. There are a few seats both inside and outside. We ordered at the counter and found a seat inside. The server brings the food to you as they're ready. We ordered the popcorn chicken, baby octopus, bam bam noodles, and the little hotpot. The popcorn chicken was fried perfectly but there weren't enough flavor. I wanted to drench it in hot sauce. The baby octopus was delicious and refreshing - the sauce was tangy and sweet. The bam bam noodles is a dry-mixing noodle while the little hotpot was soupy. Both noodle dishes were mediocre. I loved the way the noodles were cooked, very chewy and absorbed the flavor, however, they were both toward the bland side. We had to add a lot of soy sauce/hot sauce. When I cook, I lean towards blander flavors to stay "healthy" but these dishes were blander than my home cooking! I would love to give the other items on the menu a try, but I definitely will specify to add more salt/flavor. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - A4. Baby Octopus and A5. Popcorn Chicken - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

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I was looking at new places to try for lunch and this popped up as a suggestion on Yelp. After reading the reviews while craving some good old noodles, I decided to come here for an early lunch. The place wasn't crowded at 12pm and it seems to be visited by locals and tourists alike. There are a few seating options in the front but the place can definitely get overcrowded during a rush lunch hour. After you order, they give you a buzzer which was nice. I ended ordering the Bao Bao Noodles to go, with a mild level spice flavor. The texture of the noodles were amazing and the mild flavor was just the right spice level for me. The soup looked quite staining from what I saw in the bowl so I'd be careful while eating. Despite the tastiness of the broth, noodles, and veggies, I was very disappointed by the lack of minced pork, compared to all the other images I saw on Yelp. I had to fish around with my spoon and was barely able to scrap up two full spoonfuls of it. However I would still be interested in coming back in the future to try their other noodle and rice dishes because of the location and fast service (and lack of noodle places in the area). read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Beef over rice bowl - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York

Imagine this :: you're a Floridian - it's a cold New York night. All you want is ramen , that's vegetarian, that has good yelp reviews and doesn't cost $$$. This place hit. The. Spot. It's not fancy. Ramen is served with plastic soup spoons. I didn't care. It was delicious ramen- done right. My friend and sister both loved the food as well. A perfect spot on a cold night. Also- their dipping bun is a MUST. I dropped one in my soup and still ate it cause it was so dang good -- think warm doughnuts. FYI :: the vegetable ramen isn't made with vegetarian broth- but they do have vegetarian broth they can substitute. read more

Bao Bao Cafe - Noodles Near Me - New York, New York