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    Bao Express

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 8:45 pm

    Order Bao Express Takeout or Delivery

    Bao Express Photos

    Business Info

    BAO EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Bao Express

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    Vanessa W.

    I was skeptical that the food at Bao Express would actually be good, but everything tasted super fresh and tasty. The dim sum isn't quite Din Tai Fung level, but it's definitely solid for a quick snack or casual meal. The noodle broth was savory and comforting without being overly salty. Ordering is done through two kiosks, which made everything easy and efficient, and there's plenty of seating if you want to dine in. Since they just opened, I was expecting a few hiccups, but so far the quality and service have both been consistently good. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when craving something quick and satisfying. Will be back to try other items on the menu!

    Inside
    Naomi J.

    I loved the sesame (5/5 stars) but the other dishes were about as good as what you can buy from the frozen section at a grocery store, so I don't think I'll be back. Very friendly employees and my food was cooked to order (as in it was pulled straight from the freezer, as opposed to food pulled out from under a warming platter).

    Cameron T.

    New spot in the Whole foods plaza. Very good quick bite and dim sum. Self ordering system so it's pretty automated. Food came out quick and hot. Surprisingly very good. Devoured in mins. Plenty of booth seating along the hall. Parking is rough but just park underground, it's easier. I like the additional food options in this plaza since I regularly get grocery at WF.

    Kimberly N.

    The kiosk is a bit difficult to use. Otherwise, food was good and came out quickly. You can really taste the smokiness from the wok. Thai restaurant is really spacious and they had a lot of open seating.

    green bean noodle
    Acelyne P.

    I had no idea the green bean noodle was supposed to be spicy?! I wish I had known because my parents don't eat spicy food and I ordered this for them :( so I ended up eating it. it was ok, same with the shrimp and chive boiled dumpling. Overall, it's good for a quick meal. I also ordered hargaw and shumai for the kids. hopefully those aren't spicy cuz I got them for the kids.

    String beans with chicken, spicy!! Love it

    The environment is nice. It's a self-serviced place, you can either choose eat there or take home. People there are very nice! The food is fresh and tasty! Also the size is huge!!!LOL I will be back and bring my friends and family there!! Highly recommended!!!

    Tui B.

    I was craving dim sum. I ordered pork shrimp shumai and spicy wonton from UberEats for pickup. The pickup time estimate was accurate, and they provided chopsticks and napkins for takeout. The food was delicious and tasty.

    Veggie Bao sampler: black bean bun, veggie potstickers and naps
    Rhona G.

    New Bao cafe express is open in the shopping center across from Whole Foods market, off 101 Freeway. It's a nice café with tables available indoors, but I wasn't able to see the back if they have a patio space outdoors. This Review is based on takeout. Upon entering, there are two ordering kiosks. The kiosk was easy to order from & it only takes credit card. You can also ask questions with the server at the front counter. I ordered the veggie box sample meal and then the green bean noodles were made to orders. Waiting time for my whole order took approximately 20 minutes since the noodles were made on order. I definitely liked these buns and bao better than bought as frozen food from a grocery market. These baos were nice and soft. I really liked the potstickers because of the mushroom and good flavor. I also liked the black bean sweet bun that has the black swirl to differentiate it from the savory Bao. The green bean noodles were very spicy, and there was no place on the kiosk to indicate less to no spice that I can remember. This new restaurant looks like a nice place to dine in because of the decor and tables available. The food overall was satisfactory and would recommend to at least try.

    Bbq bao
    Yoyo C.

    The dim sum box is really good. I ordered box 2 . And bbq bao. Price is very reasonable and good quality.

    Singapore style stir-fry noodle

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    1 month ago

    Had the corn soup, Mongolian beef, broccoli beef, pork bao, and the sesame balls. All were amazing!

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    3 months ago

    I was not sure what to expect. I found the dimsum to be surpisingly good. Generous fillings, well-seasoned and juicy.

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    Excellent quality and reasonably priced. Really loved the black bean chicken with asparagus and mushrooms. Will try the Shu Mai next time.

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    Ask the Community - Bao Express

    Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - It is refreshing to take a bite of our sweet and sour cucumber. Our steamed dumplings and soup dumplings are yummy.

    Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo

    4.0(1.1k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    •$$

    There are a few dumpling places in downtown San Mateo, so I was curious to see how this restaurant…read morefared. I went on a Saturday at noon and there was just one couple dining; when I left, there were 4-5 more groups. The inside of the restaurant looked aesthetically pleasing. The bathroom was quite old but clean. One of the 2 dispensers was out of soap, which I had hoped they would check as part of the restaurant opening and closing procedures. Our waiter was very friendly throughout the meal and offered food suggestions for us to consider. Beef pancake roll - unique seasoning. I liked how they included shredded lettuce for that crunchy texture. It was wrapped in green onion pancake, so it was a bit oily and required some chewing. My dad didn't care for this. I initially thought this isn't bad but by the end of eating my half, I was ok not ordering this again. I think it's worth trying once. Beef stew noodle soup - beef was flavorful but I needed to chew it a bit, so if you have elderly loved ones with dentures, keep that in mind! Noodles were al dente. My mom didn't like how the portion is very small. Pork & crab meat XLB (Xiaolongbao, soup filled dumplings) - First thing I thought when the server placed the bamboo steamer down on the table was, 'wow, these are SO small'. But regardless, I could definitely taste the crab, and the broth was flavorful and plenty. If I were to dine here again, I would order this. Chicken & vegetable boiled wontons in chicken soup - The skin of the wontons was springy and unique. The broth had sesame oil but otherwise was pretty mild/bland. My mother liked the broth from the beef stew noodle soup more. Pan fried chive dumpling - contained egg, glass noodles, and a lot of garlic and chives. Very yummy and would get this again. Pork & shrimp potsticker - was juicy. The skin a little thick. They came with a tiny side of sweet, sour, spicy pickled veggies. I thought this dish was mediocre. High tail shrimp & pork steamed dumplings - The pork was dense, which wasn't necessarily bad. The dumpling was slightly juicy but wasn't broth-filled. My mom didn't care for this dish. Overall, I would rate this restaurant a 3.5/5 but will round it up. My mom thought the food was quite mid and admitted it as such to the waiter after we paid the bill. I'm honestly not sure if I would return, given all the wonderful other cuisines/choices here in the downtown area - perhaps if I'm craving chive dumplings or crab dumplings again.

    Loooooooovvvved this food & service. My bro ordered so I don't know what I ate...scallion cake,…read morepork dumplings, chicken dumplings, spicy "numbing" noodles, several delectable soup dumplings, and more. All delish! Very interesting chive dumpling, plump, tasted kinda like yummy almost cheesy spinach. We feasted & made memories. Five spice beef shank. thin beef served on a dish cold, was the only unliked item. A bit dry/not much flavor. Hard surfaces/impersonal decor, but plenty of seating.

    Photos
    Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Chicken Veggie Wonton w/ Chili Sauce

    Chicken Veggie Wonton w/ Chili Sauce

    Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Our Q-Bao are tasty buns filled with moist pork and wrapped with half fluffy, half crispy dough.

    Our Q-Bao are tasty buns filled with moist pork and wrapped with half fluffy, half crispy dough.

    Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo

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    Zen Noodle Bar - JUICY

    Zen Noodle Bar

    3.9(606 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    •$$

    Go there in person and check their secret menu, there are much more on there that's…read moreshanghai-specific dishes. We ordered the pan-fried dumplings, small wonton, green onion noodle with chicken as well as salty soy milk. I would say it's 80-90% authentic flavor, with a bit fusion with Cantonese flavor. For examples the noodle that they use for green onion dry stir noodle is egg noodle instead of flour noodle, and the meat is a bit sweeter than salty. The owner and chef speaks authentic Shanghainese, the way that they make the dish is authentic compared to the other ones in the area. The shop is fairly clean compared to the other ones in the area.

    Second time visited here, first time i really enjoyed this place. Unfortunately I don't think I…read morewill be visiting again anytime soon. Service was good as before , the boss lady and waitress were both very nice . But the place seriously needs a little more update. Hall way to bathroom was extremely dark, wished they can turn on some light so I could see my way. One of the dish were served on a cracked plate , so we asked for a new plate. The metal steamer for xlb was very dirty with lots of grease all around, wished they could have cleaned it better or maybe it's time to replace new ones. We ordered several dishes, I liked meat mooncake the most , mostly I think the crust skin was quite good , but the xlb meat was so greasy, after one I couldn't really eat a second. Pan friend bun was pan fried really a bao, skin too thick all around. We also had Shanghainese eel dish, which I don't feel they were cook authentic Shanghainese way, more of Beijing style with lot of sauce, too much actually. Maybe it was not a good day, but I really wanted to like this place.

    Photos
    Zen Noodle Bar - Lots of stuff around, but still about 10 tables.

    Lots of stuff around, but still about 10 tables.

    Zen Noodle Bar - Shen Jian bao

    Shen Jian bao

    Zen Noodle Bar - Dan Dan noodles

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    Dan Dan noodles

    HL Peninsula Pearl - lobster vermicelli

    HL Peninsula Pearl

    3.2(653 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    •$$

    I have to say the view of the water is astounding. I like the view a lot. I would say this is one…read moreof the best dim sum restaurants I had in a long time. I usually stick to the South Bay Area for dim sum and wouldn't go anywhere outside of it. Service is good. I was able to get the jelly pig dessert dish and it was so fun to see it jiggly. They gave a couple of elevators to get to the second floor which is good for me and people who can't walk well.

    Food: (3 star)We ordered the king crab ahead of time and had it prepared three different ways. The…read morelegs were steamed with garlic and cooked just right, fresh and flavorful. The body was fried with garlic, with a crispy batter while the crab meat inside remained juicy. The steamed crab head with egg was salty and not very good. The fried pork (咕嚕肉) was soggy and stuck together. The pea shoots were tender but quite oily. The abalone with chives was good, and the steamed fish was fresh and cooked just right. Service: (1 star) We sat down for about 30 minutes and no one came into our room. We eventually went downstairs to let them know that we were waiting, but even after we notified them, they still did not send a server to attend to our room. They simply told us that someone was already upstairs. We waited even longer and still could not find anyone upstairs. There was also a party singing karaoke next door, which was extremely loud. To make things worse, we were told the remote control was broken, so the TV in our room could not be turned on. Overall, it was definitely not the place to host a dinner. Ambience: (1 star) The room itself was fine, but the noise from the guests dining and singing karaoke in the next room was extremely loud and disruptive.

    Photos
    HL Peninsula Pearl
    HL Peninsula Pearl - House Special Fish Fillet Vermicelli Soup - a large bowl enough to share for 4 people.  Very tasty

    House Special Fish Fillet Vermicelli Soup - a large bowl enough to share for 4 people. Very tasty

    HL Peninsula Pearl - Egg plant in sizzling plate

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    Egg plant in sizzling plate

    Yan Peninsula - Lava salted egg sesame ball

    Yan Peninsula

    3.5(334 reviews)
    7.3 mi
    •$$

    Sunday morning 11:20 arrived at the restaurant, first time that we were able to find a parking spot…read morein the lot. And we got greeted and welcomed right away. Inside has modern decoration and clean . The waiter served us tea right after we seated, maybe there were not a lot of people, the service is surprisingly decent-- he offered kids utensils and collect the empty plates right after we finished. The traditional dishes like egg tart, sweet rice cake, dessert were good, also highlighted on the pork belly dish-- crispy skin and juicy meat. The not so great adventurous dish -- fried duo chun fish, bitter ending taste. Other than that, this restaurant still on my top list whenever craving for dim sum or Cantonese dishes. This restaurant staff is very friendly to kids and the food selection is kids friendly.

    Dim sum was pretty good 3/5. Table was crap, we had 3 ppl…read morebut got seated at a 2 person table. The sides of the table had a bar across it so the 3rd person in the side couldn't pull their chair in. Ambience terrible, they were setting up for an event so there was a guy testing karaoke and mic checking half the time. When I paid the bill, they brought the check back without my credit card, they had to go find where it dropped out. And I couldn't lower my tip because it was a pre-set service charge, even tho just for 3 ppl.

    Photos
    Yan Peninsula - Inside the restaurant

    Inside the restaurant

    Yan Peninsula - Crispy shrimp rice noodle rolls

    Crispy shrimp rice noodle rolls

    Yan Peninsula - Chinese donut wrapped in rice noodle

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    Chinese donut wrapped in rice noodle

    Bao Express - dimsum - Updated October 2026

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