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Great bao fillings! The pork and other meats had great flavor. The BBQ was a little dryer than I'd normally expect but it was still tasty! I'd order everything again.
The food was delicious! They were pretty simple and straightforward. Unfortunately I went too late in the evening so a lot of their popular bao and dumplings were gone, but the ones I had were good. They were kind enough to let us special order the last beef and pork bao of the day. I really liked the fried rice dish. My friend said his mom would cook that dish growing up, but as someone who's never tried it, I really liked it! I definitely want to go back to try the other dumpling and bao flavors.
I was so excited to try Bao Space and they had so many different kinds to choose from! The shrimp baos were really yummy and filled with seafood. It went well with the spicy chili sauce. The pork buns had a nice mix of veggies and meat. The cucumber salad was crunchy and marinated well- the perfect texture to refresh the mouth! Of course we had to get a warm bowl of hot and sour soup to warm our stomachs as well. For dessert, the black sesame buns were perfect, since it had lots of nutty and sweet filling. It is mostly self serve since you order on the kiosk and then they bring you the food, and you clean after yourself. The service was very quick and efficient. Since there is no parking lot, you do have to use paid parking on the street or in a garage. It would be a good option if you're already in the area!
The Bao are above average -- great taste and mouthfeel. The rest of the food is adequate, good quality but to me tastes reheated and not prepared fresh. The ambiance is okay but the place is full of miscellaneous items that should be moved into a different space (cleaning supplies, food supplies) instead of out in the dining area. It's order-yourself and take to your table place which is fine but doesn't give much room for customer service. Happy with my meal but will try another spot next time.
Stellar food with a few really bright spots. We got almost one of everything, the beef and onion, chicken and mushroom and Berkshire pork were highlights, 5/5. The Shrimp Triple Delight tasted like Shumai. 4/5 The pickled cabbage and pork was WEIRD but surprisingly tasty. Very savory, 4/5, I wish they had been sweeter like the other bao. The pork bao sandwich was okay, I expected the pork to be more flavored. 3/5. The cold sesame noodles were intense! So much flavor! 5/5 The dumplings were only okay. Comparatively, they could hold a candle to the bao. 3/5 The egg roll were also a little disappointing but only because everything else was so incredible. 3/5
This place was amazing! It is a small little place but it is very interesting. You order on a tablet at the register and the menu has lots of great options. I ordered the Yangzhou Fried Rice, Pork & Cabbage Dumpling, Beef & Onion Bao Buns and a Raspberry Tea. All the food was amazing, the fried rice was very delicious and it was quite a big bowl for its price. The Pork & Cabbage Dumpling was amazing, the dumpling itself was soft and chewy, it was even better with the sauce it came with. The Beef and Onion Bao Bun was truly a taste of love. I loved the seasoning and the softness of the bun. The service was fast and friendly we even were able to eat outside on their patio which made the day even better. This place is definitely the best dumping and Bun place I have been to in Michigan (actually they are kind of hard to find in Michigan). Definitely come here if you have a craving for dumplings or Buns!
Oh my gosh I loved Bao Space! It's been on my list for a bit and my friend and fellow foodie Tiffany recommended it for a lunch spot after I was done working at the hospital. I got street parking right out front and ordered at the counter. The menu includes bao, of course, as well as other dumplings, appetizers, soups, and bubble tea. I was pretty hungry and wasn't sure how big the buns were, so I ordered two different bao (they come two per order): shrimp triple delight buns and the pickled cabbage and pork buns. The employee taking my order let me know that the regular pork buns wouldn't be done for about 50 minutes so that's why I went with the pickled cabbage and pork. I took a seat at the counter and my order was done quickly. The buns were about the size of my hand and I probably could have gotten away with just one order, but I was pretty hungry. These were the fluffiest, most tender bao I've ever had! We don't have a ton of places that serve bao in my city, so I don't have a lot of experience eating them, but I loved these. The shrimp triple delight was my favorite, with shrimp, pork, mushroom, and Chinese chive. The pickled cabbage and pork were good too but the filling of the shrimp triple delight was so flavorful and the shrimp was perfectly steamed. I loved the chili oil at the table as well as the community lemon water dispenser. At $15 before tax/tip this was a really delicious, filling meal! I will definitely be back to try more buns.
Got their Shrimp Triple Delight Buns ($8), Taiwanese Pork Rice Bowl ($12 ish), Seaweed and Shrimp Soup ($3.50), Szechuan Spicy Chicken Salad ($10 ish). Everything was excellent! The buns are handmade on the spot. Steamed and served freshly. Store is clean. The owner is also super friendly! Also recommend the spicy chicken salad! Meat is tender and good portion. Price is very reasonable. Everything tasted fresh and traditional. My favor thing was actually the hot chili sauce. Not sure if it's homemade, but I poured it on all the dishes. Buns tasted even better with some hot chili and vinegar. Would definitely return!
I've been intrigued by Bao Space ever since they opened, but this past weekend was my first chance to go. We walked in around noon on Sunday and found that the restaurant was actually pretty busy - about 3/4 of the seats were taken and there were a number of people inside waiting for take out orders. Luckily, ordering (counter service at Bao Space) was quick and the food came out fast. We decided to try the following: Beef Shank ($11.00) - Yum! Loved this cold cut beef shank. Great flavor from the marination, with a bit of sweetness, savoriness and the use of classic Chinese herbs and spices. The texture here is perfect - I wouldn't say tender, but kind of chewy, especially in the more tendinous areas. Almost like slices of beef that are maybe a quarter of the way to becoming beef jerky. The beef is garnished with cilantro on top and also comes with a dipping sauce on the side that tastes mainly like soy sauce mixed with a tiny amount of chili pepper, giving it only a slight spice. The sauce complements the beef shank well. Premium Berkshire Pork buns ($7.50) - You can tell this is pretty high quality when you bite into it. The dough is nice and fluffy, without much of a hard skin forming on the outside. It's not chalky or tough at all, just a very nice bun. The filling is similarly good - a very nice minced pork blend with some aromatic green onion elements, mixed with some sesame, soy, and possibly gingery notes. It's juicy but not to the point that it soaks into the bun. The pork is finely ground without any pieces of gristle or chunks of fat. Shanghai Shumai ($6.50) - It's not that common to find Shanghai-style Shumai in the US, so if I see it on the menu, I have to order it. This, unfortunately, is not a good representation of the dish. This is literally just 油飯 (sticky oil rice) in a wrapper. This dish absolutely needs aromatics and umami from shitake mushrooms and onions to provide both flavor and textural contrast. Like that's really the essence of this dish. This rendition is plain bland compared to how it's supposed to be done. It's not horrible, it's just missing the flavors that make this dish great. Bao Space is a nice concept with some pretty good food. I do recommend giving it a try. You can't go wrong going with the buns.
Stopped here for a quick lunch. Food came out really fast and there were lots of places to sit. I loved that you could order right from a screen and track your order via phone. We got the shrimp buns, pork buns, lotus chicken, and miso soup. Everything came out hot and I loved the lotus chicken it's one of my favorite things to get. I would come back here again. It was easy to park in the lot across the street and it was quiet once you got inside.
TLDR : Watch out Din Tai Fung, there's a new Bao Bun at the table. The service was immaculate, very attentive, weight staff, and very attentive workers who would walk your food out to you quickly and ensure that you got the right meal and double check before they left. The ambience of the restaurant is what really sold me on this facility. It was a cute, clean and well lit facility that just made me feel so good and so excited to eat. I will definitely say that the interior designer did a fantastic job of making do with the space that they had and making the seating arrangement comfortable. The food here, in my opinion, initially reminded me that of Din Tai Fung when I used to live in California. I love the steamed buns as they brought back memories of friends and family coming around for a meal, and I will definitely say that these were amazing. Only thing I would like to say is I could not tell the difference between the beef and the chicken. It could have been the cold weather was playing tricks with my sense of smell so I will definitely be back to try them out once more - stay tuned for an updated review in the future. I did just want to mention, everything inside of my picture, if you're not able to read it, two chicken, two beef and a cucumber salad. read more
Delicious soft buns! My friend and I ordered 4 different buns (2 buns per order) because we wanted to try a bunch- but lol, it was a lot!! We both ate too much and I really enjoyed the Berkshire pork and chicken/mushroom ones the best. You can also grab some vinegar, soy sauce and hot chili sauce to dip the buns in. I like spice so I used the chili sauce and my friend, used the soy sauce. We also decided to order a couple salads: cucumber & mushroom salad (pretty good, refreshing but not as flavorful as I would've liked) and the Seaweed salad (tofu strips with seaweed, very flavorful). They have a couple tables outside too. It's a small, casual place. I would definitely consider getting some buns to-go next time! read more
Good Chinese steamed buns spot cafe that's recently opened in downtown. There's meat, seafood and veggie filling options. Sets of 2 cost $6.50-8.50. You can dine in or to go, I got it to go. A couple flavors were out though when I went there mid day like the cabbage and pork one which I really wanted! The buns were yummy, fluffy and the filling was very umami. Great for a snack or a light meal. I can also be found on my Instagram: alice.likes.food read more
2 years ago
Loved! Will be coming back :) You just go in order, and find a seat. Pick up when your order is ready. Tastes authentic. Cozy atmosphere. read more
Best dumplings and bao buns I ever had! Everything tasted so fresh. We tried the beef & onion bao buns and chicken dumplings. The dough was the perfect texture and the fillings were so flavorful. The spicy sauce that came with it was the perfect dipping sauce with a bit of a kick. Prices were very reasonable. The inside was very clean (including the bathroom). Definitely recommend checking this place out. read more
Business owner information
Rongrong Z.
Thank you so much for coming Aminah! We tried our best to only…
4 years ago
Bao Space is a small Chinese food bow specialty shop on the north end of Main Street. I ordered 2 items from the menu, which looked to be their specialties. Both were sizable, see photos for scale. I enjoyed the texture exterior of both items, as they were not too thick or carb heavy. Pricing seemed reasonable, and space had several tables to choose from. It felt like the kitchen was working through typical operational challenges of any new opening. They seemed short staffed and often ran out of the self-service items such as sauces, water glasses, et cetera. Overall, this adds a new specialty cuisine to the area and is a wonderful addition to the community. I hope the business does well and works out operational challenges to provide excellent food and service for visitors. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
We decided to pop in after Hands On Museum. It's a cute place with limited seats. Maybe 4 (2-3 seaters), 1 (4 up seaters) & a high bar/stool area. You order from the counter, there's printed menus you can ponder on, there's some on the counter as well (I think) & a monitor on top where they have some too. Off to the side of the counter are the utensils (chopsticks, fork & spoons), sauce station w/ chili oil & water jug if you like. There's also flavored milks, la croix etc. on the other side; where you grab your food, you could see their work/assembly station. So you order, grab seat & they'll call you for their order. Staff were nice even when they were swamped for lunch. Very pleasant and accommodating. There's high chair for family with little kids. The Bao's were good, but somehow I expected more flavors (maybe in the future). I didn't want to count the dessert Bao's. Also, first time I've had this kind of shumai. It was just fried rice inside and I was not kinda into that. Yhe rice tasted a little too sweet and it didn't heat up well (leftover wise). Over all a good experience, I might try the dessert ones next. read more
4 years ago
The food here is fresh and pretty good overall. I had to subtract a point for lack of ingredients that were advertised in the menu. I would recommend this place for either takeout or for having some tea and a snack. To fill up on their lunch menu will take some money. They also do have a lunch combination menu that seems like a decent value for $12.95 you get to try one bun, one soup, and choice of 1 order of pork or chicken dumplings. We both decided to have some hot peach tea, they use the nice loose leaf teas very fragrant and good tea, get 16oz for $3. From ordering to receiving the food took 5-10 minutes. We started with the lotus chicken, the rice had that wonderful fragrance from being wrapped in the lotus leaf, however we did not see any shrimp. The most disappointing was the shrimp Triple delight buns. The buns were good but as you can see from the picture hardly any shrimp. I would just stick to their pork buns, which were good, however, I do prefer the char su bao pork buns you get at most dim sum restaurants. The last thing we tried was the Shanghai shumai not to be confused with the pork shumai you get at dim sum restaurants. I was skeptical since these were only filled with seasoned rice that being said the rice was quite tasty, this would be elevated if they added seasoned ground pork and mushrooms. I do have to mention there were no green peas as advertised in the menu. They do have soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil by the counter for dipping if you choose. Again solid family owned business that make everything fresh, but need to make sure everything advertised on the menu ends up in the bun. read more
Business owner information
Rongrong Z.
Thank you so much for coming and taking the time to leave us the…
2 years ago
Bao Space is my favorite Bao restaurant in Ann Arbor. I love bao buns and theirs are really delicious. They provide chilli oil at every table and it's the one of the best that I've ever tried. * Shrimp bao bun: 5/5 * Premium berkshire pork bao bun: 4/5 * Pork and cabbage bao bun: 3/5 * Spicy chicken salad: 5/5 * Lotus rice: 3/5 * Taiwanese pork rice: 4/5 I get the shrimp bao bun every time, it's amazing! read more
3 years ago
We loved bao space and we'll be back to try more things. The place was pretty busy but the wait was not as long as we imagined. They didn't have a soup we ordered and paid for so we had to wait a bit for the refund but the food was fresh and delicious. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Delicious food - great cold noodle options, good bao. Love the chili crunch and black vinegar sauces. Favorite sweet was the black sesame bun. If you ever had buns from the former Eastern Accents, may it rest in peace, you might find the steamed buns a bit chewy rather than EA's super fluffiness. That's the only reason for the four stars instead of five. Well worth a trip! read more
3 years ago
Everything was amazing!! It's worth the drive from Grand Rapids to try out this place. It was so good we ordered more food to bring home with us. The price was right as well very. Definitely recommend this place!! Service was great, the person who helped us was patient & and helpful. The television in the lobby showed the customers how to make the dumplings. Also, the cartoon was a super cute touch, very relaxing, clean, inviting atmosphere. read more
4 years ago
WOW BAO!! Best new Chinese food spot in AA. I grew up eating my mom and 姥姥's homemade baozi and I can confidently say this is the closest I've ever had to getting that same taste from home! I especially recommend the Berkshire pork bao and the shrimp bao, we also loved the beef and radish soup. So flavorful and authentic. The service was also wonderful as the staff was so attentive and kind. To finish the meal, the black sesame bao was incredible. Can't wait to come back! read more
Business owner information
Rongrong Z.
Thank you Holly, we try our best to make it as fresh and authentic…
2 years ago
4 years ago
Loveeed the food, got the red bean paste bao ( back left), pickled cabbage beef bao, and then pan fried dumplings. All worth the drive from Lansing for these. There was a line walking in, but only a 8 min wait! A cute little spot. read more
Business owner information
Rongrong Z.
Thank you so much Sophie for coming all the way from Lansing! Would…
3 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
So happy this place is open! I got shumai and berkshire pork buns to go and especially liked the pork buns. Excited to go back to try other items on the menu as well! read more
4 years ago
I love the idea of handmade baos so was excited to have this place open up in Ann Arbor. We visited last weekend and felt hopeful when we saw how packed it was so soon after they opened their doors. It is a bit tight inside and I had to squeeze in to sit down. We got our baos in a relatively short period of time and they were very pretty in presentation. Unfortunately the baos themselves were pretty one note. I wish there was a bit more flavor, both in the fillings and the dough itself. Was hoping for the baos to be a bit lighter and fluffier (I grew up with fresh baos from Chicago Chinatown at family parties). And the tofu salad was super bland. Needed more vinegar to balance things out. I think I probably enjoyed the shumai the most, but nothing to rave about. Everything else was just ok. I'm hoping they continue to work on tweaking their flavor because I think this place could be really good. read more
3 years ago
This place is extremely good. As an appetizer we tried the beef shank. We tried the veggie bun, the beef and onion bun, the premium Berkshire pork bun, and the pickled cabbage with pork bun. For dessert we had the twisted rolls and the black sesame buns. My top savory bun is the pickled cabbage and pork. For dessert I preferred the sesame paste bun. We will definitely come back! read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
What a cute café! Everything was delicious and fresh :) I could see in the back they were making the bao by hand. Wait time was a little long but it's because they make it once you order! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
Came to the restaurant when it was on soft opening. Very authentic Bao Buns that taste like something you can only get from the best Bao places in China and Japan. The dough has perfect airy texture and the filling taste awesome. Definitely would recommend to my friends read more
3 years ago
More info about Bao Space
205 N Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Kerrytown Ann Arbor, Kerrytown
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(734) 436-8488
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https://baospacea2.com
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3 years ago
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