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the food did not hit the mark for me sadly. there was definitely flavor especially SPICE but i felt like there was no richness or comfort i usually get from a bowl of ramen. the texture of the ramen felt so off where it tasted more doughy and eh
A fusion Asian spot with a Canadian twist, which I understand, but some aspects didn't quite hit the mark for me. Overall, the food was decent, but the soup, particularly the pork belly broth, lacked the richness and depth of flavor you'd expect. The pork belly ramen had an overpowering sourness, likely from the pickled mushrooms. I assume this was a fusion take on Japanese pickled bamboo shoots, but the sourness was so strong that it dominated the broth. The ramen noodles themselves also lacked the bite and chewiness of traditional ramen, leaning more on the doughy side. I know it's fusion, but I think some of these elements could be better balanced.
Delicious! Came in with a group of 5 and all enjoyed the meal. We ordered Pork Belly Ramen and 3 Bao Buns featured in the photo. The buns were FANTASTIC and the ramen was good. Staff were helpful as we weren't sure what to order upon arriving.
A small but cozy restaurant. We had two bowls of ramen and an assortment of bao. The bao were the show stoppers. Oh my goodness were they delicious. The ramen was also very good. The pork belly in the ramen was fried. The eggs were cooked perfectly. Our only complaint was that the noodles were slightly overcooked. If we come here again, we'll skip the ramen and just get bao.
I see it's been 7 years since my last post here and this place is still great. I try to go every time I'm in Victoria. The Pork Belly Ramen was phenomenally good!
Pretty much ordered the whole menu- jk Really small place- must order first and then sit- here's the run down: -Korean fried chicken- bibimbab- don't expect traditional bibimbab, it's rice with the fried chicken, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, and a sunny fried egg on top 3.5/5 -General Taos wings- pretty sweet but good 5/5 Classic Twainesse Bao Chinese bbq Bao Buttermilk fried chicken Bao - this one was a favorite Pork belly ramen - just ok for me could use a deeper flavor-the noodles were not silky at all Tongstsu Bao It was all generally good- would return- Bao buns were nice and soft
First time at Bao's and we had a great time! You have to place and pay for our order before taking seats which was efficient. The ambiance is cute, cosy! The space is quite small but the hosts are friendly, making you feel right at home.The service here is great and the highlight of our meal was definitely the mushroom and black bean veg croquette bao. They were phenomenal, bursting with flavour and creativity. We also tried the veggie tofu bibimbap, and it was also delicious! I highly recommend this place! We are already planning our next visit! Don't miss out on this hidden gem!!
So Recently visited Bao as a recommendation. We got seated right away as it was a weekday (Thursday) at 3 pm. It's a quant place open kitchen .. warm and cozy feeling. Server was attentive and kind. We ordered he tan tan and the regular rahmem also a few different Baos. I did the pork belly and it was very nice the bao bun was cooked to perfect and the tan tan was perfectly seasoned and nice chewy noodles. I would definitely recommend and will be going back again.
This place is legit the best ramen and bao I've ever tasted. Service is friendly and casual. Vibes are cool. Wonderful, wonderful food.
This was a wonderful surprise. We both ordered ramin and it was fantastic. The place is small, maybe 8 tables and 4 seats at the bar. You queue up in line, when a seat opens up you can order then sit. He serving was efficient and the meals are prepared right in sight of the dining room. I loved the atmosphere, our server was also the bus-person. She answered the phones, took takeout orders and was the cashier. She brought us a sample bbq bao with the most tasty meat inside. We're going back and sample more!
Our final meal in Victoria before heading back home. They don't take reservations so we arrived just before they opened to ensure we get seated. You need to give and pay your order before getting seated so know what you want so many dishes to try! Korean Fried Chicken bibimbap Mei Fun Stir Fry Taiwanese Classic bao Chinese BBQ bao Pork Meatball Banh Mi bao Buttermilk Fried Chicken bao We devoured the delicious food just in time to walk around Chinatown before heading to the ferry to go back to reality.
Omg this place is 10/10!!! They are quick to serve. Went with a group of 4 we all shared one ramen and a one order or the Baos, it's nice because you pick 4 different Baos of your choice and the pork were my favorite! I will definitely be returning here when I'm Victoria! Would highly recommend the Ramen as well. The place is small but it's cute.
We came in at 8:13 pm and the manager refused to serve us. She said it was too late as they close at 8:30. I said we just walked a mile to go there. She just walked away. I hope this is not her small restaurant. She said we could only order take away. Shows poor customer attitude. We went a block away to another Chinese restaurant. read more
2 months ago
1 year ago
the food did not hit the mark for me sadly. there was definitely flavor especially SPICE but i felt like there was no richness or comfort i usually get from a bowl of ramen. the texture of the ramen felt so off where it tasted more doughy and eh read more
2 years ago
A fusion Asian spot with a Canadian twist, which I understand, but some aspects didn't quite hit the mark for me. Overall, the food was decent, but the soup, particularly the pork belly broth, lacked the richness and depth of flavor you'd expect. The pork belly ramen had an overpowering sourness, likely from the pickled mushrooms. I assume this was a fusion take on Japanese pickled bamboo shoots, but the sourness was so strong that it dominated the broth. The ramen noodles themselves also lacked the bite and chewiness of traditional ramen, leaning more on the doughy side. I know it's fusion, but I think some of these elements could be better balanced. read more
Delicious! Came in with a group of 5 and all enjoyed the meal. We ordered Pork Belly Ramen and 3 Bao Buns featured in the photo. The buns were FANTASTIC and the ramen was good. Staff were helpful as we weren't sure what to order upon arriving. read more
2 years ago
A small but cozy restaurant. We had two bowls of ramen and an assortment of bao. The bao were the show stoppers. Oh my goodness were they delicious. The ramen was also very good. The pork belly in the ramen was fried. The eggs were cooked perfectly. Our only complaint was that the noodles were slightly overcooked. If we come here again, we'll skip the ramen and just get bao. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
I see it's been 7 years since my last post here and this place is still great. I try to go every time I'm in Victoria. The Pork Belly Ramen was phenomenally good! read more
Pretty much ordered the whole menu- jk Really small place- must order first and then sit- here's the run down: -Korean fried chicken- bibimbab- don't expect traditional bibimbab, it's rice with the fried chicken, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, and a sunny fried egg on top 3.5/5 -General Taos wings- pretty sweet but good 5/5 Classic Twainesse Bao Chinese bbq Bao Buttermilk fried chicken Bao - this one was a favorite Pork belly ramen - just ok for me could use a deeper flavor-the noodles were not silky at all Tongstsu Bao It was all generally good- would return- Bao buns were nice and soft read more
First time at Bao's and we had a great time! You have to place and pay for our order before taking seats which was efficient. The ambiance is cute, cosy! The space is quite small but the hosts are friendly, making you feel right at home.The service here is great and the highlight of our meal was definitely the mushroom and black bean veg croquette bao. They were phenomenal, bursting with flavour and creativity. We also tried the veggie tofu bibimbap, and it was also delicious! I highly recommend this place! We are already planning our next visit! Don't miss out on this hidden gem!! read more
2 years ago
So Recently visited Bao as a recommendation. We got seated right away as it was a weekday (Thursday) at 3 pm. It's a quant place open kitchen .. warm and cozy feeling. Server was attentive and kind. We ordered he tan tan and the regular rahmem also a few different Baos. I did the pork belly and it was very nice the bao bun was cooked to perfect and the tan tan was perfectly seasoned and nice chewy noodles. I would definitely recommend and will be going back again. read more
3 years ago
This was a wonderful surprise. We both ordered ramin and it was fantastic. The place is small, maybe 8 tables and 4 seats at the bar. You queue up in line, when a seat opens up you can order then sit. He serving was efficient and the meals are prepared right in sight of the dining room. I loved the atmosphere, our server was also the bus-person. She answered the phones, took takeout orders and was the cashier. She brought us a sample bbq bao with the most tasty meat inside. We're going back and sample more! read more
Our final meal in Victoria before heading back home. They don't take reservations so we arrived just before they opened to ensure we get seated. You need to give and pay your order before getting seated so know what you want so many dishes to try! Korean Fried Chicken bibimbap Mei Fun Stir Fry Taiwanese Classic bao Chinese BBQ bao Pork Meatball Banh Mi bao Buttermilk Fried Chicken bao We devoured the delicious food just in time to walk around Chinatown before heading to the ferry to go back to reality. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Omg this place is 10/10!!! They are quick to serve. Went with a group of 4 we all shared one ramen and a one order or the Baos, it's nice because you pick 4 different Baos of your choice and the pork were my favorite! I will definitely be returning here when I'm Victoria! Would highly recommend the Ramen as well. The place is small but it's cute. read more
Food- 8/10 Delicious! There isn't many yummy places to get Asian food in Victoria, BC, and this is one of the few! I really loved the fried tofu bibimbap since it was so flavorful and the tofu was very crunchy! I would highly recommend ordering the dish. Cleanliness/Looks- 10/10 Everything is very clean, and they are very thorough in checking for vaccine cards/ID with vaccine proof. FYI- the times for open/closing on Yelp aren't accurate! They are closed Sunday AND Monday, and they do a 4-5 PM closing period to clean the restaurant. This was super frustrating... read more
2 years ago
The balance of incredible flavors I was searching for in Victoria. This is the best food I've found hands down. Get literally anything. I had the pork belly ramen, and the fried chicken bao and it's EVERYTHING. Come here. read more
=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE Refreshingly different, at a price. It's a toss-up - really high prices for Chinatown, coupled with small portions because we did takeout? I hoping dining in provides for larger portions because one shouldn't have to drive thru McDonald's after eating the mains just to feel full. But then the food was decently flavored, so it's 3 stars for now until I'm able to try it again! === 2. FOOD Bao offers a slightly different take on the usual dishes: Ramen: - Pork Belly ($15) - Tan Tan ($15, with soft egg) - Truffle Char Siu ($16) - (Chicken) Karaage ($16) ...all were nice but in the takeout containers were horrendously small, particularly for the price, and so it's good we went elsewhere to eat after this. Bao: With flavors like Shanghai Black Bean, Tonkatsu Chicken, Taiwanese Classic, Chinese BBQ, and Pork Meatball, it's great to try flavors you won't find elsewhere. Savor every bite though, because each delicacy is $4.50 or $15 for four! === 3. SERVICE & ENVIRONMENT I only did takeout, so from that perspective, the service was good and reasonably fast after ordering in-person. The environment looks to be an oasis in Chinatown - something intentionally dim, cool-looking, and clean in contrast to much of what is in the surrounding blocks. The space is small there may have been a step or two to get inside - either way, the limited space will pose a challenge for wheelchairs and strollers. Parking is best found at a meter on the street outside or in the municipal lot up the block on Fisgard Street. read more
Two words.... SO DELICIOUS! Definitely stop by this gem when you are in Chinatown. There will be a wait when you go right after 12pm (open time). The restaurant is not huge -- has around 6 small tables and the bar. You have to order and pay first before you get seated. Food came out promptly after ordering. You can see the chefs making the food -- everything is fresh and made on the spot. We got the cucumber salad, pork belly ramen & the curry. Curry had a kick to it and all items were amazing!!! read more
One of the first places we got takeout from after moving to Victoria. Recalling our impression, I only remember the portions being small. This time we came to dine in. Already popping at 5:30 on a Thursday! Got a table just in time. Pay-first style with self-serve drinks, simpler and probably keeps costs down. Menu pretty streamlined, mainly bao / ramen / bibimbap. All the bao we tried were outstanding flavour-wise -- my favourite being the classic Taiwanese. The complaint again is size: each is finishable in 2 bites, and they're $16 for 4. The truffle chashu ramen was too salty for my taste but perfect for the husby (he also asked for spicy). Chashu (thick with some crisp to it) and egg texture were on point. Had to add the pork belly ramen because the 4 bao + 1 ramen weren't quite enough for us... This one ended up being more generous in terms of portion size, but only 2 slim pieces of pork belly (albeit very well crisped). Without spiciness I was able to try the base broth -- it wasn't quite the traditional ramen broth, more like a bone broth. The mushrooms in the ramen were a bit over-pickled for my taste. Overall, neat fusion spot but a bit lacking on authenticity and portion size. read more
Pros: nice colourful presentation of food Service was pretty fast Good portions Cons: it is a fusion restaurant so ramen , baos, bibimbap etc.. are catered more towards western taste Flavours are decent but not as good as the authentic dishes they took inspiration from Pricey read more
2 years ago
If you're going to name a place after a food item, it better live up to its name. I appreciate the variety of baos offered here and wish I tried them all. Definitely recommend the Taiwanese classic bao over the Chinese BBQ. The pork banh mi bao was just ok, thought the meat texture was off a bit, but the Viet influence was there. Each bao is priced $4.50, but there's a deal if you order at least 3. The chicken karaage ramen was decent. The broth was a bit too salty (and thinner for my typical tonkotsu preference), but the karaage served on the side was delicious. The Korean fried chicken bibimbap was spicy and loaded with kimchi and rice for people into that. I didn't order that sinus clearing dish, but that was a bad move on a hot day. This place is casual, order at the counter and pick a seat. Staff is friendly. I'm normally not a huge fan of fusion cuisine, but this places offer a bit of everything Asian and seems to be different than the rest of the surrounding joints. Arguably this might be good enough for touristy Victoria. read more
This cute little Asian fusion restaurant fixed my Asian food craving in the area during my business trip. There are Vietnamese restaurants and other Asian restaurants near this Chinatown neighborhood but I thought I would give it a try and get surprised. I had a ginger ale produced by a local brewer which was very refreshing. The Korean BBQ chicken bibimbap didn't have the exact Korean flavour but I assumed it's part of the deal of fusion. Although the BBQ flavour and spiciness were a bit off, the chicken strips were super moist and tender. The kimchi and pickled cucumber were very appetizing with fresh chopped green onions and lots of white sesame. It had a good portion of rice underneath. Their taste balanced with the chicken. Another table ordered the buns which looked delicious. I think they are great to share with friends. When you visit this restaurant, be prepared that you will need to pay at the cashier when you're ordering. They will bring the food to your table. The cashier/waitress lady was very nice. read more
6 years ago
Visiting Victoria and had to try this little place near Chinatown. Staff was friendly and food was really yummy!! The Bao's were our favourite. Fried Chicken Bao- has kimchi and a bit of spice but very flavourful and tasty Cha Siu Bao- big cilantro flavor, but I love cilantro so that was deeeeelish Taiwanese Bao - this was almost a shredded type of pork, very subtle but very good Ramens We got the Tan Tan (spicy) - they used almost like a Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Really good if you're into that spice!!! The Truffle Cha Siu is awesome for any truffle lovers out there, the Cha Siu is fatty and yummy Pork Belly Ramen - nice simple broth All the eggs were perfectly soft and tasty. Overall we really enjoyed it and would definitely come back! :) read more
3 years ago
The food is delicious and the bao bun options are delicious. I wish I was staying in Victoria another day to eat more of the food. It is a cozy hole in the wall spot, but there is plenty of seating. Staff was very helpful and informative when we asked questions about the menu. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
The Bao's we had were pretty good, for being an Asian fusion eatery, and not being owned by Asians (knew about this after the fact). The Chinese BBQ was cooked perfectly, the pickled onions were great. A lot of people say it was too sweet, but I thought the level of sweetness was pretty good. I want to go back to the fact that this eatery is owned by white people. Although the Bao's we ordered were cooked to my liking, I would like the owners to really pay homage to the original recipes they took from, instead of just a tiny mention on their website. I say this because I'm a big supporter of POC small business owners. Putting something in the decor of your restaurant or in your menus that honors the origins of these recipes would be really great, especially since all the staff members I saw were white. Otherwise, you just look like another unaware privileged white person who stole recipes from Asians then hike up the price in comparison to other Asian-owned establishments...right in China Town, no less (contributing to gentrification). Not to mention appropriating Asian culture. Not meaning to sound harsh, but that is my honest 100% Asian unapologetic opinion! TLDR- good Bao's, and do more work on honoring recipes that aren't yours. read more
2 years ago
For a place called Bao, I have pretty high expectations for their baos and they didn't disappoint! Each bao is $4.50 CAD, or you can get 3 for $12 or 4 for $15. They are decently sized with fluffy buns. I read some reviews prior to coming here and was apprehensive about the cashier, but they must have switched their staff because he was very helpful and even told me (without prompting) that the mushroom bao was spicy, which I really appreciated. I got the Taiwanese Classic, Mushroom, Pork Shoulder, and the Tonkatsu Chicken . All were good, but none really stood out to me. I would say the Pork Shoulder one was my favorite, followed by the Mushroom for a unique twist. The Tonkatsu had some ginger on top that was a harsh contrast to the rest of it, so I picked off some ginger on this one. The Taiwanese Classic was very standard, good but nothing much to say about it. The interior is decorated very nicely. read more
4 years ago
I researched this place and wanted to try it out. So glad that I got the opportunity to do so. The Bao buns were so soft and pillowy and the fillings were packed with so much flavor. My favorite was probably the Banh Mi meatball. One or two of those will definitely fill you up. The Tan Tan Men noodles were like nothing I've ever tasted, savory, salty, spicy, so many flavors happening in one bowl but yet they all blended so well together. The noodles were soft but had a good chew to them and the broth...I drank every last bit of it. read more
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More info about Bao
626 Fisgard Street
Victoria, BC V8W 1R6
Canada
Directions
(250) 590-8688
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8 reviews that are not currently recommended
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