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Inside Mekong plaza. Plenty of parking available It's a small restaurant with a few tables. The staff was super nice and friendly We got the spicy wontons and beef noodle soup. The spicy wontons were my favorite! There's also an app where you can collect points to redeem for free food!
Relatively satisified with my visit here. The chilli oil wontons were good but I think more sauce would've been better. The sheng jian bao I don't recommend. Typically sheng jian bao is so juicy that i'm scared to bite into it but upon biting into this one, I discovered that it was completely dry. The pork chive dumplings were well made and yummy. I think they ran out of dye so they weren't green but I don't really care about that.
Good spot in Mekong Plaza. Was sat right away and ordered the spicy wontons, Xiao Long Bao, and Chicken Sheng Jian Bao. The spicy is mild overall with a light chili spice on initial bite. It fades, so the dipping sauce was nice to have with it. The Xiao Long Bao were the winners of thee meal and would be why I go back. Easy to eat and tasty. I only wish the soup inside was a bit hotter. The Chicken Sheng Jian Bao was good, but the breading a little thicker than I personally like. This felt more like a dessert with the sesame bottom. Good taste, just heavy. Felt like we were rushed a bit and we're asked several times if we were done. There were empty tables, so that knocked it from the higher 3.5 side to the lower. Yelp is a flat star rating.
This place is seriously the best. I always come back! The staff is super friendly and helpful and the food is amazing. I don't think i've ever had a bad thing from here. The space is a little small and can be kinda stuffy if a lot of people are in it but I think that adds to the character.
This is an awesome spot to get happy with bao, soup dumplings, and more. This location is within Mekong Plaza, a little Mecca of Asian food in Mesa. It's a very small place so at busy times you may have to wait for a table. Yet, the wait is worth it. You can also order to go and order large larger quantities of their product, frozen to take with you and make it home. We come to this place as often as we can, even though we live quite a distance away.
We saw this place on Check Please and thought it looked great. The place was small and casual but nice. The service was very good. The food on the other hand was just fair. We ordered the Beef Chow Fun and Pork Sheng Jian Bow. The beef came first. The noodles were overcooked and the beef was fair but sparse. Especially $19. It could have used a bit more flavor as well. It was mostly oil and soy. It was tender and not fatty or stringy. The bao. They looked wonderful on the plate. The bao bread was actually the best part of the Bao. The meat filling was pretty bland and dry. Most good Bao while not juicy like a dumpling or soup dumpling are at least moist, tender and have a bit of juice. The value. $35 before tax and tip puts this very low on my value meter. Close to $45 all in could get 3 people a pretty good lunch special at most Chinese restaurants in town.
Had lunch here and it was about a 10 min wait to get in. There is an iPad at the front door to put your name on the wait list. Small footprint in the Mekong Plaza. Ordered the pork and chives dumplings, XLB, and Beef chow fun. Service was expedient and waters were already preset on the table. There was a QR code on the table that allowed you to order online or if you waited a few more minutes, server will come over and take your order. All of our food came fast... within about 10-15 min. Chow fun had the wok hay ( wok air that makes food taste good) and thick slices of velveted beef slices. Pork and chive dumpling and XLB were juicy and moist and delicious with the ginger black vinegar chili oil sauce. I really like the food here and staff moves fast. Great place for a quick lunch.
Take out review! I ordered via DoorDash though you can order in front of their shop on the iPad. I got the chicken dumplings and the braised pork rice. Chicken dumplings: Dry and chewy. Not good. Wouldn't recommend. Braised pork rice: The flavor was good and the pork was tender but wish they gave a little bigger portion of rice and meat. The other reason I give it 2 stars is because of the lack of care when it came to packaging the order. They included no utensils and no sauce for the dumplings. Not only that, they didn't wrap it tight so the sauce of the pork rice spilled all over the bag when I opened it up. Maybe you'll have a better dine in experience.
Honestly not sure what the hype is about this place. Overall the food was meh and that doesn't say much. We stopped in and placed an order to go so we could sit at the food court. They don't allow outside drinks and we had our boba teas with us. We tried their spicy chili dumplings, chicken xiao long bao and beef chow fun. The spicy chili dumplings were all spice and no flavor. The filling inside lacked any depth to it, all I tasted was pork. Definitely need to up their game and include some flavor in their meats. The chicken xiao long bao were decent soup dumplings. The chicken had more flavor and the broth was tasty. Definitely wasn't the best I have had, but not the worst. The beef chow fun was inedible. Not sure what they put in it or how it's cooked, but it had a weird smell to it. It was so off putting and I could smell it through the take out bag. Couldn't put my finger on the cause, but it ruined the dish. My wife also felt the beef was a cheap cut, you could tell from the texture.
Lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon. The place was very crowded, but everything moved quickly. We sat outside (which is a table inside the mall, but outside the restaurant itself). The menu has plenty of options from dumplings to bao to rice to veggies. We opted from a variety of place of bao, Chinese broccoli, and Honey ribs. All the dishes were really good! The bao are chewy on the top and crispy on the bottom. The honey ribs were delicious! Yes, they are small pieces of rib with bones, but the bones are easily removed. I actually dipped my bao dough in the remaining honey rib sauce. So good! The Chinese broccoli was a nice offset to the meat of the other dishes. There are a variety of sauces you can get on the veggies. Spicy garlic was very good. N*joy!
Happy Baos truly make me happy! They're my family's go-to for delicious baos and authentic Chinese food, and they've never let us down. Over the past few years, we've tried several different items and have enjoyed everything, but our favorites are XLB, vegetable shen jian bao, and Singapore rice noodle. The food is always super tasty and fresh. The portions are big enough to share, and the prices won't break the bank. They also have combo deals for two, four, or more people, which are a great deal if you're not too picky! Happy Baos is located inside Mekong Plaza near the food court. The space is cozy, but there's ample seating inside and outside of their space, but fills up quickly. They now have a device outside for placing to-go orders, making it more convenient to get your hands on their delicious baos!
First time. This restaurant was in a asian area of Mesa from what we saw. Inside was small. We got the Xiao Long Bao, Dan Dan, and House Fried Rice. Everything was very good. I will say the Xiao's dumpling peel was a bit too thin. But all flavors were yummy. Service was nice as well. Private lot in front
Haven't been here in awhile and decided to meet up with a friend for a late lunch. We order the Xia Long baos, beef chow fun and spicy wontons. We were immediately greeted by a nice gentleman. Then a friendly & professional lady brought our water and took our order. This has always been a small store front with a few tables just outside the store front. Everything was clean and we arrived just in time to get a table inside. Our food was prepared, cooked and seasoned well. I would definitely return.
8 months ago
3 years ago
Food was really good and flavorful. We tried the ribs that had such a great sauce. We had the soup dumplings so good and pork ramen with wontons. 3 of us split everything. Will be back for more. Service was great friendly and fast. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Stephanie C,…
3 years ago
We were lucky to be able to get a table when we arrived. Definitely the busiest restaurant inside Mekong Plaza. The decor is nothing to write home about but you are there for the food. Their xiao long Baos were delicious. I always love a good soup dumpling and there aren't many places in the valley to get them. Definitely worth the trek to get them. The chicken fried rice was tasty. The chicken and cabbage dumplings weren't my favorite but still good. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Desiree D,…
This has been on my list for a while, and I was so excited to go! The xiao long Baos were delicious! However the exterior was a bit sticky, causing it to stick to chopsticks, etc and ripping open. The other two dishes I had Roujiamo and beef rice were delicious!! The service was nice and quick. The only complaint I had was that it was a bit chilly, but you can easily bundle up if needed! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Angie C,…
2 years ago
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Matthew M.
Hello Joey,…
What a fun and friendly experience in a small and intimate space. It reminds you of the similarities of tasting their bao. It is a delicate steamed dumpling with pork, scallions and chicken broth on the inside. You are able to enjoy a small explosion of warmth and flavor as you eat one of these bao. Only those who have an expertise in using chopsticks can master the transportation of the broth filled bao from the steamer and dip them in the sauce of rice wine and soy sauce and garlic in the spoon. It is an extremely self gratifying and personally rewarding experience if you can do it. But don't worry if you can't do it because they taste delicious no matter how you eat them. The Beef Chow Fun is reminiscent of Pad Kee Mao or aka Drunken noodles from those more familiar with Thai dishes. However, I assume the Thai dishes originated from the Chinese cuisine. The wide noodles were cooked without being overly clumped together and the onions were flavorful and delicious. while it is not excessively filled with beef, the pieces the dish contained were soft and tender. there were no other vegetables to interrupt the subtle flavors and to kick it up a notch, the traditional red chili oil was brought out and made available. I also had to try the Dan Dan noodles which is a Sichuan dish and familiar on most good menus. They did not disappoint and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of compressed volume in the bowl. These noodles are shaped like what one would think of as traditional Ramen noodles but are much longer and consistent in their chewy texture. they are garnish with cuts of cucumber, cilantro, green onions and peanuts. It might be beneficial to order another plate either to share or to be able to mix your ingredients. The prices are fair and the food is both culturally appropriate and delicious. If you have not tried Happy Bao I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this restaurant read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Wayne C,…
Happy is an understatement! I'm happy I found you. I'm happy to find good dumplings! I'm happy that I tried this place out! Ok...coming from Seattle I had low expectations. But this place is good! I love XLB and can eat my weight of those soupy little gems! We also got the combo dumpling plate and the Dan Dan bowl to go. Dumpling were awesome. Have to say I didn't love the ones with cabbage... but I suffered through! I didn't love the Dan Dan bowl either. It was little spicier than I was expecting and was expecting a little thicker noodle. But if you go to a place with Bao in the name and you eat dumplings! Don't branch out! These dumpling are all homemade like they should be! And guess what...their perfect! If you are what you eat...ThNk you...I'm one big ole Happy Bao! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Dave M,…
Soup dumplings to DIE for! This is the 4th time we've been here since we found in a couple months ago. The chicken soup dumplings with the sauce and chili is the best bite in here. The chicken fried rice was also the best fried rice I've ever had. Perfect amount of salt and seasoning, and the chicken wasn't dry. The service is good and it's just a small shop in the Chinese cultural center. This place has so many more good places in it... go visit! read more
I don't even care about the baos. I'm sure there are plenty of reviews about those. I want to focus on the spicy beef noodle soup that I ordered. It was so delicious!!! I tried the dumplings and other items but, wow, the entree was so delicious! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Nick C,…
Our go to place in the valley to eat baos and dumplings! Located inside an Asian marketplace, this place serves a great variety of dumplings/baos/noodles,fried rice etc.,The service is fast, the wait time is long during weekends! Pls expect to wait but trust me the food is all worth it! Nothing fancy about the ambiance, it's a small dumpling restaurant with limited seating offering great mouthwatering dishes! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Unisha M,…
Pretty tasty!! Located in Mekong Plaza at the corner next to Mekong Palace (dimsum place). Plenty of dumplings to choose from, whether boiled (shui jiao), as well as pan-fried, and soup dumplings. Large selection of noodle dishes as well, Between 3 people, we ordered the dumpling combo (#7), soup dumplings (#8), beef noodle soup (#14), and dan dan noodles (#19) - had a few normal dumplings leftover and were quite stuffed. The dumplings were tasty, and had a very chewy exterior (which is desirable); fillings were tasty as well. The soup dumplings were good, but on the pricier side @ $11/8pcs - they tasted good but you can find comparable ones for lss at other places. The beef noodle soup and dan dan noodles were both tasty as well, the second of which packed a numbingly spicy punch. The guy working was nice, checking to make sure we enjoyed the food, and told us when last call for orders was. He also let us try these chocolate-filled bao he was testing for desert buns! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Gina L,…
4 years ago
Drove from Glendale to Mesa just to try this place! What a treat for me and the kiddos! We had a wonderful server who gave us great recommendations! This place is inside the Mekong Plaza! Just be prepared for the pandemonium in the parking lot! We tried the xio long bao, dumplings combination sampler, house fried rice and sheng jio bao (hope I remembered this correctly! Will definitely go back! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Kimberly H,…
Located in Mekong Plaza, great little Bao restaurant. We got the spicy and regular beef noodle soups, the pork baos, and chili dumplings. The winners for me were the pork baos w/their crispy sesame bottoms and soft fluffy bread outer layer. Chili sauce was yum. We had to take it to go and ate in the food court, because AZFoodie was filming there that day. Didn't get to try the soup dumplings, but they looked good from other peoples' posts. I'll be back to try it. We also got their custard buns, but the texture of the custard wasn't the greatest, not smooth, and just ok. I'd go to dim sum and get those fresh instead. All in all a great stop. Wish I had a bigger stomach to try more Bao types. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Kimi S,…
1 year ago
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Karla L.
Dear Dawson,…
8 months ago
Came here Sunday to satisfy out soup dumpling (xiao long bao) cravings. Usually we just get the regular pork xiao long baos but this time we tried the seafood ones too. They were hands down my favorite! The flavor was amazing and just mouth watering good! I will say that the only downside to this restaurant is that it is always packed. If your planning on coming on the weekend just be prepared to wait. The location isn't huge and I hope they eventually expand to a larger location! Other than that the food is amazing and definitely worth trying and coming back for! read more
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Hannah D,…
I came in for lunch, and I was told it was going to be an 1 hr but 30 minutes for carryout, so I did the carryout option. Another yelper recommended this spot for their dumplings, and I have to say I wasn't so impressed with the dumplings. Maybe it would have been better with the dine in option. What I really liked was the spicy beef noodles soup. It was probably not a smart option ordering that in this 110-degree weather, but it was worth it. The broth was really flavorful and spicy, I was sweating while eating my meal. The beef was really tender and well seasoned. I will definitely go back for the spicy beef noodles soup. I will try to give the dumplings another try when I dine. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Maria A,…
1 year ago
Business owner information
Karla L.
Dear Erynn,…
2 years ago
Great find in an Asian mall. We had the steamed soup dumplings which were very yummy. Lots of soup inside each dumpling. We also had the beef chow fun which was ahmazing! It was made with freshly made noodles and the beef was tender and flavorful. We also had the vegetable noodle soup. It was a huge bowl, enough for 3-4 people and it was delish. Everything was hot and fresh. We will definitely be back. read more
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Angie,…
I'd been wanting to try this place out ever since my friends recommended it to me a few years ago but never had the chance to until recently. This isn't due to a lack of trying, it's just that whenever I pop into Mekong Plaza when I'm in the area, they're always packed! Which is a great thing to see. After looking over the menu, we decided to order the spicy potato wires, spicy chili wontons, xiao long bao, dan dan noodles, and choy sum with garlic soy sauce. The potato wires had the perfect balance between spice and sourness. Not lacking or overpowering in either aspect. You know it's good when you have that mild tingling feeling on your lips afterwards. The spicy chili wontons were okay, just standard. The wontons were good, nicely packed with meat and filling, the chili however, was lighter than we thought it'd be. Just wished there was a bit more kick to it. The xiao long bao, were good, a classic standard one can rarely go wrong with. The dan dan noodles on the other hand were not like the kind we were imagining. We thought the noodles would have been a little thicker and we also thought that they would be a bit spicier, but the dish was still enjoyable, nonetheless. What was probably the most surprising for us about the choy sum was that it was packed with lots of garlic and flavor. Usually, this dish runs on the blander side at other places we've ordered this at. Service was fast, friendly, and attentive. Food portions are adequate - generous for the prices. Not much for ambiance, but no need for that in a place like this. Just straight to the point great food. Will definitely be back to try out some of the noodle soups in the future! read more
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Elsie M,…
While there was a wait to be seated, we were able to walk around the plaza and enjoy our pre dinner time. After being seated service was super fast. The soup dumplings were like pockets of warm broth with a both soft and chewy skin. I actually preferred them without the sauce provided, since the vinegar obscured the delicate flavor and was not needed! The hor fun was also chewy and delicious. The only bad thing about this meal is that we didn't get to try more dishes. Can't wait to come back to try the Dan Dan noodles and other types of baos read more
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Renata L,…
Absolutely LOVE this place! It's a bit of a drive for me now so it's an extra special treat when I can come here! I want to mention it's a very small restaurant inside of Mekong, with pretty tight seating. If you come at a busy day/time, there's a good chance you'll have to wait. But the wait is worth it in my opinion! You can try many different baos & dumplings, as well as appetizers, noodles, rice, etc! There's even a cool history about baos & dumplings displayed on their walls! The service is always kind & efficient! I recommend coming with a big appetite! read more
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Hannah C,…
2 years ago
Business owner information
Matthew M.
Hello Donna,…
3 years ago
We didn't dine in because the waiting time was 30 minutes. Suggest you reserve a table. Inside was so tiny and crowded. It could be cleaner. The food was all good. It was so fresh and hot. It would be good if more flavors were added. Chicken Sheng Jian Bao had golden and crispy skin. Xiao Long Bao was the BEST in that it had soup inside, but the skin could be thinner. Spicy Chili Wontons was normal. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Connie M,…
2 years ago
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Karla L.
Dear Shelby,…
1 year ago
The Dan Dan Noodles are a must order. The Bao buns and spicy wontons as well. Lots of great options on tbe menu. read more
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Karla L.
Dear Lee,…
The best dumpling in town! These are handmade right on the spot. The Signature has three different proteins (pork, egg and shrimp) mixed with chive to create a delicious taste. The skin is hand rolled to generate great biting texture. Cucumber salad is decent and the Roujamo with toasted bun was okay. They needs to have unique dumpling dipping sauce to make this a best seller. The photo they showed in the store LCD screen has two hot sauces, but I only found soy sauce and black vinegar on the table. Still, I love the dumplings even without any dipping sauce. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Philip Y,…
3 years ago
Not quite what reels or tiktok was saying that it was good. Food is OK not the best I've ever had anywhere else. Very pricey with the food portion and for me bland. Service our server didn't smile the entire time and when we ask questions it's like we need to pay for her answers. The place we end up eating outside their restaurant. We waited for 20 minutes and we landed just like outside their door. Not impress at all and never coming back. Wasted $123 for all 3 of us. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello J W,…
Really good food items. The dumplings are delicious, the baos are good too. Not the best I ever had but out here in Arizona they are excellent. They need more employees, they have stupid long wait times and a bunch of tables will be open , they don't clean the tables fast enough, so you have to wait way longer to sit. The vibe is cool tho, very home style food and feelings. I like everything in general just need to work on the wait times. Vibe: 4 Food: 4.2 Service: 3.9 Overall: 4 out of 5 read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Jesse M,…
10 months ago
1 year ago
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Karla L.
Dear Jocelyn,…
5 years ago
FINALLY found a really good Chinese restaurant in the greater Phoenix area! The xiao lon bao were outstanding, with a light thin skin even better than the ones the global Din Tai Fung restaurants boast about. The Shin Jin Bao were better than what we found in Shanghai: thin skin, perfect,y seared, coated with a robust layer of sesame seeds, with plenty of filling (especially liked the vegetarian version). The combination plate allowed us to sample two each of pork, chicken and vegetarian. Even the shrimp fried rice was superior, lavishly populated with shrimp and fried so slightly crisped as it should be. The only improvement to suggest is to include some slivers of ginger with the xiao lon bao, to accompany the black vinegar dipping sauce which was included. Friendly though rushed staff, open late even on Xmas eve. We will be back! read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Jay S,…
2 years ago
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Karla L.
Dear Kyle,…
Yummy! The food was delicious. The Xiao Long Bao could've been just a tad bit hotter in temperature but nonetheless, it was good. I really digged the noodles, a little drizzle of soy sauce put the dish together. Make sure to give their dessert baos a try, we had an order of their red bean baos, was looking forward to their custard baos but they were out... I'll be back!! If you're planning on visiting during the weekend, please plan ahead, the place was packed! It was about a 30 minute wait but check out the little cute gift shop across, it'll kill you some time before you're called to be seated. read more
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Matthew M.
Hello Cindy T,…
2 years ago
Business owner information
Karla L.
Dear Ashley,…
More info about Happy Bao's
66 S Dobson Rd
Ste 112
Mesa, AZ 85202
Directions
(480) 912-1207
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http://www.happybaos.com
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Ask the Community - Happy Bao's
Do they do pan fried dumplings?
Do you cook with msg?
Hi Hailey, We don't cook with MSG. We hope to see you soon!
Do you hand pull fresh noodles there?
Yes we have fresh egg noodles made daily.
Do you make baio without pork?
Yes we have chicken Sheng Jian bao and vegetable Sheng Jian bao.
Are you able to make the dumplings without egg, something like a vegetable dumpling?
Hello, sorry we do not have a vegetable dumpling as of right now.
Random question but can you order dandan over rice instead of over noodles? I love the sauce but prefer it with rice
Yes! You can! Just let the servers know. We don’t recommend it but if you prefer it that way we can do it.
Can any of the rice noodle dishes be made gluten free or without soy sauce?
Hello! Yes we can make the rice noodle dishes with gluten and soy sauce. We hope to see you soon!
Do you have any vegan options?
Yes, we do have some vegan options. The liang pi, vegetable chow fen, vegetable rice noodle soup, and you can order the vegetable fried rice and stir fry rice noodle without the egg as well.
Do you serve beer and wine?
Sorry we do not serve beer and wine but we do have a BYOB license so you are welcome to bring your own.
Do they have pescatarian dumpling and bao option?
Hello, we do not have a pescatarian dumpling and bao option. We have a seafood bao that also contains pork mixed with crab inside. Sorry, we will look into adding some in the future.
Do they veggie dumpling and bao options? The veggie bao has chicken broth per the menu
Hello, We have a veggie dumpling that has green chives and eggs inside. As for the bao, we do offer…
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