Omg where do I begin??! Hands down one of my favorites restaurants in Santa Barbara. I got the Sangria cocktail which was so fruity and delicious! Then I also ordered the KFC and the pork belly bao, both had a delicious flavor and balance of savory and sweet. We also ordered the cucumber peach salad, which was delicious with pieces of Basil in it. So fresh! We got the crab rangoon, and I believe the scallop and prawn dumplings. All had such a lovely flavor and we're just so good. You can't go wrong here with anything you order! Great service and great food. read more

Secret Bao - Cucumber Salad - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Secret Bao was an okay experience overall. The food was decent, but nothing really stood out enough to make me want to come back specifically for it. We tried the garlic noodles, spicy beef noodles, popcorn chicken, and corn dumplings. The garlic noodles were creamy and the spicy noodles had good flavor, but the dishes overall felt a bit underwhelming. The popcorn chicken was soggy (but probably cause I had it to go), though it wasn't particularly memorable, and the corn dumpling were fine but didn't leave a lasting impression. The service was friendly and our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, which we appreciated. The restaurant had a relaxed, casual atmosphere that made it a comfortable place to grab a meal, but was super packed for a weekday. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but it also wasn't anything special. I might give it another try in the future and order some of their more popular items before making a final judgment. read more

Secret Bao - Orange orange glazed popcorn chicken Corn dumplings Udon Carbonara Beef bulgogi Beef Chow Fun - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Solid spot with great asian fusion food. The baos are really quite tasty, but not as tasty as some of the even more unique dishes. The Scallops on a half shell are probably the best dish, the dumplings are fantastic, the fried rice is very good, and the crab hand rolls are absolutely amazing! Service was kind and efficient, drinks were good, but would love some more options, and the vibes were on point for this spot. Glad it's there, and hope to see it continue to thrive. read more

Secret Bao - crab hand roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We've had our hearts set on baos because it was late and we wanted to eat something light and filling that carried flavor punch! We braved the long wait, no less on a Friday night and happily sat outdoors under the twinkly lights. The place was crowded but service was friendly and fast with a dollop of great menu recommendations. I asked what's so secret about the bao, and Yumm, the secret was revealed. I've tried many baos, and this one was a bit sweet and the dough did not stick on the roof of your mouth. That alone carries a star for me. I wanted to eat 10 of those KFC & pork belly baos but I do not want to over indulge since we ordered other entrees. I'm not a desert person but a sticky date is hard to dismiss especially with vanilla ice cream and coffee. Now that the secret is out, we will be trying other specialties when we return for another adventure in Santa Barbara. read more

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Great customer service, friendly staff. Drinks came out quick & food as well. Love happy hour menu & menu size. Ordered the tempura bao & crab rice & dragon popcorn chicken, wish the chicken was more crispy though. Not so bad of a place. read more

Secret Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Food: we had shrimp bao and fried rice for light lunch. The bao was delicious. Crispy shrimp and creamy sauce, nicely done. Fried rice was a disaster. Very salty and oily, but the aroma is still good. I'd not come back for it though. Service: they only let you order it at the counter. Somewhat lacking service, and they don't take order from the table. read more

Secret Bao - Shrimp bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Been eager to try this place out for maybe a year or more after hearing such great things!! Finally came on a date tonight, we came hungry and I couldn't help but leave feeling disappointed (and still hungry). Portions for the price are very small and I can respect that at a certain kind of restaurant, but I just wasn't necessarily blown away by any of the food. Also, the inside felt very cramped and chaotic and like I couldn't have a conversation at my table because the people next to us were so close. The prawn and scallop dumplings were my favorite but again, nothing outstanding or worth the $20. The scallops were the size of the slice of the small cucumber you can hardly even see them in the photo lol. The server was very kind. We just had to get their attention multiple times to order and for the check. We were going to order more dishes but saw the sizes and decided to save our money and get slices of pizza down the street instead. Bummer! read more

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Absolutely amazing from start to finish!! Hostess (Wednesday night ) was very welcoming and even though we were a late Reservation. Our server RJ made fantastic suggestions and his service was stunning. I will suggest this spot a hundred times over and we'll be back soon!! read more

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My second time here my boyfriend's first. We LOVED it. Will definitely come back and try new things. My favorite was the pear salad and my boyfriend's favorite was the bao. Everything was delicious though and shout out to RJ for the best service. Thank you read more

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3.8 Goated food is amazing Didn't know Santa Barbara had that dawg in them Mango bingsu was lowkey a let down but cauliflower was buss read more

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Absolutely loved Secret Bao! We were seated outside in the patio because we brought our fur baby and it was perfect with the lights and weather. The waiter was awesome and asked if he can bring our dog some treats and water (great customer service). The food was delicious and you can't go wrong with anything on this menu. The Taiwanese Popcorn chicken was fried to perfection and the Avocado Pear salad gave your taste buds a ride. All the food was delicious, but the Sticky Date Cake with vanilla ice cream was perfect and a must order. Definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Secret Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I saw a lot of talk about Secret Bao on tiktok because we were going to Santa Barbara for a day trip, and I wanted to make the most of it. I heard so many good things about this place and I wanted to give it a try! To cut it short, it was okay. Definitely didn't think that it was worth the extreme hype it was getting especially because I only really loved 2 items. Now onto the details, the chili dumplings were delish, but weren't hot when they came out to us and not even warm, so I'm not sure if that's how they're supposed to be served? The baos. Pork belly bao was good, however, it was nothing to go crazy over though. The shrimp bao was my favorite thing we ordered out of everything! I could've ordered more of these and I wish I did! The KFC was definitely a HUGE MISS. The red sauce was wayyy too overpowering that you couldn't even taste anything else. We could've gone without it 100%. My Mom just ended up eating the bun. The garlic noodles were very salty, but we did mix some of the chili sauce from the dumplings on top and it definitely made the dish better. But we shouldn't even have to mix anything, especially from a different dish, to make it better. The pork belly fried rice was good and portions were a lot too, however, it would've been nice to know it was spicy and kimchi heavy. My mom isn't a big fan of spicy so we would've skipped on it if we knew that. Also, the $19 price point was kinda wild. Like I said, Secret Bao was okay. I would go back and just get the Shrimp Bao and chili dumplings and maybe try other stuff on the menu if we spent more than a day in SB. 3 stars since we did like a couple of the menu items but it's a maybe on recommending it to other people. read more

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The food is absolutely amazing! Every BITE IS HEAVENLY! I could come here everyday! Make sure you try to get a reservation if you really want to eat here, we didn't have one but got lucky enough to get a table! The service is amazing from the lovely host to our waiter (the one with pink and black hair) you're absolutely lovely! Ambiance is so cozy and cute! Love love love! read more

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Secret Bao is a a good modern asian fusion restaurant. You have to order and pay for food prior to seating. The food is delicious; the pork belly bao was very tasty; the pork belly was tender. It was priced on the higher end- $8 for one bao. The pork belly fried rice ($19) was seasoned well and had some crunch. The kimchi elevated the flavor as well. It was a decent size. However, the pork pieces were very small and disappointingly, there were not much in the fried rice. Overall tasty but priced on the higher end compared to what you are getting 3.5/5 read more

Secret Bao - Pork Belly Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Found this place via TikTok. Honestly, a little underwhelming. The food was okay. Pretty good, but not good enough to justify the prices. The baos are sold individually, meaning each bao is like $8. Place should definitely be rated $$$ instead if you want to feel anywhere close to full. Tried the pork belly bao, fried chicken bao, cauliflower, and dumplings. Fried chicken and cauliflower were standout. Pork belly was not cooked long enough, so the fat stayed solid on the bao, which was a little unappealing. There is garage parking very close by. First 75 minutes free, which is nice. read more

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First time in Santa Barbara! My cousin wanted her dinner celebration here, and I am glad she picked this spot. I highly recommend the pork belly bao and beef bulgogi chow fun. Some people in my party ordered the udon carbonara, which was also a hit! read more

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A must try! Close to the SB Art Museum and The historic court house & clock tower. Ever since i saw this on DDD a few years ago i've need to try! We loved this place! The dough in the folded "taco" style Bao was so sweet and fluffy! Fantastic, don't ever change this! The Spicy Soy Pork Dumplings were out favorite! Unbelievable! A must stop in every time I'm in SB! read more

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Went for an early dinner and was able to take advantage of HH prices. Had never been here before and was concerned about the flaw of most "fusion" restaurants - the same three sweet gloppy sauces on every dish. Not the case here. Everything we tried was seasoned well, balanced, nuanced and delicious. Every dish was unique. I tried the cucumber salad, brussels sprouts, kalbi, half of a pork belly bau and two kinds of dumplings. Everything tasted quite different and all was delicious. Notably, it all got along well in my stomach. Service was friendly and attentive, thankfully coursed (so we weren't deluged with everything at once). Completely enjoyable. read more

This place is truly a gem in Santa Barbara. Not only is the Asian-fusion food amazingly delicious, but service is top notch friendly. It's hard to get fusion style foods to taste good, but Secret Bao has done it. They do have 2 separate menus (lunch menu & dinner menu) with menu items changing with the seasons. The drink menu consists of wines, sake/soju, beer, cocktails & mocktails. The place gets packed quick, so best to make reservations. 1. Avocado & Korean Pear Salad (5/5) Everything about this salad was super fresh and bursting with flavor. The sesame vinaigrette dressing was nutty & umami, which gave the dish an extremely pleasant aromatic flavor. This is essentially a lettuce-free salad dish that is mainly consistent of their super refreshing, crunchy, Korean pear mixed with creamy Haas avocado then topped with toasted pepitas seeds, kizami nori - furikake seaweed flakes and chives. Everything came together very well. 2. Hamachi Wonton Tacos (5/5) Never had tacos like this before - it's definitely an Asian spin on it where the taco shell has the consistency of fried wonton instead of corn/flour. It is stuffed with fresh Japanese yellowtail and topped with diced granny smith apples, cucumber, red cabbage slaw, which added a refreshing crunch with each bite. The secret chili sauce was mild in heat & the avocado puree added a bit of creaminess. It reminded me of eating a sushi roll. These were sure a satisfying, bite-sized, appetizers 3. Peruvian Scallops (5/5) I am not a seafood type of person and usually stay away from shellfish dishes as they tend to taste like the sea. However, this dish has proved me wrong. The scallops were super fresh (no seafood taste at all) and they just melt in your mouth like butter. Pair it with their citrusy yuzu vinaigrette sauce, massage and chives, it was like a flavor bomb with each bite. I especially liked that they topped it off with some fresh crunchy cucumber and bursting roe. 4. KFC Bao (4/5) $8/bao is kind of a steep price, but I think it is worth a one-time try. The bao was super fluffy and steamed to perfection. Then it is packed with a large piece of Korean fried chicken that is glazed in this dark umami-sweet (hoisin?) sauce and topped off with slaw, scallions and pickled red onions. It's definitely a flavor punch. A bit messy to eat. Best to split half with another person so you don't get too full off of this 5. Pork Belly Bao (5/5) Now this is the bao I would get again. That pork belly was just "melt in you mouth." The hoisin glaze with Kewpie mayo was the perfect dressing to balance out the fattiness of the pork. 6. Kung Pao Cauliflower (5/5) Cauliflower sautéed with charred red onion, shishito peppers, Japanese fried chilis, roasted cashew topped with kung pao sauce that gives it a sweet, yet tangy and very mildly spice. Healthy, yet satisfying. This is veggies done right ;) 7. Soy Chili Dumpling (4/5) The name was a bit misleading to me as I thought it would be the traditional steamed wonton/dumplings topped with chili oil sauce, but their version is actually 4 large "fried" dumplings that's filled with pork mixed with Korean glass noodles topped with cabbage, garlic chives, cilantro, shaved radish, fried shallots and dressed with the chili oil. The wonton shell was super crunchy and it reminded me of eating those Chinese fried cheese wonton. It was not spicy at all. I think the garlic-soy flavor overpowered the chili oil. 8. Duck Spring Roll (5/5) Wow, this has got to be some of the best duck dishes I've had. The duck was crispy, fatty, juicy and paired very well with the caramelized onions, garlic, sweet chili - hoisin sauce. Despite it being fatty, it actually didn't make us feel sickly heavy afterwards. Very well done; highly recommend trying this 9. Eggplant Fried Wonton (4/5) A very crispy wonton that's filled with eggplant, which naturally has that mushy consistency. It is topped with a spicy sauce and dressed with seaweed and white sesame that does give it a nice flavor combo We will definitely be back to try out more items and the lunch menu!!! read more

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What can I say other than culinary perfection? It's where street food meets casual dining but with masterfully crafted menu items that will make your taste buds pop! The KFC Bao was exceptional. Crunchy, tangy, sweet, fresh and savory. A delightful dish that had me wanting a second one. The Dolsot Bokkeumbap was also delicious, savory and a bit in the heavy side, it could use something fresh, acidic or sweet to brighten up the dish. The staff was very friendly and recommended the Bao, so they know what is good on the menu. I was sat outside where they have a beautiful little patio with heaters and comfortable seating. Overall this place is a must try! read more

Secret Bao - K.F.C Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Overall the food was very delicious. I would recommend the Bao (both the KFC and pork belly were very good). The sweet potato dumplings are fried and had a very unique twist for Asian fusion and would recommend. The kalbi was very mediocre, but it was fun for sharing. Day cake was delicious. I would highly recommend since it came out and was very warm. The bingsu was mostly frozen and was not finally shaved in terms of milk ice and the Nutella pairing with it did not go very well. We had a fantastic server (Cathy) who took our orders and was very friendly. The front staff was quite rude when we followed up what the wait time was (might have been because it was busy, but hope that it's a 1x thing and not a pattern). Otherwise, vibes we're very good and I can see why this is a popular spot. read more

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Came with the family to celebrate my dad's birthday after seeing a handful of people online mention Secret Bao. We arrived as they were opening for dinner service and the line moved very quickly (we had a reservation just in case). The service was exceptional - we asked to be seated in the corner since our dog can get excited and they moved a couple tables to make it work. All the servers were super friendly and we felt very attended to the whole meal :) Patio seating was nice and cozy (they have heaters to ward off the cold). We ordered soy chili dumplings, lobster garlic noodles, kungpao cauliflower, curry noodles, brussel sprouts, chicken xiao long bao (plus a beef tomato pasta dish and two chocolate lava cakes with strawberry and matcha ice cream which were on a separate limited time menu). The food was overall good but I felt like most of the dishes lacked depth in their flavor that I'm used to in Asian cuisine and a few of them were a bit salty for my taste. The amount of food we ordered was perfect for 5 adults. They gave my dad a mochi ice cream on the house with a candle for his birthday. read more

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I'm a vegetarian so I had to pick from the limited options they had. Got the Kungpao cauliflower: 4/5 very delicious! I'd have liked it more if it was crispier. The fried cashews added a great flavor to it. Veggie Yellow Curry Noodles: 3/5 good combination of bok choy, bean sprouts, shitake mushrooms and coconut milk gravy. But it lacked spice and kick. My friend got the pork belly bao and said it was delicious. The spicy fried rice was awesome too. I wish they had more vegetarian options. The ones they do have aren't extraordinary. Lovely service and very cute ambience. Slightly on the pricier side. Parking in public lots nearby. read more

Secret Bao - Kungpao Cauliflower - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Food was incredible Service was great Ambiance is amazing I would definitely go out of my way to come back here. Everything HIT read more

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Delicious, flavorful, beautiful presentation! We don't have a reservation but they put us on the text waitlist so we could walk around. Friendly and helpful hosted and waitress-her recs were delicious. We shared the cucumber salad, kfc bio, pork belly bao and chow fun beef bulgogi. The bao came sliced in half -perfect to share.Excellent meal, close to parking garage, beautiful restaurant. read more

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Food: 4.5 We got Kung pao cauliflower: 4 Flavor was really good and love the crunch of the peanuts but just a bit too salty. Chili crunch dumplings: 5 I love my dumplings and this is up there!! This was probably our favorite item. Would've gotten 2 orders looking back. Curry noodles w/ crab: 5 Amazing flavor. Loved the noodle texture. More soupy. Crab was a nice addition, a decent portion. Not shredded or small chunks but also not the most supple crab pieces either. But was happy that we added! Service: 10/5!!! Kathleen was amazing. So so nice. We originally had a different order but we kept going back and forth on items. Kathleen was not only helpful in helping us decide but came back to our table right before they started cooking and asked if we wanted to change our order only because the curry might give more contrast to our other items. I thought that was just so incredibly kind and really showed how she was invested in our experience. This is why I really wanted to write this review! Ambiance 5/5: Open kitchen is really nice and like that they had outdoor area. Garage parking next door too that wasn't too pricy. Overalls cute decor and clean space. read more

Secret Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was great. Service was also top notch. The yellow tail dish was amazing!!

Amanda Loves Secret Bao Santa Barbara's Asian inspired Fusion restaurant. As we approached the restaurant at 450pm there was a line of people waiting we walked around to Paradise Found for a spot of warm tea . We proceeded to the restaurant and were seated. As we checked out the menu we ordered cocktails. The servers were Amazing helpful, kind, and patient as I had questions. Amanda knew the menu well having been there recently. Amy arrived and we were in full swing for our evening to celebrate my impending Birthday. Amy C and I met the day before with Mickey A for a Yelp Elites event. Check out my reviews. So I believe that counts as a Impending Birthday celebration event. All the food was amazing my favorites were the Dumplings and the KFC Chicken tacos. There are a couple things I'll try next time. As we sat near the front door it was was exciting to see the energy of people coming and going. The place looked and felt Amazing. Thanks for a wonderful experience at Secret Bao Ronnie S read more

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The place is clean and modern. There are many options in the menu to order from. We ordered short rib, salmon bentos, Asian salad etc. All came out nicely presented and delicious. The service was great also, the server will constantly check on us and actually acted away when they found out one of our orders was missing. I would highly recommend this place. read more

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Wowowow this place was great! Amazing ambiance, beautiful restaurant with cushy seats. Make sure to get a reservation! They fill up quick. Great customer service. Our waiter was kind, funny, and efficient. She made me feel great even after making a mess with devouring all of the food. We went during happy hour, so we got the smashed cucumber salad, which was simple cucumber with herbs and dressing. It was nice and refreshing. The smashing gave the cucumber a great crunch and lots of crevices for the delicious sauce to get stuck in. Also on the happy hour menu, we ordered the crispy shrimp and scallop dumplings. These were perfectly cooked, crunchy outside, soft and chewy inside. They were obviously fishy, which I loved, and paired well with the creamy sauce. That sauce was so delicious, I could have just drank the whole thing. We then ate the bluefin tuna crispy rice, this was truly phenomenal. A remake of the famous Nobu dish, it is made of crispy squares of rice, topped with raw tuna of outstanding quality, and a single sliver of jalapeño. The quality on this dish truly spoke for itself. Again, I could have eaten many. Then we had the pork belly and KFC baos. My personal favorite was the pork belly, which was soft and juicy, topped with a sweet sauce and crunchy bread and butter pickles. These bao buns were plush and moist. The KFC was also delicious, with a crunchy piece of Korean fried chicken, coleslaw, and a creamy sauce. Finally for the savory food, we had the curry noodles. For some reason, I was expecting more of a traditional pasta with a curry flavoring. Instead, this was a full on noodle curry soup- a questionable choice in the 93 degree heat. I found it a little on the sweet side for my taste, but it was very flavorful, with spices and coconut coming through. I appreciated the wavy noodles and pieces of vegetables to add some crunch and substance. For dessert, we had the Sticky Mango Rice Bingsu. So yummy! It was shaved milk ice, topped with a mango syrup that had cooked chunks of mango upon a spread of creamy coconut sticky rice, and topped with crispy coconut and- upon our request -vanilla ice cream. I loved the textural aspect of this dish, the cool shaved ice, chewy rice, syrupy mangoes, crunchy coconuts and creamy ice cream. It was gone in an instant. Though this meal was on the pricier side, the quality of food made it entirely worth it! read more

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1/5 -- Customer Service Review Only Food remains top-notch, but service has become too frustrating to ignore. I want to start by saying that I love the food at Secret Bao. I've had some of the best Asian meals in Santa Barbara here, and I've been a loyal customer for some time now. This review is not about the food--it's about the increasingly disappointing customer service that's finally reached a breaking point. Over the past few visits, the service has been hit or miss. But during my most recent experience, things went completely off the rails. I arrived as a walk-in with a party of six around 3 PM. The restaurant was mostly empty. Still, I was met with hesitation from the hostess, as if accommodating a group our size was somehow a burden. While I waited for her to "check availability," I noticed several tables inside and outside that could easily accommodate six people--including one indoor table and one outdoor table already set for six, and multiple four-tops that could be combined. Then things got worse: A second hostess came to the front, completely ignored me, and seated a solo diner after me at the large six-person table I had just seen available. When the original hostess returned, she told me the wait would be two hours for a party of six. I was stunned. I asked why that solo guest had just been seated at the table we clearly could've used. Her response? "That's the communal table," and she couldn't locate a manager to approve using it for our group. At that point, I left--embarrassed and frustrated--with my kids and visiting family. We went to another restaurant. The entire situation felt like a complete lack of care and effort from the front-of-house staff. It genuinely pains me to write this because the food at Secret Bao is exceptional. But I won't be returning. Great food can't make up for feeling unwelcome or like an afterthought. The service needs to match the caliber of the kitchen--or at least make an honest effort to try. read more

Great dining experience. Got there a bit early and they seated us right away. PINK PERUVIAN SCALLOPS 2/5* - the rave reviews convinced us to order this one, and while fresh, there was nearly 0 flavor. It felt like something must have been missing. The scallops were also very small. Overpriced, disappointing, and not distinctive. KFC + PORK BELLY BAO 4/5* - Yummmm. The pork belly was delish, and the fried chicken was a textural, tasty bite. They split them in half if you want which was nice. They were a little hard to eat and keep in the bun, and the pork belly could've used a little texture. SOY CHILI DUMPLINGS 5/5* - love the toppings, the sauce, the ratio of the ingredients. Real winner KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER 5/5* - this sauce was the bomb dot com. Maybe a little salty but I didn't care. The mix of shishito peppers, nuts, sauce was everything. CURRY NOODLES 5/5* - we saw the mixed reviews about potentially watery sauce but took the chance cause we wanted some noodles, and we were so pleasantly surprised! The broth was masterful, the mushrooms weren't overwhelming, and the portion was really big for the price compared to our other dishes. Noodles were cooked well. Highly recommend if you're looking for a hearty addition to your smaller plates. My partner enjoyed his IPA (served in a cold glass!), and my tropical mocktail with lychee was refreshing and delicious. Service was attentive but not overbearing. Yes yes yes! read more

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Honestly one of the cleanest inspiring eating experiences I've had recently. Secret Bao is where the cook, ingredients and cooking come together to produce fresh and tasty dishes. I love the simplicity and flavors that this place produces. Start with the Chinese salad, add the cauliflower with its sweet spicy sauce, and the sweet potato dumplings. How is this for a lineup dear readers?! You certainly can't make a wrong decision here. Enjoy! read more

Secret Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We were recommended Secret Bao by a server from Loquita. Overall we had a great dinner here though were not blown away. KFC bao: 8/10. Very yummy! Chicken could've been more tender IMO. Pork belly bao: 8/10. The pork belly was tender and was complemented well by the cucumber. Honey walnut shrimp: 9/10. This was incredible. It came with 4 large shrimps as well as fried broccoli. The batter on the shrimp was crispy and light and didn't compromise the tenderness of the shrimp! Kung Pao Cauliflower: 5/10. This was a miss for us. While the cauliflower was well-cooked, I didn't really like the flavors in this dish. It was too salty and also just tasted odd to me. Udon carbonara: 7/10. The udon was perfectly chewy. I thought the flavor of the sauce was great, but it was a bit watery. Date cake: 12/10. You should've seen my boyfriend's face when he tried this lol. This was by far our favorite dish of the night!! The cake was warm, sugary, and gooey, with great texture contrast from the graham crumbs on top. Just a warning this is a pretty sweet dessert though! Mango sticky rice bingsu: 7/10. This was good, and I loved the addition of coconut sticky rice to this. I didn't have too much stomach space left at this point, so I prioritized the date cake since it was the superior dessert lol. Service was good. The dessert took an unusually long time to arrive after we ordered. I'd say prices here are reasonable, given the more elevated dining experience and relative lack of Asian restaurants in Santa Barbara. Strengths are the bao, honey walnut shrimp, and desserts. They absolutely nailed the date cake here, and I would happily come back for that alone. read more

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We stopped by Secret Bao on a weekday for happy hour and had a great experience all around. It's conveniently located near the courthouse and within walking distance of downtown Santa Barbara, with plenty of street parking nearby -- easy to get to and a nice area to explore before or after your meal. The restaurant itself have indoor and outdoor seating and is a modern and clean vibe. The food was overall good minus one of the meals I ordered, but the service more than made up for it -- truly some of the most attentive and thoughtful service I've had in a while. I ordered the shrimp bao from the happy hour menu, and it was packed with flavor -- I honestly could've eaten three more. On the other hand, I tried the mushroom dumplings and didn't love them; they were a bit dense and lacked the flavor I was hoping for, even as a mushroom fan. What really stood out, though, was how seriously the staff took dietary restrictions. A family member has a garlic sensitivity, and our server went out of his way to confirm ingredients, offer alternative options, and check in again when we ordered entrées. That kind of attention to detail made the experience feel personal and stress-free. My family ordered the Chinese chop salad and the pork chop fried rice -- both were huge hits. I tried the fried rice and can vouch for how good it was. My family loved their meals so much they joked they'd drive all the way back to Santa Barbara and back in the same day just to eat here again- but I don't think she was joking. All in all, the food was solid, the shrimp bao was a standout, and the service was exceptional -- kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. Would absolutely come back and recommend for anyone looking for a flavorful meal and outstanding hospitality in SB! read more

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we literally just left this place for a late night dinner on our way back to LA and we just had to leave a review. we were absolutely blown away, every dish was amazing and so unique. We kept adding stuff because we just had to try more. Our server dom was amazing and really elevated our experience and was so helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and helped us decide on what to order. We will definitely be back when we are in the area. Our favs were the Brussels sprouts, soy chilli dumplings and the beef chow fun =] and the date cake was to die for!! read more

Secret Bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Staff was super friendly. We made a reservation and were seated immediately. Honestly I was disappointed at the flavors in the food. I feel like most of the dishes needed a bump in the flavor department. The bbq pork buns were tender but weren't seasoned and didn't have a bbq taste. The popcorn chicken was crispy but the sauce didn't taste like orange... maybe adding more juice and zest will amp it up. Crab fried rice needed some acid but overall was one of the more flavorful dishes. The chilli oil dumplings were okay. The tuna hand roll was solid! Kalbi was also nicely balanced. The kids noodle dish probably had the most flavor. That sounds insane but it did... just overall I get that it's an Asian fushion spot but the flavors were bland. read more

Solid Asian fusion restaurant with lots of seating indoor and outdoors. Pet friendly too. Staff was very nice and cleared dishes often. Pork fried rice: very tasty and came out piping hot. Was also delicious the next day. Chili oil dumplings: strangely not spicy at all but very crispy and had juicy pork. Hamachi poke bowl: not a lot of fish but it was a tasty bowl of rice with pickled veggies. Garlic noodles: pretty simple but easy to eat. A little expensive for the portions but understandable that rent isn't cheap. read more

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Overall: A // 5 stars One of my favorite Asian fusion restaurants since Day 1 of its opening. They regularly refresh the menu with new and interesting additions, while maintaining a high standard for quality and presentation for each dish. At the heart is their bao buns, which are all well made, although they seem to have been reducing the number of those they have on the menu moving forward. All in all, very high quality Asian food that I highly recommend. (KFC Bao: A) - Beautiful picture perfect bao bun that always impresses with incredibly juicy chicken breast; the coleslaw pairing with the spicy dragon sauce and creamy mayo works perfectly to get that spicy Korean kick while maintaining a good balance. The thing that could be improved is the arrangement of the bun as the first few bites are better balanced since all the garnish sit on top. (Duck Udon: A) - Soulfully comforting bowl of udon. We got a lightly developed five spice broth, with tender udon and duck that just melts in your mouth. The bok choy adds to the pleasant healthfulness of the dish. (The Tropics: A) - Incredibly pleasant blend of tropical fruits, while still impressively maintaining individuality of flavors of the lychee, passionfruit, mango, guava and orange. I also like that the drink also has volume, which cannot be said for most mocktails. Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +2 Overall: 5 stars Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

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Loved this place so much, we went twice during our 4 day SB vacation! Went at 5pm on a Wednesday and were able to score a table for 4 without an issue. They have a great happy hour from 5-6pm with many of their dishes at a slightly lower price. We had: Taiwanese popcorn chicken (light, crispy popcorn chicken-delicious), tropics and sparkling berry mocktails (both really tasty and not too sweet), pink Peruvian bay scallops (pretty good), KFC bao (large piece of fried chicken and fluffy white bun, cut in half and perfect to share), soy chili dumplings (juicy and really good), crispy mapo tofu (really good), garlic noodles (perfect chewy texture and delicious garlicky flavor), dolsot bokkeumbap (only OK, perhaps least favorite dish), udon carbonara (super special dish, delicious/never had anything like it!), beef bulgogi chow fun (delish but a bit on the sweeter side), and sticky date cake a la mode (ask for the ice cream on the side--this was so good!). Restaurant had good indoor and outdoor seating options, they are somewhat strict on the amount of time you can spend at the table, but they do warn you ahead of time. Will always come back anytime we are in SB! read more

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