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I bought a box of pork, quail egg, and sausage baos for $20. One small bao is $3 but they didn't specifically say how much if I were to mix up the variety in the box. They give very little Chinese sausage only a thin slice, but the flavor of the bao is very yummy.
TP Banh Bao place literally got the BEST fried banh bao imo! They have multiple locations down in OC already so I was sooo happy when they finally opened one in San Jose. Anytime I'm in Vietnam Town, I have to stop by here. Minimum order for fried bao is 3 pieces so I usually just grab that to share with friends/family. The fried baos are made to order and it's just the perfect bite: crispy outside, soft inside, and the fillings were super flavorful. They also got a bunch of different fillings on their menu, but I always go for #1, #2, and #3... The shop itself got a spacious open kitchen but this is a grab-and-go type of spot. I've seen people order a bunch of boxes (9 pieces per box) and freeze it at home to enjoy for later. You just microwave it with a damp paper towel for like 45 sec to 1 min, then you will have a warm, savory, comfort food ready. They take Zelle or cash only btw, so come prepared. Service is quick for the regular steamed bao, but fried bao usually takes like 5-10 mins since they make it fresh. I've seen different staff working each time I go but everyone's been friendly and quick. Price vs portion size is decent as well! If you love Vietnamese banh bao... you NEED to try this spot.
Good banh bao spot in Vietnam town. We couldn't decide on their wide selections of both sweet and savory bao's so we chose a few different savory selections - chicken banh bao with quail eggs (4/5) and combo - pork with sausage & quail eggs (4.5/5) as well as combo - pork, sausage and salted egg (5/5). We also got a box of banh bao Cade (3/5) which is essentially sweet (dessert) banh bao with egg custard. I really liked the savory options I got but did not care much for the egg custard because of the texture. It's very different from the typical egg custard bao we've had at dimsum places. You can get a good deal getting a box of 9 Bao's vs individual. We went right before they close so all the boxes we got came from their industrial size fridge they store their banh baos. So all were cold and had to be heated up when we got home. We did not mind since we weren't going eat the until tomorrow anyways. Owner was super sweet. She mentioned they started in Houston, TX where they had a manufacturing kitchen to distribute. Pandemic changed their business so that's no longer the case but they still have a shop in Houston! Love this piece of history she shared.
I really like the steamed buns from this place!! It must be popular bc if going near the afternoon or end of the day a lot of the bun options are sold out! The pork buns with quail egg are my go to order and they're a great meal or snack to reheat at home! Can pay w Zelle or cash here , there is someone to take your order and pay and not really a sit down place to eat, more of a take out to go place
The GOAT spot. I come here every time I'm in the area. Great deals for great food! I try to get something different each time, and my most recent visit I had got the deep fried baos for the first time. Texture was A1 and taste was great too. There is a minimum on these orders, but I'm sure you will want more than just 1. All baos are made fresh to eat. They are small, but I think the quality and taste makes up for the size. In this economy, you can't find anything cheaper !
I got the golden bao and the steamed chicken with quail egg, the flavor were honestly really good. I think service was slow because the cashier spent 15 minutes talking to the group in front of me. The store was pretty small and had no seating arrangements.
Vietnamese Steamed Baos or Banh Bao! I haven't had these in a while but was suddenly in the craving mood for it. Since we were near Vietnam Town, I found this shop and we decided to make a stop for it. They're located in a big plaza and it's a small shop made for takeout only. I got an order of 4 buns, 2 of the Pork, Quail Egg & Sausage, and 2 of the BBQ Pork. The banh baos were exactly what I was craving for. The savory stuffings inside the baos really satisfied my cravings and everything tasted great.
This was my third time here and I ordered a box of deep-fried buns and steamed buns. Both types of buns are filled with a combination of pork, Chinese sausage, and egg. The fried buns were generously stuffed, with the filling leaning towards the sweet and savory side. The pork filling was slight sweet, but had good flavor. The buns were crispy and golden on the outside, and fluffy and light on the inside. A solid 7 out of 10 for me. Unfortunately, the steamed buns had a very strong soapy taste this time. I really liked their steamed buns in the past, the dough to filling ratio was solid! The dough was airy with a generous amount of meat. But due to the soap taste I would have to rate it 1 out of 10 this time around. The soapy taste was stuck on my tongue for a while despite rinsing with water a few times. I hope this was just a one time thing and doesn't happen again.
Who doesn't love a good steamed bun? Well, I've had TP Banh Bao 5 bbookmarked for awhile and I finally tried it out. I ordered the steamed bun with the pork, sausage and quail egg filling. The steamed bun is soft and has a lot of filling inside. Good flavor and texture all around. I also ordered the fried buns and they are crispy, not greasy, light and fluffy on the inside. You must order a minimum of three if you are buying less than 3 fried buns. But they are totally worth it! The cashier was extremely friendly and the way she spoke to me, I knew she cares about the business and the customers. They accept cash and zelle which will help you save 4%. If you use card, they will charge a 4% fee onto your total. If you're craving a snack that's inexpensive, I highly recommend it and you can get a few buns for just less than $10. There's no seating on the inside other than just two tables that are not available so it's more like a grab and go place. I definitely cannot wait to try their other buns especially the dessert buns.
Idk why it took me so long to try this place but I finally did and was so satisfied with my food :)) The lady working there (I'm assuming is the owner) is so nice, friendly, and accommodating! My group of 4 wanted to try most of the items on the menu so we asked if we're able to mix and match into a box and she said yes although they were busy! Steamed buns - Dough to filling ratio was pretty even and we loved how soft the texture of the bun was. Everything tasted so delicious and our top ones were chicken + salted duck egg and bbq. You HAVE to get their deep fried buns-- they are perfectly fried.. a bit greasy but SO TASTY. Hands down, our fav ones out of all the flavors.
Final Thoughts: 4.39/5 Quaint little steamed bun shop in Vietnam town. My friends introduced me to this place a while ago. My parents enjoy the items that they've eaten here, so I've gone to get a few times now. Food: 1) Bánh Bao Thập Cẩm Trứng Muối (Pork, Salted Duck Egg, and Sausage): 4.3/5 2) Bánh Bao Thập Cẩm Trứng Cút (Pork, Quail Egg, and Sausage): 4.4/5 3) Bánh Bao Gà Trứng Cút (Chicken and Quail Egg): 4.2/5 4) Bánh Bao Gà (Chicken and Egg): 4.0/5 Their buns look very simple and each individually assembled, which I personally enjoy because it gives you that warm homemade feel to it. Texture wise, the buns are still very soft and fluffy. There is an outer skin on the buns that has some elasticity and resistance to it. Might be because of how they're shaped and cooked. The inside is really soft and area surrounding the meat is very flavorful. Flavor wise, I've enjoyed the ones that I have tried here. There has only been one place that's impressed me with their buns and that place is in Orange County. This place does quite a good job with it there. Good balance of sweetness, saltiness, and ratios. Ratio of dough to filling is appears optimal in regards to their cross-section. I've seen dough to filling ratios be so unbalanced with 70% of it being dough and remainder 30% being filling. While I understand that if there isn't enough dough, the dough might not have that fluffy texture. However, I get tired all the dough in excess. Looking at the meat/filling, the texture is nice. There is some bite, so its not just completely minced and pureed meat. From what I have seen, there's the meat, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, onions, black pepper, and possibly other items that I can't make out. For the buns I typically buy, an egg is included inside. Options are the salted duck egg, quail egg, or your usual chicken egg. My personal favorite is definitely the quail egg, but the other options are good too. Regarding saltiness of the salted egg, I believe they're brined just enough to give the yolk that light saltiness. It's not overly salty and will just compliment the filling if you decide to get a bun with it included. Eggs add that additional texture and component to the bun. Chinese sausages are included in some of the buns, as well. It's a fairly small sliver, so nothing significant, but again, it adds another component to the bun. Other comments: My one note is that the buns themselves are not labeled externally, so it is difficult to differentiate between them sometimes if you get different kinds. They do write which one is which on top of the box, but if you accidently mix them up, it may be difficult to differentiate between them again unless the buns purchased have significant differences. Even with a cross section, I struggle with differentiating between proteins. What I've seen other shops do is label each one with a colored mark on top or even make the buns look slightly different from each other. Just something to note if you do purchase all different kinds like me. --------- Quality: Fair From their outer appearance, they appear to be frozen and then reheated. The top shows some cracking, which is why I believe this is part of the process. This is a fairly common thing to do and we can just reheat it later. Flavor and texture are still quite nice though. Price: Average For the item itself, I believe that the price is average. For one bun, the average price is $2.25 to $3.00. For the Bay Area, that is an average price. An option to purchase a box of 9 buns is available. I believe you only get to choose one flavor though, but the price per piece is lower. Price range for the 9 piece box is within $14 to $20. Service: Seems to be a family-owned business. Everyone that I've interacted with there have been friendly and nice. I've had concerns with using Zelle to send them the money before, but they were very nice and patient about it. Ambiance: Smol It is a fairly small storefront space. Interior is simple. The back of the store where the kitchen and prep areas are appears to extend pretty far, but the shop where their items are sold is fairly small. No seats or tables are provided here, but not a concern for me here. This isn't typically a food where you would need to sit down and eat it. It's more of a grab and go kind of food, so no tables, chairs, or anything is really warranted. Location/Parking: Vietnam Town Another place in Vietnam Town. It is a fairly small storefront, but their sign is pretty noticeable within the line of stores. Big and thick letters for everyone to see. Parking wise is fair on a normal day. My recommendation is always to caution the rush hour times and weekend days though. Even though there appears to be optimal parking, there's an abundance of shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. for people to go to, so there's always a crowd. If you're lucky, you'll find a spot quickly, but if not, it might take some patience. A small parking garage is available, as well.
5 months ago
So delicious!! I've been craving bao buns and my bf found this place located in viet town! We were most intrigued by salted duck egg, but came to find that the fried bao buns are soooooooooo good. Service is quick! Everything is made and ready. They fry the buns as you order. You can pay in cash or zelle. Try this place if you haven't already!! read more
We chance upon this place which is located in San Jose's Vietnam Town. I was curious to try their bao's. On a Saturday around lunch time. They have. A huge selection of items on their menu and I was so excited to try the Pork, Salted Duck Egg & Sausage but they don't have it. They only have 2 available flavors on their menu so it was a little bit frustrating. Still we tried it. They only had the Golden Bao and Pork and Egg & Sausage Bao. There's a minimum 3 pieces to purchase the Golden Bao. I wasn't too impressed on the taste of the buns. I had better. The taste wasn't what I expected. It was also a bummer that other flavors were not available and ready at around noon. They prefer cash payment. I like their cross stitch decors of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. The person at the counter was pleasant. Maybe next time, we chance upon this place again, they have more availability so we can try the other items on their menu. September 2026 read more
Best Fried Bao I ever have. I found this shop while waiting to get table at restaurant near by. As it seems interesting we stop by and order some bao. They have steam and fried. Mostly are steam with different filling. The store is not that big with no seating area. You order by telling the number and quantity. There are plenty options and price is reasonable. The fried one you have you buy in 3. Looks like the popular one is number 15 which when we want to order it was not available. So we ordered number 13 and fried bao and they are yummy. Highlight is the fried bao. it is unique like man tow with filling. Service was quick even though it was busy when we arrived. if you by 9 or 10 boxes you get one box free, one box has 9 bao. read more
2 months ago
I bought a box of pork, quail egg, and sausage baos for $20. One small bao is $3 but they didn't specifically say how much if I were to mix up the variety in the box. They give very little Chinese sausage only a thin slice, but the flavor of the bao is very yummy. read more
TP Banh Bao place literally got the BEST fried banh bao imo! They have multiple locations down in OC already so I was sooo happy when they finally opened one in San Jose. Anytime I'm in Vietnam Town, I have to stop by here. Minimum order for fried bao is 3 pieces so I usually just grab that to share with friends/family. The fried baos are made to order and it's just the perfect bite: crispy outside, soft inside, and the fillings were super flavorful. They also got a bunch of different fillings on their menu, but I always go for #1, #2, and #3... The shop itself got a spacious open kitchen but this is a grab-and-go type of spot. I've seen people order a bunch of boxes (9 pieces per box) and freeze it at home to enjoy for later. You just microwave it with a damp paper towel for like 45 sec to 1 min, then you will have a warm, savory, comfort food ready. They take Zelle or cash only btw, so come prepared. Service is quick for the regular steamed bao, but fried bao usually takes like 5-10 mins since they make it fresh. I've seen different staff working each time I go but everyone's been friendly and quick. Price vs portion size is decent as well! If you love Vietnamese banh bao... you NEED to try this spot. read more
10 months ago
Good banh bao spot in Vietnam town. We couldn't decide on their wide selections of both sweet and savory bao's so we chose a few different savory selections - chicken banh bao with quail eggs (4/5) and combo - pork with sausage & quail eggs (4.5/5) as well as combo - pork, sausage and salted egg (5/5). We also got a box of banh bao Cade (3/5) which is essentially sweet (dessert) banh bao with egg custard. I really liked the savory options I got but did not care much for the egg custard because of the texture. It's very different from the typical egg custard bao we've had at dimsum places. You can get a good deal getting a box of 9 Bao's vs individual. We went right before they close so all the boxes we got came from their industrial size fridge they store their banh baos. So all were cold and had to be heated up when we got home. We did not mind since we weren't going eat the until tomorrow anyways. Owner was super sweet. She mentioned they started in Houston, TX where they had a manufacturing kitchen to distribute. Pandemic changed their business so that's no longer the case but they still have a shop in Houston! Love this piece of history she shared. read more
I really like the steamed buns from this place!! It must be popular bc if going near the afternoon or end of the day a lot of the bun options are sold out! The pork buns with quail egg are my go to order and they're a great meal or snack to reheat at home! Can pay w Zelle or cash here , there is someone to take your order and pay and not really a sit down place to eat, more of a take out to go place read more
The GOAT spot. I come here every time I'm in the area. Great deals for great food! I try to get something different each time, and my most recent visit I had got the deep fried baos for the first time. Texture was A1 and taste was great too. There is a minimum on these orders, but I'm sure you will want more than just 1. All baos are made fresh to eat. They are small, but I think the quality and taste makes up for the size. In this economy, you can't find anything cheaper ! read more
11 months ago
I got the golden bao and the steamed chicken with quail egg, the flavor were honestly really good. I think service was slow because the cashier spent 15 minutes talking to the group in front of me. The store was pretty small and had no seating arrangements. read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
Vietnamese Steamed Baos or Banh Bao! I haven't had these in a while but was suddenly in the craving mood for it. Since we were near Vietnam Town, I found this shop and we decided to make a stop for it. They're located in a big plaza and it's a small shop made for takeout only. I got an order of 4 buns, 2 of the Pork, Quail Egg & Sausage, and 2 of the BBQ Pork. The banh baos were exactly what I was craving for. The savory stuffings inside the baos really satisfied my cravings and everything tasted great. read more
This was my third time here and I ordered a box of deep-fried buns and steamed buns. Both types of buns are filled with a combination of pork, Chinese sausage, and egg. The fried buns were generously stuffed, with the filling leaning towards the sweet and savory side. The pork filling was slight sweet, but had good flavor. The buns were crispy and golden on the outside, and fluffy and light on the inside. A solid 7 out of 10 for me. Unfortunately, the steamed buns had a very strong soapy taste this time. I really liked their steamed buns in the past, the dough to filling ratio was solid! The dough was airy with a generous amount of meat. But due to the soap taste I would have to rate it 1 out of 10 this time around. The soapy taste was stuck on my tongue for a while despite rinsing with water a few times. I hope this was just a one time thing and doesn't happen again. read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
Who doesn't love a good steamed bun? Well, I've had TP Banh Bao 5 bbookmarked for awhile and I finally tried it out. I ordered the steamed bun with the pork, sausage and quail egg filling. The steamed bun is soft and has a lot of filling inside. Good flavor and texture all around. I also ordered the fried buns and they are crispy, not greasy, light and fluffy on the inside. You must order a minimum of three if you are buying less than 3 fried buns. But they are totally worth it! The cashier was extremely friendly and the way she spoke to me, I knew she cares about the business and the customers. They accept cash and zelle which will help you save 4%. If you use card, they will charge a 4% fee onto your total. If you're craving a snack that's inexpensive, I highly recommend it and you can get a few buns for just less than $10. There's no seating on the inside other than just two tables that are not available so it's more like a grab and go place. I definitely cannot wait to try their other buns especially the dessert buns. read more
Idk why it took me so long to try this place but I finally did and was so satisfied with my food :)) The lady working there (I'm assuming is the owner) is so nice, friendly, and accommodating! My group of 4 wanted to try most of the items on the menu so we asked if we're able to mix and match into a box and she said yes although they were busy! Steamed buns - Dough to filling ratio was pretty even and we loved how soft the texture of the bun was. Everything tasted so delicious and our top ones were chicken + salted duck egg and bbq. You HAVE to get their deep fried buns-- they are perfectly fried.. a bit greasy but SO TASTY. Hands down, our fav ones out of all the flavors. read more
Final Thoughts: 4.39/5 Quaint little steamed bun shop in Vietnam town. My friends introduced me to this place a while ago. My parents enjoy the items that they've eaten here, so I've gone to get a few times now. Food: 1) Bánh Bao Thập Cẩm Trứng Muối (Pork, Salted Duck Egg, and Sausage): 4.3/5 2) Bánh Bao Thập Cẩm Trứng Cút (Pork, Quail Egg, and Sausage): 4.4/5 3) Bánh Bao Gà Trứng Cút (Chicken and Quail Egg): 4.2/5 4) Bánh Bao Gà (Chicken and Egg): 4.0/5 Their buns look very simple and each individually assembled, which I personally enjoy because it gives you that warm homemade feel to it. Texture wise, the buns are still very soft and fluffy. There is an outer skin on the buns that has some elasticity and resistance to it. Might be because of how they're shaped and cooked. The inside is really soft and area surrounding the meat is very flavorful. Flavor wise, I've enjoyed the ones that I have tried here. There has only been one place that's impressed me with their buns and that place is in Orange County. This place does quite a good job with it there. Good balance of sweetness, saltiness, and ratios. Ratio of dough to filling is appears optimal in regards to their cross-section. I've seen dough to filling ratios be so unbalanced with 70% of it being dough and remainder 30% being filling. While I understand that if there isn't enough dough, the dough might not have that fluffy texture. However, I get tired all the dough in excess. Looking at the meat/filling, the texture is nice. There is some bite, so its not just completely minced and pureed meat. From what I have seen, there's the meat, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, onions, black pepper, and possibly other items that I can't make out. For the buns I typically buy, an egg is included inside. Options are the salted duck egg, quail egg, or your usual chicken egg. My personal favorite is definitely the quail egg, but the other options are good too. Regarding saltiness of the salted egg, I believe they're brined just enough to give the yolk that light saltiness. It's not overly salty and will just compliment the filling if you decide to get a bun with it included. Eggs add that additional texture and component to the bun. Chinese sausages are included in some of the buns, as well. It's a fairly small sliver, so nothing significant, but again, it adds another component to the bun. Other comments: My one note is that the buns themselves are not labeled externally, so it is difficult to differentiate between them sometimes if you get different kinds. They do write which one is which on top of the box, but if you accidently mix them up, it may be difficult to differentiate between them again unless the buns purchased have significant differences. Even with a cross section, I struggle with differentiating between proteins. What I've seen other shops do is label each one with a colored mark on top or even make the buns look slightly different from each other. Just something to note if you do purchase all different kinds like me. --------- Quality: Fair From their outer appearance, they appear to be frozen and then reheated. The top shows some cracking, which is why I believe this is part of the process. This is a fairly common thing to do and we can just reheat it later. Flavor and texture are still quite nice though. Price: Average For the item itself, I believe that the price is average. For one bun, the average price is $2.25 to $3.00. For the Bay Area, that is an average price. An option to purchase a box of 9 buns is available. I believe you only get to choose one flavor though, but the price per piece is lower. Price range for the 9 piece box is within $14 to $20. Service: Seems to be a family-owned business. Everyone that I've interacted with there have been friendly and nice. I've had concerns with using Zelle to send them the money before, but they were very nice and patient about it. Ambiance: Smol It is a fairly small storefront space. Interior is simple. The back of the store where the kitchen and prep areas are appears to extend pretty far, but the shop where their items are sold is fairly small. No seats or tables are provided here, but not a concern for me here. This isn't typically a food where you would need to sit down and eat it. It's more of a grab and go kind of food, so no tables, chairs, or anything is really warranted. Location/Parking: Vietnam Town Another place in Vietnam Town. It is a fairly small storefront, but their sign is pretty noticeable within the line of stores. Big and thick letters for everyone to see. Parking wise is fair on a normal day. My recommendation is always to caution the rush hour times and weekend days though. Even though there appears to be optimal parking, there's an abundance of shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. for people to go to, so there's always a crowd. If you're lucky, you'll find a spot quickly, but if not, it might take some patience. A small parking garage is available, as well. read more
Decent Baos! Got a box of 9 of the pork, quail egg, and sausage baos for $19. The filling inside was surprisingly sweet! There was a generous portion of meat inside each bun. The bun itself sticks to the roof of your mouth so it was a little bothersome to eat. I also don't think these buns were the freshest; the man handed us a box that had been sitting on the counter next to a bunch of other boxes. They weren't warm either, but a quick microwave with a wet paper towel did the job. This is a small grab-and-go shop. The one man working at the counter was very blunt and not the most welcoming. Willing to give their buns another try, hopefully fresh next time! read more
1 year ago
9 months ago
Banh bao are very good and really reasonable prices. In and out fast. Parking is okay. I do recommend this place. Linh read more
3 years ago
Editing my original essay to give a quicker review. Pros - the banh bao are genuinely good. The filling is well seasoned and banh bao chien gives it a fun texture. Cons - my mom was treated very rudely the last time she was here to buy banh bao. I've spoken to the owner about my original review and will leave it at that. I genuinely don't like giving a low rating. You can see that with my review stats. If you're looking for good banh bao in San Jose, you probably won't be disappointed. I hope customer service improves and they continue to make good banh bao. read more
1 year ago
I was eating what I thought would be a nice, simple bun but halfway through, I started chewing on plastic. Yes, actual pieces of plastic mixed into the food! The texture was horrible, the taste instantly ruined, and honestly, it made me feel sick. Totally unacceptable and super gross. Definitely not coming back. What a yucky experience indeed read more
1 year ago
I found this piece of metal inside my bun. Very dangerous. I'm unsure where did it come from, but I hope Food &Safety is ensured. read more
3 years ago
Some person by the name of Kylie P. privately messaged me. Left me with even a worse impression now of the establishment. It's not a small business or mom and pop business if you own 5 franchises by now ok. I'm entitled to my own personal experience and opinion. Kylie P. never even addressed the discrepancy in customer service given to me. Obviously, they are not used to having reviews less than 4-5 stars that they had to privately message me to justify what I don't know lol. Won't be coming back. I'm sure your "small business" will do just fine though. read more
1 year ago
If you're a fan of baos, this is a must-visit spot in San Jose! I was thrilled to discover that they opened a location in San Jose, as I'm a big fan of their other locations down in OC! Before this, I always make sure to grab a few boxes whenever I'm in SoCal and bring them back to share with my family and friends. The lines were a bit long when I visited on a Saturday morning, but they moved quickly as this is a grab-and-go type of place with no indoor seating. My partner and I decided to order a whole box of 9 baos, and the best part is that you can mix and match up to 3 types. With 14 different varieties to choose from, it was hard to pick just three! My personal favorites are: #2 Thap Cam (Combination): Big hot steammy buns. This was just as good as I remembered from my childhood! The filling was well-seasoned and juicy, and the baos themselves were fluffy and sweet. They have certainly perfected this recipe, and it's hard to stop eating after one bao. #1 Thap Cam Fried: This fried counterpart to #2. This is JUST AS GOOD. Honestly, it all depends on your mood on whether you want steamed or fried buns, I tend to get a little bit of both to switch it up. They were hot, golden perfection and so so crispy. I prefer eating this right away! #5 BBQ Pork: Yuuum, the inside is meaty & red, not as juicy as the other ones but it's a good change of flavor from everything else. The pork provided a nice smoky sweetness! The only downside is that they only accept cash or Zelle payments, but the prices are very reasonable and the inconvenience is worth it for the quality of the baos. I highly recommend this spot to anyone who loves baos and is looking for a delicious and affordable option in Vietnam Town! read more
BAOS, BAOS, BAOS! This is a pretty new 'Vietnamese' Banh Bao shop off Story Road in the V-Town Plaza right next to Grand Century Mall. It's a few doors down on the same side as Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta. It's small inside. No dining indoors or outdoors. More so an order and take it to-go place. Service is pretty fast. Only 2 people working the front, which I presume are the owners/business partners. The gentleman that assisted me was very informative and helpful in regards to items on the menu. **PAYMENT ** Cash or Zelle. There's a sign with QR code at the counter to pay via Zelle. BAOS The baos are smaller compared to the usual size, which I love! Easy to eat since it's more of mini bao. It allowed me to try different baos all at once without getting stuffed. Most of the baos are steamed, but you can get fried too for a few extra bucks. There are options for the based-filling: pork, chicken, vegetarian, taro or custard. Egg topping inside: chicken, quail or salted egg. I ordered a box of baos, which comes with 9 for $21. You can mix and match. * #3 Thap Cam Trung Cut (pork, sausage, quail egg) * #5 Xa Xiu (BBQ pork) * # Ga Trung Cut (chicken and quail egg) Everything is delicious! The bao pastry is light, soft and freshly-made. The fillings are flavorful. My ONLY suggestion is for them to go lighter on the onions in the chicken filling -- it's a little too much punch. read more
My 5 stars is for their deep fried buns that I can come here just for it. It filled with meat, mushrooms and eggs. The cover was not too thick and super crispy. Their other buns were great as well but I think we love the deep fried bun the most. The store is right in Vietnam town so it was really convenient to pick up after we've done some shopping. read more
4 years ago
Time to kill in the South Bay on a weekday? VIETNAM TOWN. For food and/or snacks! No brainer cuz I got zero patience to be driving in/around there on the weekends. It's like my darth vadar visor wearing mom and her crew doing donuts at 5 mph on the weekends. J/k! TP Bánh Bao 5's specialty is Bánh Bao, the Viet version of Cantonese steamed buns. This family-owned business has been making bánh bao for over 20 years. This is their first Norcal location and 5th location (original location is in Houston, and they have three locations in SoCal). L O C A T I O N I always get lost in Vietnam Town so for those who do too... Enter on Story Road. When you see Phở 90 Degree go left, then turn right at the same building. TP Bánh Bao 5 is perpendicular to Phở 90 Degree, across the way from CA Bakehouse. M E N U Array of Bánh Bao: Steamed Buns (the only thing they sell). * Savory: Chicken w/ egg, quail egg, or salted egg ($2.25-$3 each), Pork w/ sausage egg, quail egg, or salted egg ($2-$2.75 each), and BBQ Pork ($2.25 each). Spicy versions available for +25 cents. * Sweet: Custard and Taro ($2-$2.75 each) * Fried Bánh Bao, savory only ($3 each) Buy 10 boxes of Bánh Bao, 9 pc per box ($16-$21) and get one box free. You can mix & match. Cash or Zelle only! H E A T I N G I N S T R U C T I O N S Buy a bunch to keep in the freezer as a snack. Wrap the thawed bao in a wet paper towel and pop it into the microwave for about 30-40 seconds. F O O D INDIVIDUAL BÁNH BAO * Thập Cẩm Trừng Gà: Pork, sausage, egg ($2): https://tinyurl.com/548vxchz Soft, slightly sweet bun with a savory ground pork filling (not overly salty) and part of a boiled egg. Good ratio of bao to filling; not overly bready but the sausage was missing. Unfortunately, the batch I got was already boxed and had cooled on the countertops (around 1:30 pm). It would have tasted much better if they kept the baos warm in steamers. * Bánh Bao Chiên Thêm: Fried Bao ($3) Came highly recommended by the staff so I bought one to try. Def preferred the fried bao over the steamed one because it's kept in a warmer. The bao is warm, crunchy, soft, and sweet. Paired with the savory pork+boiled egg filling, it's a delicious savory sweet snack. BOX OF 9, MIX & MATCH ($20) * Thập Cẩm Trừng Gà: Pork, sausage, egg (x2) * Thập Cẩm Trừng Cút: Pork, sausage, quail egg (x1) * Thập Cẩm Trừng Muối: Pork, sausage, salted egg (x3) * Xá Xúi: BBQ Pork (x3) These were given to a friend and they said it was good. S E R V I C E Lan, the owner (?) is super friendly and gracious. She even labelled the bánh bao on the box. So thoughtful. A M B I A N C E Casual takeout only operation but there's one table inside for dining in. P A R K I N G OOOOF but manageable on the weekdays. Overall, delicious fried baos that you can't find anywhere in NorCal. But, for steamed baos, I give a slight edge to Kim Lợi Bánh Bao (Lion Plaza) since they keep their baos warm in steamers. read more
1 year ago
I'm not a big fan of banh bao due to the flour and meat ratio but wow this place has changed my mind! Their baos are perfectly sized so you don't get sick of it. The meat is perfectly seasoned and the flour is not too sickening. Also, their fried bao is a must try! read more
So happy this place opened up in San Jose, so I don't have to get boxes of banh bao from SoCal anymore! My favorite is the fried banh bao and the pork salted egg. I tried to order a box of the bbq pork buns today but they were sold out. They said it takes 2 days to marinade the pork, so they have it every other day and to call ahead if you want the bbq pork/xa xiu buns. Also, they accept cash and Zelle only. read more
1 year ago
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