If you love chill, no fuss, handheld food (ie. tacos and burgers), then you
have to check out the new
Bao Down Restaurant in Gastown Vancouver. Serving up fresh Asian fusion Baos, aka fluffy Chinese steamed flour buns, Bao Down has some unique and mouth-watering bites. To see what I tried, click......
Located right on Powell St in Gastown, Bao Down is fairly small but it's got some kickass decor and a hand drawn ninja-themed mural! The majority of the menu consists of different Bao variations but there are also some street-style sandwiches and interesting appetizers.
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| Phrench Dip Sandwich |
For starters we tried out the
Kimchi Fries. Made with house-cut fries and topped with kimchi, crispy pork belly, fried pork rinds, crispy garlic, fresh bean sprouts, and chopped green onions, this stuff is amazing! Who knew fries mixed with kimchi could be so good? I highly recommend this if you are visiting the place.
Next up we tried the
Phrench Dip Sandwich made with wagyu beef, hoisin sauce, bean sprouts and cilantro. The sandwich comes with some pho broth for dipping. It was kind of hard to dip the sandwich without spilling all of its content so I ended up pouring the broth directly into the yummy filling. Everything about the sandwich is on point and I love how the broth makes everything extra juicy and flavorful.
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| Kimchi Fries |
Up next are the main stars of the show: the steamed Baos. Made mainly with flour and water, these traditional Chinese buns are steamed to a fluffy soft perfection with just a hint of sweetness. They fold over and sort of acts like a taco shell to hold in its yummy contents. Each bun is quite large, two alone would make quite a satisfying meal. The
Bao Chicken Bao Bao features a piece of fried chicken which is quite lean and crispy. It's flavorful but I found it a bit dry; I wish there was more sauce to match the meat and bun ratio.
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| Bao Chicken Bao Bao |
The Flip Side features some sweet marinated pork shoulder and the meat is so, so, so tender. This one has just the right amount of sauce and the pickled onion topping makes for a nice pairing.
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| The Flip Side |
Last but not least is
The YVR, named after the great city of Vancouver. Filled with albacore tuna tataki and topped with the most crispy double smoked bacon, this stuff was heavenly. I honestly had one of those eyes closed, oh my god this is amazing moment after a bite of this.
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| The YVR |
Love love love this place! The Kimchi Fries and The YVR are must-haves and most of the items I tried were delicious and right on point. Highly recommended!
