They say you are what you eat. And deep down inside, we're all just dumplings. Squishy little dumplings.
There's no debating that xiao long bao is the superior dumpling, but sadly, there's not very many places to get it in Edmonton. Shanghai 456 is the OG, Mr. Bun is the new kid, and BaoBao is sort of in between like the forgotten middle child. They opened in 2020 right before the pandemic shut everything down, so kudos to them for surviving when so many restaurants did not.
BaoBao has prime real estate on Jasper Ave, sharing the split level building with other local gems like Farrow Sandwiches and Lock Stock Coffee.
The environment at BaoBao is very laidback and casual. We came at the tail end of a rush, so we had to wait a few minutes before being seated. Service is friendly and fast, perfect for your downtown lunch break.
The menu is small but mighty. We decided to try their most popular items, starting off with the xiao long bao or pork soup dumplings ($9.99). The wrapper was on the thicker side, but it was by no means doughy. There was a decent amount of soup inside and the flavour of the pork was good. They're probably not the best in town, but I wasn't disappointed. They're such a comfort food.
The next "bao" we got were the sheng jian bao or traditional pan fried bao ($8.29). These only come in four, but they are a bit more substantial than your regular dumpling. Same juicy pork filling, but more thick and doughy, with a crispy seared bottom. I've been told the salted egg yolk version is even better.
We also tried the crispy chicken bao ($7.29), a fluffy steamed bao sandwiching a crispy chicken cutlet with arugula and sweet chili sauce. The chicken had a substantial batter with lots of crispy, craggly bits. It's a generously sized sandwich, so I would advise sharing to save stomach space for other goodies!
Our final dish was the spring scallion mixed dry noodles ($8.69). This appeared like very humble noodles, but they were quite flavourful. The noodles were tossed in soy sauce and a fragrant mix of garlic, fried onions, and scallions. Simple but well done.
BaoBao was surprisingly affordable for such good eats in the downtown core. It took me long enough to give them a try but my next visit can't come soon enough.
BaoBao 生煎
10544 Jasper Ave
(587) 523-5747
- CT
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