All Hail Chairman Bao! (Baohaus, LES, NYC)

I've been reluctant to get on the fancypants pork bun wagon.  As a gal from Honolulu, it's hard to think of cheap, tasty pork buns as anything but a God-given right.

I stand corrected.  I came across Baohaus on Serious Eats, but what really rushed me there was the cheeky Engrish menu.  FOBtastic.

At $9 for 2 Haus Bao, Baohaus is cheap only by NYC standards.  But here's the value: As my crew of eagerly anticipatory bun testers trooped into the small space, we were immediately and warmly greeted by two fresh-faced proprietors, Eddie and Evan. 

They're as cool as all get-out.  They're the bee's knees.  Whatever oldsy-timesy way of saying that these fellas are worth every penny should be inserted here.  They're genuine, engaging, and completely immersed in their product and business.  None of that all-too-common snotty sustainawhore holier-than-random-customer bullshit here.

Which is swell and all, but how's the food?

It's so good, I won't even be ashamed to tell my own FOB Momma how much I spent on bao, and more bao. 

Between the Haus Bao (AKA, red-braised skirt steak in a steamed bun with crushed peanuts, sesame, Taiwanese red sugar, cilantro, and Haus Relish, 2 for $9):

..and the Chairman Bao (similarly red-braised and dressed Niman Ranch Pork Belly, at 2 for $8):

...our group was hard-pressed to choose a favorite.  The buns/bao themselves were soft and sweet, and cradled the well-seasoned protein perfectly.  The steak (a Baohaus innovation, as the Taiwanese tend toward red-cooking only pork) was tender but still had an appealing chew; the pork belly was a melting mouthful of no regrets, not to be undertaken by those who fear fat.

We had a happily fed vegetarian in our crew; she and I were pleased by the Uncle Jesse Bao, crammed with lightly fried soft tofu and a squirt of hot-and-sour bean sauce (2 for $7):

Gun to my head, I'd go with the pork.  But why segregate?  Get one of each kind of bun in the Straight Frush (any 3 buns with a drink and a cup of boiled peanuts, $15.50), or try everything they have on the menu with the Royal Frush (any 4 buns with boiled peanuts, Sweet Bao Fries, and 2 drinks, $25).

Speaking of Sweet Bao Fries ($3.50), here's a food I would have never dreamed up (sober, anyway): Deep fried sliced bao strips, with (condensed-milk-spiked?) black sesame sauce:

Crispy and nutty, we destroyed them all, despite the cornucopia 'o' bao.  No boiled vinegar peanut was left behind, either ($3.50):

...but that may be due to the disproportionate number of displaced Hawaiians at the table (boiled peanuts are big as pupus back home).

There's more heart to Baohaus than trend, so go on down to the LES and let the Huangs feed you.  It is a small operation, so please be patient, and don't go at all if you're feeling nasty.  You'll mess up my bao-glow.

P.S.  Ring in the Year of the Tiger at Baohaus with a super-fortuitous multi-course menu, featuring treats like Taiwanese Fried Chicken, Beer-braised Sichuan Pepper Beef Dumplings and Mantou Bread Pudding!  Three seatings available Chinese New Year Eve and Day (Feb. 13th and 14th), please call for reservations.

-------------------------

Bauhaus
137 Rivington Street
(near Norfolk)
LES
NYC NY 10002
Ph: 646 684 3835 
twitter: @baohausnyc

Free Delivery
Cash Only!

Sunday - Thursday: Noon - 10pm
Friday - Saturday: Noon - 2am

Comments

[The Man]

I agree! Their buns should really take a bao!

[The Man]

These buns are a little pricey by traditional standards, but sometimes you just have to bao to necessity!

[The Man]

Klingons off the starboard bao!

[2nd from b e h i n d]

She's in parties...

[Chocolate Bear]

137 Rivington Street...how close is that to The Bao-wery?

[Mom]

The pork belly looks good. It could very well be "DONG POR" meat which is a block of pork belly cooked in soya sauce and lots of brown sugar.

$9.00 for 2 baos is pricey, but if you insist it's worth it, then it must be tasty!