A good pork bun is a compact dish worth making a trip for.
By definition, the bun is relatively simple: A delicate, fluffy bao (bun) gets filled with pork — barbecued, slow-cooked or otherwise marinated — then lined with hoisin sauce and garnished with (depending on the chef) a range of tangy pickles or crunchy raw vegetables like scallions or carrots or cucumber. Done properly, the diversity of flavors and textures in the small-but-satisfying dish make for a transporting experience.
The good news is Washingtonians have a range of options all over town when it comes to the pork bun (no major road trips required). The D.C. dining scene has it all, from casual buns-out-of-a-food-truck via People's Bao, to those on the menu at the D.C. outpost of high-profile Momofuku downtown, to the unexpected pork bun locales like Driftwood Kitchen on H Street. Looking for a meat beyond pork? There's always The Source, which has duck bao buns on its current menu.
Here are several bun spots around town worth a try.
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