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A saucy bao bun at Chaplin's.
A saucy bao bun at Chaplin's.
Chaplin's

16 Essential Bao Buns

Local restaurants embrace the stuffed and steamed delicacy

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A saucy bao bun at Chaplin's.
| Chaplin's

Gua bao, or split bread, is a relatively new dish, popular in Taiwanese cuisine, even though the concept of bao has been around for centuries.

For gua bao, a round of flat dough is folded in half, steamed, and then stuffed, most commonly with braised pork belly, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and sugared peanuts. The combination of soft, warm, slightly sweet bread works well with the fatty meat, while the pickled vegetables cut through the fattiness and work with the sugared peanuts to add a slight crunch.

The term bao is often used interchangeably for gua bao and baozi buns, which feature assorted fillings steamed or baked inside the bread. So take care when ordering: the two options are very different.The sandwich-like nature of gua bao lends itself more easily to adaptation. Filling the buns after cooking allow the fillings to maintain their original integrity, really opening up the playing field for chefs.

Washingtonian recently listed bao among the food trends it's sick of spotting on D.C. menus. Perhaps by looking at the concentration of locations in the city proper, rather than in enclaves filled with Taiwanese and Chinese restaurants, a case could be made that the dish appears to be more popular among the Instagram crowd than with traditionalists. Recent developments — including the addition of Wow Bao at Ronald Reagan National Airport, and newcomer Bao Bar in Clarendon — suggest that the business community seems determined to mine this phenomenon for all it's worth.

But just because something is trendy or ubiquitous doesn't mean that it should go away. With spots such as Bun'd Up incorporating delicious and unique ingredients like its pineapple-heavy fruit kimchi, there's still plenty of room for gua bao in D.C.

Know of any other must-try bao?. Share in the comments below or sound off via email (dc@eater.com).

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Taipei Cafe

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The gua bao, listed on the menu as a Taiwanese hamburger, is as close to the ones usually found in Taiwan. This one features pork belly, pickled vegetables, and crushed sugared peanuts.

Photo by Esther W. / Yelp

NaiNai's Noodle & Dumpling Bar

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Nainai's has the largest variety of bao with six options. They offer a braised five-spice duck with daikon carrot slaw; ground beef bulgogi with kimchi; seared teriyaki spam with mango salsa; tofu with cabbage, mushroom and egg; smoked pork belly with peanut sauce; and crispy chicken tenders with chili sauce and daikon carrot slaw.

Photo by Danny N. / Yelp

Bun'd Up

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Bun'd Up serves its bao at area farmers' markets. The homemade buns come in regular and whole wheat with fillings like Korean BBQ, braised pork belly, and marinated tofu. One distinguishing feature is the fruit kimchi, in the form of spicy pineapple, and wasabi guacamole. There's also a sweet option with peanut butter, banana jam and granola.

Photo: Bun'd Up

Sakuramen

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Choose from four types of bao at Sakuramen. Opt for a spicy sweet pork with marinated mushrooms, slice rib eye bulgogi, chashu pork, or soy-marinated mushrooms.

Photo by Alida H. / Yelp

Sakerum

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Along with all the sushi served at Sakerum, get a pork belly bao with Korean gochujang, pickled red cabbage, shiso leaves, and hoisin sauce.

Photo: Sakerum

Masa 14

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Masa 14 offers two kinds of bao: pork belly and shiitake mushroom. The pork belly contains achiote paste, sweet pineapple sambal, cilantro, and serrano peppers. The shiitake is flavored with truffle, and cucumber.

Photo by Phi N. / Yelp

Chaplin's

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Chaplin's bun features braised pork, cucumbers, carrots, and spicy teriyaki. For vegetarians and vegans the buns are available with tofu.

Photo: Chaplin's

Jinya Ramen Bar (Multiple locations)

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The California-born noodle chain, which recently opened a second area location in Logan Circle, serves steamed buns — featuring braised pork belly, cucumber, mixed greens, kewpie mayo, and house sauce — on the regular menu and during weekday happy hour.

People's Bao

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This roving food truck sells three varieties of bao: pork, duck, and portobello mushrooms. Order with a single filling, or combine two or all three fillings in a single bao.

Photo: People's Bao

Momofuku CCDC

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Carnivores, pescatarians, and vegetarians alike will find suitable bao options at Momofuku CCDC. There's shiitake with hoisin and cucumber, chicken meatballs with jalapeno and paprika mayo, shrimp with pickled red onion and mayo, and brisket with horseradish and pickled red onion.

Photo by Karen W. / Yelp

Toki Underground

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Most spots default to pork belly gua bao. At Toki Underground the filling is fried chicken, Japanese mayo, sweet chili sauce, and seasonal pickles.

Maketto

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The bao at Maketto feature roasted duck, local vegetables, and various pickled vegetables.

Reren Lamen & Bar

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Accompanying the many flavors of lamen at Reren are the options of chicken and pork belly buns.

Photo by Heidi L. / Yelp

Absolute Noodle

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Absolute Noodle's bao features pork belly with pickled jalapeño and hoisin sauce.

Photo by Tommy C. / Yelp

The Source by Wolfgang Puck

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At The Source, Peking duck is served in open-faced steamed buns, rather than the traditional flour pancakes. Crisp duck skin and meat is tucked into the buns with cucumber, scallion, and garlic hoisin.

Marumen

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Along with a full menu of ramen, find bao with pork belly, cucumber, scallion and ginger hoisin sauce.

Photo by Vicky N. / Yelp

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Taipei Cafe

The gua bao, listed on the menu as a Taiwanese hamburger, is as close to the ones usually found in Taiwan. This one features pork belly, pickled vegetables, and crushed sugared peanuts.

Photo by Esther W. / Yelp

NaiNai's Noodle & Dumpling Bar

Nainai's has the largest variety of bao with six options. They offer a braised five-spice duck with daikon carrot slaw; ground beef bulgogi with kimchi; seared teriyaki spam with mango salsa; tofu with cabbage, mushroom and egg; smoked pork belly with peanut sauce; and crispy chicken tenders with chili sauce and daikon carrot slaw.

Photo by Danny N. / Yelp

Bun'd Up

Bun'd Up serves its bao at area farmers' markets. The homemade buns come in regular and whole wheat with fillings like Korean BBQ, braised pork belly, and marinated tofu. One distinguishing feature is the fruit kimchi, in the form of spicy pineapple, and wasabi guacamole. There's also a sweet option with peanut butter, banana jam and granola.

Photo: Bun'd Up

Sakuramen

Choose from four types of bao at Sakuramen. Opt for a spicy sweet pork with marinated mushrooms, slice rib eye bulgogi, chashu pork, or soy-marinated mushrooms.

Photo by Alida H. / Yelp

Sakerum

Along with all the sushi served at Sakerum, get a pork belly bao with Korean gochujang, pickled red cabbage, shiso leaves, and hoisin sauce.

Photo: Sakerum

Masa 14

Masa 14 offers two kinds of bao: pork belly and shiitake mushroom. The pork belly contains achiote paste, sweet pineapple sambal, cilantro, and serrano peppers. The shiitake is flavored with truffle, and cucumber.

Photo by Phi N. / Yelp

Chaplin's

Chaplin's bun features braised pork, cucumbers, carrots, and spicy teriyaki. For vegetarians and vegans the buns are available with tofu.

Photo: Chaplin's

Jinya Ramen Bar (Multiple locations)

The California-born noodle chain, which recently opened a second area location in Logan Circle, serves steamed buns — featuring braised pork belly, cucumber, mixed greens, kewpie mayo, and house sauce — on the regular menu and during weekday happy hour.

People's Bao

This roving food truck sells three varieties of bao: pork, duck, and portobello mushrooms. Order with a single filling, or combine two or all three fillings in a single bao.

Photo: People's Bao

Momofuku CCDC

Carnivores, pescatarians, and vegetarians alike will find suitable bao options at Momofuku CCDC. There's shiitake with hoisin and cucumber, chicken meatballs with jalapeno and paprika mayo, shrimp with pickled red onion and mayo, and brisket with horseradish and pickled red onion.

Photo by Karen W. / Yelp

Toki Underground

Most spots default to pork belly gua bao. At Toki Underground the filling is fried chicken, Japanese mayo, sweet chili sauce, and seasonal pickles.

Maketto

The bao at Maketto feature roasted duck, local vegetables, and various pickled vegetables.

Reren Lamen & Bar

Accompanying the many flavors of lamen at Reren are the options of chicken and pork belly buns.

Photo by Heidi L. / Yelp

Absolute Noodle

Absolute Noodle's bao features pork belly with pickled jalapeño and hoisin sauce.

Photo by Tommy C. / Yelp

The Source by Wolfgang Puck

At The Source, Peking duck is served in open-faced steamed buns, rather than the traditional flour pancakes. Crisp duck skin and meat is tucked into the buns with cucumber, scallion, and garlic hoisin.

Related Maps

Marumen

Along with a full menu of ramen, find bao with pork belly, cucumber, scallion and ginger hoisin sauce.

Photo by Vicky N. / Yelp

Related Maps