Fat Bao

A couple of years ago, there was restaurant food and there was food truck food. The places on wheels somehow had more boldness to make wacky stuff that didn’t seem like it should go together, but once I’d bite into it, I was like YESS! Fat Bao is that same formula but with a bathroom and no wheels. All kinds of weird flavor combos that seem unfitting until you try. I’m convinced that every one of their little baos are fire because I didn’t have a single bite that disappointed. The onion rings were unreal too. Great/quick service, and the atmosphere was good too. I’ll be back like the Terminator. So good.

2 months ago

I always wanted to try this place as I’ve heard good things. Man, they did not disappoint. I got their most popular buns and they are all pretty good. It tasted like the pork was the coldest out of all the three, but all the sauces were good. I would say the chicken and crab bao were the best out of three. The pork is good, but too thick for me to chew. Highly recommend trying out this place if you want to give it a shot.

2 months ago

Fat Bao takes Chinese cuisine as its foundation and fuses it with a wide range of other influences, resulting in slider sized bao sandwiches that aim to be playful and inventive. The restaurant is counter service, offering about sixteen different bao options, along with a small selection of appetizers and desserts. We arrived for a slightly later lunch, and while it was not overly busy at first, a steady crowd built over time without ever becoming overwhelming. Ordering was straightforward, and the staff explained that most diners order two to three bao for a meal, as each is relatively small, about three to four bites each. Personally, I could have eaten four or five with an appetizer, though I arrived particularly hungry that day. Many of the offerings were intriguing, and there is no shortage of flavor here. Each filling on its own was well prepared and enjoyable. The bao themselves were also good. My main issue was that the two did not truly connect. The bao functioned more as a delivery system than as an integrated part of the dish. The fillings and the bread never quite complemented one another in a way that felt cohesive. Presentation also worked against the experience. Several fillings were quite wet, and serving multiple bao together in a cardboard bowl led to sauces bleeding into one another. This cross contamination blurred the individuality of each option. Using simple dividers or taco style holders inside the bowl would go a long way toward preserving the integrity of each bao. In the end, I enjoyed the meal, but it fell short of being something I wanted to return to. There is promise here, and the ideas are strong, but the execution needs further refinement for the experience to feel whole. My rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars) Rating scale: 1 star — I will never return. 2 stars — If nearby, I might return, but without urgency. 3 stars — Worth a visit if in the area, though not a destination. 4 stars — Worth going out of your way to enjoy. 5 stars — I would fly around the world for this meal.

2 months ago

Small spot with big flavors. We swung by to grab some lunch. Between my hubby and I we ordered the fried cauiliflower, two bulgogi baos, a soft shell crab bao, a Korean chicken bao, and a Memphis bao to start. My husband later ordered the Memphis, the pork belly and one more I cant remember the name of. The food was delicious! We will definitely return on a future visit to Houston.

3 weeks ago

⚠️OINK-O-RAMA⚠️ So much yummy variety of Bao; though closer to an open face version than the dumpling style many are accustomed too; Vivé la Différencē! Saturday evening 10.27 & within an hour of closing I was nicely greeted and quickly served a Fish, the Korean Fried Chicken & the duck Bao. Fish was the stand out, KFC was really good and absent the fish would be my face... the duck was delicious and had no obvious flaws but somehow felt less than the sum of its parts (?), still worth a go if fowl is your thing + very meaty. RECOMMENDED!

5 months ago