the BAO — Restaurant in Clayton

As I ventured into BAO for the first time, I was immediately struck by its ambiance – a blend of formality and subtlety, with dim lighting that suggested a more refined dining experience. The presence or absence of music escaped my memory, a testament perhaps to its unobtrusiveness or absence altogether.

Upon entry, I was promptly greeted by Biddy, a name I would only later associate with my receipt, who seamlessly took my order. Opting for the 2 BAO combo, accompanied by fries and a drink, priced around $20, I embarked on a culinary journey.

The fries, while tasty, harbored a slight disappointment. They lacked the captivating warmth of freshly cooked fries, residing instead in a lukewarm state. Nevertheless, their flavor managed to rise above this minor setback.

The truffle wagyu burger BAO was an exercise in contrasts. The patty was a marvel of culinary expertise, cooked flawlessly, and the sauce melded beautifully with the burger, though I personally could have done without the pickles. However, the dish's titular ingredient, the truffle, was conspicuously absent in taste. Had it been simply named "wagyu burger", it would have been a precise description.

In stark contrast, the fried chicken BAO was a triumph. The crunch of the chicken juxtaposed against the BAO's softness created an exquisite textural harmony. The seasoning of the chicken was faultless, leaving no room for improvement.

I left BAO with a resolve to return, enticed by the promise of exploring their shrimp and spicy lobster offerings. The service was exceptional, marked by thoughtful gestures like offering a cup of water while I waited. BAO, with its culinary highs and attentive service, secures a place on my list of establishments worthy...

We went to Bao for a birthday dinner and we walked in with a homemade birthday cake at the beginning of dinner and had restaurant staff put in the fridge. At that time, we were NOT advised that there was a 'cakeage' fee of 2.50 per person. We went on with our birthday dinner and spent over $250.00 plus tax. When we were about to have the cake brought out the 'manager' told us about the 2.50 per person serving fee!!! There was nothing mentioned the time we came in, after we ordered dinner and various cocktails, but at the end when we were ready to sing happy birthday and cut the cake.... this surprise charge was presented. My friend who baked her heart out for her husband was advised of the preposterous fee. The manager argued with us relentlessly about this being a customary charge then she called the other manager and he too argued to Ad nauseam.

Another person in our party paid the 'cakeage' fee but this experience was one of the worst and most uncomfortable experiences I have ever had. It made me feel really awful, chased my happiness and buzziness away (my drink was which was amazing was surpassed by the managers' awful attitudes) and made me feel really icky. We spent a lot of money at this establishment and we were treated horribly. With numerous options in Clayton and the surrounding areas - we chose this establishment. I implore you DO NOT waste your money or time with these amateurs. I hope the owner and executive chef RJ Wu is aware - or even gives a damn - that the managers at his establishment are ruining his restaurant...

Not as pleasant as it could have been. They have a great concept, the atmosphere was pretty chill, and the bao and soup was good.

We got a couple appetizers; yuzu popcorn chicken and gyoza. The chicken was over cooked with lots of small burnt bits, and the steamed gyoza was very wet like they were boiled not steamed. On our main dishes bao2 we got the spring roll as the side items, but the spring rolls were cold and mushy in the middle. I didn't get a chance to tell our server because she didn’t return to our table until everyone was done eating their main dish, and the thing we had to say was not about the spring rolls it was that my partner/ toddler didn't get their meal. We noticed other tables were getting served before us that came in after us. When we asked about their meal the server told us that our meal got served to another table, she also forgot the baby's drink with a lid 3 times, and the last time she told us there wasn't any cups and that they had to get some down. (We didn't ask for the cup initially, she offered one to us, it was weird she kept forgetting it, and then she had to go pull them out) We were there well over an hour, most of it waiting on our food and a plastic cup of water. The baby started getting cranky so we had to load the kids in the car and have my partner wait inside to get the check and the meal they forgot. We were all still hungry after leaving there. Service was bad and not worth the $98 bill. If you choose to go there, I would recommend pick up only, and stick with the bao...