Bao Tennyson — Restaurant in Denver

Let me preface this review. I grew up partially in Taiwan and thus have a very high standard for dumplings, buns, and noodle soups.

The good: There were definitely some fun vibes here. I loved the modern Chinese decor and some interesting fusion takes on the food/drink menus. The cocktails looked delicious, although I didn’t try them this time. The workers here also seemed really friendly and nice. The food standouts for me were the char siu bao and spicy Peking duck noodle soup. I thought the char siu bao had a really nice fluffy bun and a rich, sweet-and-savory meat filling. Yummy! The spicy Peking duck noodle soup was overall ok, but the duck itself was so delicious!! It was perfectly tender—very well cooked and seasoned. I could’ve had an entire plate of that duck! The xiao long baos were nice and juicy.

The not as good: I felt that the flavors here tended to feel a bit overpowering. The pork xiao long baos and the char siu bao dipping sauce both had an oddly sweet taste to them. The kobe beef dumplings were a bit too salty and just had too many other flavors going on at once. In addition, the dumpling skins felt a bit too thick/chewy and the texture of the spicy Peking duck soup noodles just felt off. Also, the prices here definitely run on the high end for what you get.

Overall my experience here was ok. I probably wouldn’t come back for the food alone, but I’d come back for the nice vibes and to try...

A completely disappointing experience from start to finish! I went to this restaurant with my husband and his mom, excited to try a new place but unfortunately, it was a total disappointment. From the start, the service was a mess. Every dish we ordered came out wrong. The soup arrived completely cold, and although they reheated it after we complained. The worst part: all of our orders were vegetarian, yet they brought out a shrimp dish. It was obvious we hadn’t asked for it, but they charged us for it anyway which felt dishonest and intentional, as if they were trying to inflate the bill. Then, after messing up my boyfriend’s order, they finally brought the right one but without the extra tofu we had paid for. At that point, we were too embarrassed to keep complaining, even though it was justified. If you’re going to offer vegetarian or vegan options, at least back them up with decent service. Don’t offer those dishes if you’re not willing to give a good experience. I wouldn’t recommend this place in any sence there is so many good place in Denver to eat, or honestly anyone looking for a good dining experience. It's a new restaurant, and they should be ashamed to offer such poor service right...

We walked in and were surprised that you had to get in line and order at a counter. We placed our order, and asked if we could sit at the bar. We were told we had done it wrong - we should have just gone straight to the bar. No problem! We go to the bar, where we're told we sat in the wrong seats, that we should leave 2 seats open to each side of us. No problem!

At each step, the recommendations from the staff seem to be the most expensive items on the menu. The prices as a whole are bordering offensive. $7 to add a side cucumber salad the size of a fist. $8 for a Coors Banquet.

Ultimately the food was OK, for $50 per person not necessarily memorable. The ordering process and general environment felt hostile, like the product of management trying to squeeze every dollar out of each person to recoup the cost of their remodel.

If you're looking for great Asian food nearby, try Hey Kiddo or Glo. Either restaurant will make you...