Bao Nine — Restaurant in East Whiteland Township

Bao Nine Malvern had their grand opening today (congrats!). The owners have at least one other location in Center City. I ordered three bao: Crispy Chicken, Sticky Chicky, and Bao Boa. Understandably, there are some things to work out.

Here's what I think needs work: My only food complaint is a big one. In both chicken bao, the protein was WAaaay overcooked and so dry it was actually difficult to bite into and chew. (pic) The chicken didn't taste like it was made to order, but more like it was precooked, sat under a warming light for half a day, then reheated. Yummy toppings and sauces can't hide a piece of chicken that chews like a brick. The inside of the restaurant is about 90% there. The worst thing I noticed was the ladies bathroom; it needs deep cleaned. Besides being messy (the toilet brush hanging out of its holder, pieces of paper towels and hair on the floor, trash filled to the brim) the floor corners were grimy, and the walls needed a good wash. This was old dirt, meaning the bathroom was this way before Bao Nine took over the retail space. Since this was the Grand Opening, I was surprised the restaurant hadn't been scrubbed down with bleach and a power washer.

That said, here's what was great: When I opened the box, the bao were BEAUTIFUL! (pic) I thought the presentation was really well done. Despite the very dry chicken, the other components of the sandwitches were great. The buns were perfect and the toppings tasted delicious. The Bao Boa brisket was good. They gave free chips for the Grand Opening. In my opinion, this is ALWAYS a smart move. I was offered something I would have probably never bought, but after trying today, I would buy them in the future - they were good! Logo design is super cute, just saying

If not for the chicken, the food would have been very good. I kept my review at 4 stars because it could be a great spot for bao if they work out the hiccups. In the meantime, I recommend ordering the Bao Boa. I'll be coming back to try...

It's the worst place I've gone to sit down and eat at. Upon walking it, I was hit with the stale smell of cigarettes, which should have been my first sign to turn around.

I stayed because they have a ton of variety when it comes to their bao selection, and they really did sound delicious. I ordered 3 with a side of fries. When I went to sit down and wait for my order, I noticed that most of the tables were sticky and unbalaced.

Once my food was delivered, I noticed that none of it was hot. It was barely warm as if it had been sitting under a heating lamp. The chicken in my bao was horribly dry and pulled apart like beef jerky. The French fries seemed as if they were reheated in the microwave. I did not finish my food. In fact, I had to spit out what I had been chewing on for far too long.

As it stands, I would not recommend this place to...

My coworkers and I, frequently order here for lunch, but this last experience was really disappointing. I placed an order ahead of time to be ready at 12:00, and when my coworker arrived, none of the orders were ready. She ended up waiting around 30 minutes before everything was finally done. On top of that, when my coworker asked for a bag to carry our individual orders (over 12 meals total), the cashier said we had to pay for a super small bag. That just felt ridiculous after the long wait and large order. Unfortunately, this experience really put a bad taste in my mouth, probably won’t...