Wicked Bao — Restaurant in Fernandina Beach

I've got an overall gripe with the food industry and the abundance of self proclaimed "fusion" restaurants. We reserve the term "Culture vultures" for white kids with dreads or sleeves covered in henna ink, but I'd argue to my last breath that restaurants that try to fill their menus with multiple different cultures: that isn't fusion, it's being a exploitive restaurateur. Fusion is the mixing of flavours and cultures, when you slap Japanese ramen next to Chinese Sichuan, Indian curry and Korean kimchi, you aren't attempting fusion, you are just bastardizing cuisine to fit the uncivilized American consumer's palate. It irks me that Asian restaurants feel the need to conform to all of Asia to survive, I doubt your business would be any different if you strictly stuck to Chinese baos and Chinese dishes. The Good: The service was exceptional! The staff were impeccably fast, we barely chose our seats and our drinks were arriving followed by our appetizers and dinner in a matter of seconds. You'll understand why everything comes out so fast when the front of house staff is 12+ employees buzzing around like a bee hive. The namesake baos I'll admit are fusion! The single item on the menu that I felt was mixing cultures to form a cohesive dish. Very tasty and great value. The Bad: I think the cooks may have microwaved the pork ramen, the pork was unseasoned and flavorless. A uniform white in it's entirety, the texture was fine but without a sear mark or speck of seasoning. Microwave or boiled in water, only two options I can come up with for how they made that pork ramen. The Ugly: I reserve the Ugly section for the rare occurrences that leave a bad taste in my mouth. I highly doubt this is a common occurrence, please don't avoid this restaurant thinking the same thing could happen to you. I wholeheartedly think Wicked Bao deserves a visit...but the ugly part of my visit was finding egg shells in my ramen. Having worked in kitchens for the better part of my youth, I understand mistakes happen, a hair magically appears, a fish bone isn't caught in prep, but the simplest cooking skill was botched today: breaking an egg. Ignore the ugly, visit wicked for yourself and expect a menu that copy pasted the top dishes from each Asian country. I'll stick to going to Indian restaurants for Indian and Japanese restaurants for Japanese food. Top marks for the service, staff deserves...

We stopped by this quaint little town on our journey to Miami, with high hopes of admiring its impressive Victorian architecture. As the day went on, we began looking for somewhere delicious to eat off-the beaten path - and that's when we found it! Nestled away at the end of a quiet street was an inviting restaurant whose owner approached us as soon as she saw our car slow down. Her name? Natalie; her energy and enthusiasm is what made us stick around! She hooked us up with some amazing food while giving us plenty of local tips about all those awe-inspiring Victorians homes in the area - definitely worth seeing if you're ever in town!

Come join us for a unique food experience! Natalie is an amazing chef who always brings something fresh and special to the table, literally. You'll get great hints from her about what's new on the menu - just be sure to look up at that chalkboard when you arrive! After ordering with their friendly cashier stand, settle in outside or inside (we'd recommend trying out one of those outdoor tables!). Who knows? Maybe you’ll even find yourself making some new friends while enjoying your delicious meal – locals have all kinds of tips and insider info here they can share over dinner.

We had an amazing evening of captivating conversation - so much fun, we almost forgot to take pictures! The proof was in the pudding though: not a morsel left from our feast! From chicken satay and spring rolls as appetizers, followed by DanDan noodles & grouper bao for entrees – every bite was delicious. Trust me when I say that you’ve got to try this place if it looks like your kind of spot 🤩 Our new friends absolutely knocked it out of the park when they ordered from Natalie's place in Amelia Island! Not only did pot stickers,green beans and a fried pork over rice dish grace our dinner table - but we all got to share each other's meals too. The atmosphere was unbeatable, not to mention the fantastic food experience that left us wanting more (who can resist those delicious green beans?) A big thank you is due for Natalie welcoming us with open arms and providing such amazing fare - come join us at her joint so you don't miss out on what she...

Thinking about this restaurant puts a smile on my face! Food was excellent. Service was great. Atmosphere was welcoming and fun. We went here on a busy Friday night, and checked out the menu as we stood in line. The cashier (you order your food at the register) was friendly and helpful. When I asked about whether the rice tots were vegetarian, she said yes, but went above and beyond to let me know they were cooked in a fryer with non-vegetarian items. I'm not that selective (bad vegetarian, I know), but I did appreciate her telling me.

They gave us a number and our drinks were out before we had even sat down, which was wonderful because I had just run a 5k and was ready to pound some water. The food swiftly followed, with each dish coming out as it was ready. The rice tots were good and I loved the sriracha aioli. The roti canai (roti prata) was delicious — the curry was on point and the bread was perfect and flaky. I could have eaten four plates of just the bread.

I ordered the tofu bao which had a sweet chili sauce, pickles and some fresh herbs. The breaded tofu was nice and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I would have preferred a firmer tofu, but it was still really, really good. The bao was perfectly light and fluffy. My boyfriend had the bao trio — one pork belly, one fried chicken and one bulgogi. He liked them all, though his favorites were the chicken and pork belly.

The servers were all attentive and, as we got up to leave, a smiling woman thanked us for coming in and told us to have a great night. By the time we reached our table, she had already cleaned it off.

10/10 would eat here again. Don't pass...