Bao Bei — Restaurant in North Bethesda

I visited Bao Bei after being recommended by a friend to try the food out, and it didn’t disappoint.

I got the signature Bao Bei Bao, filled with pork belly and topped with pickled veggies, cilantro, and sweet peanut. The bao was soft and fluffy. Biting into the pork belly, you’re hit with a lot of flavor and juice. The size is about the same as a small burger, but it’s filling enough to feed one person. I would say it’s in between a snack and a full lunch. If you’re starving, I’d recommend ordering two.

I also ordered the Toasted Sesame and Scallion Bread. The employee that took our order recommended it, especially since it was only available to order on Sundays. Since I didn’t know the next time I would visit on a Sunday, I decided to give it a shot. The outside is covered in sesame seeds and incredibly crispy. When you bite into it, the soft inside is layered with scallions. I liked it, but I do wish I could have tasted or smelled the scallion flavor a bit more. The order did come with three pieces, which was nice. It provided a nice contrast to the Bao Bei Bao.

Bao Bei is located in a center with other businesses. It’s not a traditional food restaurant, acting as a shared kitchen with other shops. When you pull into the plaza, you’ll have to go around the back and keep an eye out for the signs on the door. There’s no prominent signage that points out the location, so it might be tricky to find at first.

You can only go in through a set of stairs, and be aware that there is no definitive seating provided. We saw a lot of people coming in to pick up orders instead of placing them there. There are two seats inside, but I wouldn’t encourage anyone to eat there. There is plenty of parking spots if you wanted to stand outside and eat, which is what I did.

You ring a bell to have an employee take your order. The menu is small, but that personally made it easier for me to order. They did recommend the Brown Sugar Swirly Buns, but I decided not to try it today. The wait for the food was about 10 minutes, and the order and check-out process was quick.

If you’re looking for a place to sit down and eat, this wouldn’t be the place for you. I rated the atmosphere lower because this isn’t meant to be an aesthetic location. While the employees are friendly and offer plenty of help, the focus of Bao Bei is clearly on the quality of the food,...

WOW this place exceeded all my expectations. It's truly THE spot for pure authentic taiwanese street food. Literally the only (good) taiwanese store I could find in the DMV. Their menu is short and sweet which made it super easy to order from.

I ordered the Bao Bei Bao, Tofu-rrific bao, cucumber/woodear salad, and the swirly sugar bun. The food was prepared really quickly and I got it delivered to me in no time. I was so delighted to see a fun personalized delivery note with a cute drawing. The food itself was very high quality, perfect temperature, and tasted like everything was hand-crafted with love. The pork belly bao was juicy and good porkbun ratio. The tofu bao was the same. These did in fact melt in my mouth. The cucumber/woodear salad was fresh and this paired well with the baos I had. Lastly, the swirly sugar bun was the (unintentional) best dessert I didn't know I needed to cap off my lunch meal. The dough was so rich and fluffy. Mmmm I'm getting hungry just reflecting on my feast.

I was curious to learn more about them so I searched them up on social. Looks like they're very active on Instagram: @baobei.kh. I was right! Their baos are handmade! Wow they really are one-of-a-kind. It's so lovey to see.

Anyways, I highly recommend this spot. Truly a gem for authentic taiwanese street food with a lovely staff. When you order, they may even surprise you with a fun note to welcome you to the Bao Bei family or a...

I’ve had BaoBei quite a few times and have been meaning to leave a review for this place. First of all, BaoBei is AT THE BACK OF THE BUILDING. So when you get to the address, keep going through that parking lot and head to the back. Head to that delicious porky (or tofu-y) goodness.

Location cleared aside. I am a gua bao lover. And baobei’s buns are absolutely divine. Their pork is second to none—perfectly tender and the fat is rendered so well it melts in your mouth with little to no chew. I’ve gotten their normal takeout and loved them so much I put in a catering order when it was time for my kid’s 100 day party/baptism reception!

My guests loved the tofu option so much—I should have ordered more! And the pork buns and rice bowls were also a big hit.

We had plenty of leftovers due to the generous portions so my family and I happily ate up all the leftovers day after day until they were done. That’s how good BoaBei is. They made this girl never tired of eating it.

Working with them for catering was easy peasy and pleasant. Kevin is a fabulous guy and easy to communicate with.

So def check out BaoBei if you haven’t already. Also, get all their sides!!! The almond tofu and swirly buns and the pickled cabbage are my top faves but I also love their...