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    Bao Bao Cafe

    4.2 (298 reviews)
    ModerateNoodles, Chinese
    Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Bao Bao Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    BAO BAO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Little Hot Pot 麻辣烫
    Alexis S.

    LOVED this mini hot pot! Ordered it to go because it's a pretty small dining area and I was super happy with the prices. You can adjust the spice level and of course I ordered it spicy. Everyone is super friendly when I walked in. I'll def be back if I find myself back in manhattan soon.

    Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉面
    Hoa L.

    Delicious food that comes quickly and for a great value! They have meal sets and individual entrees along with a variety of rice and noodle options. There's a small amount of seating inside and a self service drink fridge. The beef noodle soup I ate was filling and freshly made. It came in a to-go container and was suitable for dine-in or takeaway.

    Christopher Y.

    Small Asian restaurant with seating in the back. Super friendly and helpful staff at the front. Got the eel over rice and Taiwanese fried chicken over rice. Both were good and would be a perfect to-go meal if you're in the area. Reasonably priced and worth the visit. Good variety on the menu and I'm sure you'll find something you'll like or wanna try.

    Bao Bao Noodles 宝宝面
    Janet C.

    Solid spot with decent portions for the price - a good affordable quick lunch spot for those in the area. The server / cashier is very friendly as well. There are seats in the back.

    Beef with Rice牛肉盖饭 Bam Bam Noodles 拌拌面
    Smeeth W.

    The beef with rice was kind of underwhelming. It was a little too sweet and way too much rice and not much beef. The bam bam noodles are salty but flavorful. The service is minimal because you are excepted to take your food and take them back when done, so I would say tips should be optional, since there's not much service involved. There's an open kitchen, therefore the whole dining area is kind of smelly. I wouldn't recommend this place, but it's in deed quite cheap.

    Brown paper bag
    Nancy A.

    This is a truly hidden gem that I never found out until now. I came here a couple of days and was amazed at how fast the food was prepared! I ordered a bao bao rice platter to go and my order was ready in 1 minute! I did not even have to wait at all! It was shockingly fast! My order was very neatly packaged in a brown paper bag with utensils and napkins. I grabbed seconds just in case they did not include them in my bag. I was so happy that the bowl was very filling. The restaurant packed the bowl to the top. It was a lot of food. The minced pork meat in the bowl was very fresh and tasty with the chili peppers to add that spicy kick. The rice was very refreshing and cooked really well. The rice was not mushy or overly dry. It was just right! I'm definitely going to get the same bowl again next time I stop by. The ambience of this place was casual and hip. Very cozy with paintings on the wall. There was a long hallway that was very nice to admire because of the yellow brick wall. The place can be a bit too tight and was very crowded when I was there so I took my order. It was definitely hard to get a table. There were coat hangers on the wall for people to hang their jackets.

    A5. Popcorn Chicken
    Justin C.

    Bao bao Cafe felt like home. Wooden designed Asian tables/seats, typical for Taiwanese restaurant. Classic Taiwanese beef noodle soup with lots of extra toppings to add. Popcorn chicken bento that was crispy with a great assortment of carbs, fiber, and protein. The best type of bento. The aunties at the front were super nice and accommodating and the food came out super quick. Lots of space inside the restaurant as well if you wanted to grab a quick bite + study.

    Beef with Rice牛肉盖饭
    Jenn T.

    I love this place! They have pretty good Taiwanese food. This time around, I went for the Beef over Rice, which consists of chopped up slices of marinated beef with bok choy over rice. I felt the beef was a good amount and the rice drenched in the oils of the beef was delish! But what topped off the experience was the service. Big shoutout to Jay, who I've run into a few times I've been there. He's always so accommodating. This is a small cafe with a bathroom and seating in the back, nestled in downtown not too far from the 9/11 Museum, Oculus and Mercer Labs museum. I would highly recommend checking it out after some sightseeing. It closes at 8pm everyday, though, so best get there soon! Enjoy!!!

    Rand E.

    Good no frills chinese box lunches. Had the pork box lunch which included a good sized portion of braised pork belly, a large scoop rice, some steamed broccoli and a tea egg. Also had the eel rice bowl with a good portion of eel. Quite tasty but no atmosphere in cafe.

    Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉面
    TT L.

    The soup was delicious. The staff was fast. I had a veggie soup that is gluten free and added chicken. The restaurant is very spacious.

    A3. Dipping Bun
    Raymond W.

    Good food done fast! The popcorn chicken had great flavor and still moist inside. The dipping bun was a favorite amongst the kids. Also got the pork belly rice play but forgot to take a picture before I devoured it. The pork belly was tender and marinated well.

    Pork belly meal
    John P.

    Amazing. Delicious well done food, quick and affordable. I had the pork belly lunch which came with white rice, some broccoli with some vinegrette, and a tea egg. The pork belly was well done. Perfect mix of well cooked pork and soft fat in a tangy sauce. Good sized portion too. With soda $16. Is eat here all the time.

    Pork Belly
    Ka V.

    Pleasantly surprised with this little place in the Financial District! I originally wanted to have lunch by the piers but my husband wasn't feeling it and my 4 year old wanted rice so Hubby found Bao Bao Cafe. The menu is posted on the window with photos of the entrees and we ended up going with the Eel over Rice for my husband, Pork Belly for me, Popcorn Chicken for our younger 3 and Beef over Rice for our oldest. We did not dine in, but found a place to sit to enjoy our meal. The pork belly was flavorful, filling and delicious with equal parts of sweet and savory all around. There were perfect amounts of meat-to-fat ratio in my pork belly cuts, and my husband couldn't stop reaching his chopsticks over for a piece. My oldest enjoyed his beef and rice and chose it because there was bok choy (he likes his well-rounded meals!) and the Popcorn Chicken were very good. My younger 2 are 4 and 2 years old, and anticipated American popcorn chicken but didn't stop them from eating their meal.

    Unagi --- yummers! Isn't it pretty? Tasted more than pretty, let me tell you.

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    3 years ago

    Cheap, greasy Chinese food with chintzy servings of protein and Times Square branding.

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    2 years ago

    Really good Korean food for the price. It has some seating, but you should really pick this place as a grab and go.

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    Pretty good food in a casual dining experience. It's a good stop if you're in the area, or maybe a chance to take a break from sightseeing.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Bao Bao Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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    Tipsy Shanghai

    Tipsy Shanghai

    4.1(154 reviews)
    3.4 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East
    •$$

    Ordered eggplant in garlic sauce, fried rice, steamed pork dumplings. Everything was scrumptious…read more So glad I found this place, which will be my new go-to. I also ordered the coconut dessert, which was cancelled from my order because they were out. Sometimes when this happens, restaurants will call to suggest an alternative. I do wish they would have done this, but overall, a great experience.

    I had not been back to Tipsy Shanghai for perhaps a year or two, and I was surprised by how much…read morethe food quality seems to have deteriorated. We ordered three dishes that I had either enjoyed before or was familiar with: Wuxi Pork Ribs: The ribs were quite decent, tender and juicy, with a nicely balanced sauce. But there was nothing particularly memorable about them. The menu says the secret recipe has been passed down through generations for more than 110 years, but I found that claim hard to reconcile with what was on the plate. Slow-roast a slab of pork ribs for four hours at 250°F, I can get a very similar result at home. Famous Assorted Bowl: This used to be one of my favorite dishes here, and I ordered it almost every time I visited. Unfortunately, this time it was a real disappointment. The ingredients no longer tasted freshly prepared, well-seasoned, or flavorful. Instead, much of the dish had the bland, slightly lifeless quality of previously frozen food. Even the shrimp in the soup did not taste particularly fresh. Boiled Shredded Dry Bean Curd with Chicken and Shrimp: This is a classic Yangzhou dish and another item I used to order regularly. In the past, the bean-curd sheets were cut into extremely fine threads, with a soft and delicate texture that absorbed the flavor of the broth beautifully. This time was completely different. The bean-curd threads were hard and dry, with the texture of a packaged frozen product, and they had absorbed almost none of the broth's flavor. What had once been a delicate, carefully prepared dish now tasted surprisingly flat. Overall, Tipsy Shanghai used to be a restaurant I returned to for several specific dishes. However, both the quality of the ingredients and the care in preparation seem to have declined noticeably.

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    Tipsy Shanghai
    Tipsy Shanghai - Black truffle fried rice

    Black truffle fried rice

    Tipsy Shanghai - Boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili

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    Boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili

    Dun Huang - N1

    Dun Huang

    4.4(394 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    •$$

    Was looking for a restaurant nearby since it was pouring outside, and this place turned out to be a…read moregreat find. Came here for dinner on a weekend. The restaurant is near my friend's place. The place was exactly what we were looking for... Inexpensive, cozy and comfortable atmosphere! The place was a little busy, and didn't take reservations, but we were seated immediately. Amazing service and delicious food! The food was fresh and came out fast. Portions are generous, so you definitely won't leave hungry. My favorite dish was the Signature Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, which was delicious and flavorful, and also gluten free, dairy free and soy free. Others had something else I had no interest in to remember the name. Their menu has many options to offer, including gluten free, soy free, and dairy free options. We would come back again and highly recommend you check out this place if you are in Murray Hill Manhattan. My only complaint was that I noticed a male staff member leave the restroom without flushing the toilet, which took away from an otherwise positive dining experience.

    ​Dun Huang is a reliable spot if you are looking specifically for wide noodles, but the rest of the…read moremenu falls short. ​The noodles themselves are well-prepared and have a great, satisfying chew. However, the other dishes are not particularly memorable. The skewer meat was tough and difficult to chew through, while the burger had a mushy texture and lacked distinct flavor. ​The service is standard for a quick-service noodle shop; the staff isn't overtly helpful or friendly, but they aren't inhospitable either. Stick strictly to the wide noodle dishes if you decide to visit.

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    Dun Huang
    Dun Huang - C1. Fried Eggplant in Garlic Soy Sauce

    C1. Fried Eggplant in Garlic Soy Sauce

    Dun Huang

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    Mi

    Mi

    4.0(3 reviews)
    3.2 mi•Murray Hill, Midtown East

    Had walked by a few times but a on post gym Trader Joe's run the pictures were enticing enough…read more Got a Lanzhou beef noodle combo with a drink and a lamb burger. The beef soup is clear and light and the noodles have a delightful texture, with a slight chew and good bounce. There's a good portion of braised beef as well. Tender but a bit fatty for my taste, but given the portion it's not going to kill you. Lamb burger ended up as overkill and will be consumed as leftovers but a quick sampling let me know that it's gamey and fatty with strong notes of cumin. Not a bad thing, but something to note for people that might not generally enjoy lamb or cumin. Black pepper beef rice bowl was solid too. Spice wise, you can calibrate accordingly but I'd recommended at least their regular spice level. Decent amount of tenderized but still chewy beef. Both dishes came with a salad of celery, carrot, cucumber, peanuts and seaweed strips in a light sauce. Couldn't quite figure out the sauce but it was lightly tart and refreshing. Space is clean and modern. Neutral wood, well lit. Service is friendly enough. If you dine in, you order at the kiosk and they'll deliver to your table. We had leftovers that they graciously packed up. Solid choice. I hope they stick around as they do bring a different cuisine to the area.

    first time trying chinese halal food and it did not disappoint!…read more had a mix of more common chinese dishes and uyghur dishes. got several of the popular noodle dishes and the bun. all were very flavorful!! service was fast. the portions were a bit smaller than I would've liked but still fairly filling. overall quite good and a good regular spot in murray hill.

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    Mi
    Mi
    Mi

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    Tonchin

    Tonchin

    4.4(2.6k reviews)
    3.3 mi•Midtown West
    •$$

    Everything was good. BEST RAMEN OF MY LIFE…read more We didn't have a reservation and we had a large party but they still made it happened. I will go back next time I visit NY.

    Stopped by here on my way to the Morgan Library which is just about a block or so away on a…read moreThursday mid afternoon and was surprised there were quite a few people here. It would've been very easy to miss unless you're specifically looking for this place. Upon entering you're greeted by the numerous Michelin guides lol, front desk seated me pretty shortly after ensuring my seat was set, I was sat at the bar where they have a scan menu. Server immediately was attentive and filled my glass with some water. I was originally going to get the Dashi ramen but after I shared I'm allergic to shrimp the server felt it was a bit risky he was very careful so I appreciated that. I got the Tokyo ramen instead and a side of shishito peppers (he also omitted the Dashi JIC). It was happy hour so the appetizer was $7 I/o $8 and I also got an Asahi draft for $8. Ramen was $22. I was very surprised the server even asked about the oil the pork and peppers are fried in JIC of cross contamination - he shared that they use the same batch of oil as frying tempura (but I was ok with that but just watch out if you're like super super sensitive). Ramen: 7/10, decent bowl but not the best I've had. Feels a bit more Americanized and I prefer authentic Japanese ramen. Soup was rich, flavor but again it's one you can find at many other ramen shops in nyc. Noodle was a bit lackluster it was a bit soggy, not springy like freshly made ramen. The pork slices are flavorful but felt it's bit thin, I prefer a good cut...but personal preference. There's 2 thicker slices of marinated bamboo and half a jammy egg topped with scallions. Decent bowl but don't think it's worth $22. Shishito peppers: nicely fried. Well seasoned. 9/10 Overall - good spot for a decent bowl of ramen in the area. Environment: clean, nothing that caught my attention with design but just minimalist style, with black hard

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    Interior

    Tonchin - Chicken Tsukune Bun

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    Bao Bao Cafe - noodles - Updated September 2026

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