Authentic bao is all I can say. Taiwanese, Vietnamese, japanese all done right with the flavors and nicely steamed buns. Friendly crew, nice day, great food. Can't ask for more. read more

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Came here for dinner the other day and it was okay. Not sure if I would come back but if you come here I would recommend only trying their baos and maybe avoid their noodles. I wasn't craving baos so I ordered a noodle soup but it wasn't to my liking. I feel like this place is more known for their baos so I should have ordered those. I got to try a phew bites of the Taiwanese classic and Chinese bbq Baos because someone else in my party ordered them and those tasted WAY better. read more

the food did not hit the mark for me sadly. there was definitely flavor especially SPICE but i felt like there was no richness or comfort i usually get from a bowl of ramen. the texture of the ramen felt so off where it tasted more doughy and eh read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

A fusion Asian spot with a Canadian twist, which I understand, but some aspects didn't quite hit the mark for me. Overall, the food was decent, but the soup, particularly the pork belly broth, lacked the richness and depth of flavor you'd expect. The pork belly ramen had an overpowering sourness, likely from the pickled mushrooms. I assume this was a fusion take on Japanese pickled bamboo shoots, but the sourness was so strong that it dominated the broth. The ramen noodles themselves also lacked the bite and chewiness of traditional ramen, leaning more on the doughy side. I know it's fusion, but I think some of these elements could be better balanced. read more

Bao - Pork Belly Ramen, Truffle Pork Belly Ramen, Mei Fun Noodle, Curry, Tantan Ramen - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Delicious! Came in with a group of 5 and all enjoyed the meal. We ordered Pork Belly Ramen and 3 Bao Buns featured in the photo. The buns were FANTASTIC and the ramen was good. Staff were helpful as we weren't sure what to order upon arriving. read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Ben from the drake recommend we eat here and it was a great recommendation. The whole menu was amazing and we definitely over ate. The staff was awesome and got us seated right away too. Really enjoyed the whole experience. read more

A small but cozy restaurant. We had two bowls of ramen and an assortment of bao. The bao were the show stoppers. Oh my goodness were they delicious. The ramen was also very good. The pork belly in the ramen was fried. The eggs were cooked perfectly. Our only complaint was that the noodles were slightly overcooked. If we come here again, we'll skip the ramen and just get bao. read more

Bao - Ramen with their homemade chili oil. - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I see it's been 7 years since my last post here and this place is still great. I try to go every time I'm in Victoria. The Pork Belly Ramen was phenomenally good! read more

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When a friend tells me they are going to Victoria or ask for food recommendations in Victoria, I always tell them Bao needs to be on the list of restaurants they eat at. Definitely not traditional but absolutely fantastic. All of their baos and noodle dishes are absolutely fantastic. This place is smaller but worth a wait for a table. read more

Pretty much ordered the whole menu- jk Really small place- must order first and then sit- here's the run down: -Korean fried chicken- bibimbab- don't expect traditional bibimbab, it's rice with the fried chicken, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, and a sunny fried egg on top 3.5/5 -General Taos wings- pretty sweet but good 5/5 Classic Twainesse Bao Chinese bbq Bao Buttermilk fried chicken Bao - this one was a favorite Pork belly ramen - just ok for me could use a deeper flavor-the noodles were not silky at all Tongstsu Bao It was all generally good- would return- Bao buns were nice and soft read more

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This place is legit the best ramen and bao I've ever tasted. Service is friendly and casual. Vibes are cool. Wonderful, wonderful food. read more

Bao - Assorted bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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First time at Bao's and we had a great time! You have to place and pay for our order before taking seats which was efficient. The ambiance is cute, cosy! The space is quite small but the hosts are friendly, making you feel right at home.The service here is great and the highlight of our meal was definitely the mushroom and black bean veg croquette bao. They were phenomenal, bursting with flavour and creativity. We also tried the veggie tofu bibimbap, and it was also delicious! I highly recommend this place! We are already planning our next visit! Don't miss out on this hidden gem!! read more

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Service was great. We ordered takeout Ramen and they gave us some beverages while we waited. Everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves! This is an order at the counter and then be seated restaurant...but worth it!! Will definitely go back again!! read more

This place is really good. The Miso ramen was an excellent broth. The mushroom Bao was amazing. Service was great. Stop by -- you won't regret it! read more

This was a wonderful surprise. We both ordered ramin and it was fantastic. The place is small, maybe 8 tables and 4 seats at the bar. You queue up in line, when a seat opens up you can order then sit. He serving was efficient and the meals are prepared right in sight of the dining room. I loved the atmosphere, our server was also the bus-person. She answered the phones, took takeout orders and was the cashier. She brought us a sample bbq bao with the most tasty meat inside. We're going back and sample more! read more

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Omg this place is 10/10!!! They are quick to serve. Went with a group of 4 we all shared one ramen and a one order or the Baos, it's nice because you pick 4 different Baos of your choice and the pork were my favorite! I will definitely be returning here when I'm Victoria! Would highly recommend the Ramen as well. The place is small but it's cute. read more

Bao - Outside - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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So Recently visited Bao as a recommendation. We got seated right away as it was a weekday (Thursday) at 3 pm. It's a quant place open kitchen .. warm and cozy feeling. Server was attentive and kind. We ordered he tan tan and the regular rahmem also a few different Baos. I did the pork belly and it was very nice the bao bun was cooked to perfect and the tan tan was perfectly seasoned and nice chewy noodles. I would definitely recommend and will be going back again. read more

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Our final meal in Victoria before heading back home. They don't take reservations so we arrived just before they opened to ensure we get seated. You need to give and pay your order before getting seated so know what you want so many dishes to try! Korean Fried Chicken bibimbap Mei Fun Stir Fry Taiwanese Classic bao Chinese BBQ bao Pork Meatball Banh Mi bao Buttermilk Fried Chicken bao We devoured the delicious food just in time to walk around Chinatown before heading to the ferry to go back to reality. read more

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I would say that the food was delicious however very, very small. Not sure if it's just because I'm from the US and our portions are huge or if others would agree. We got 4 baos and ramen, easily could've eaten 2x what we ordered. The Bao was delicious, however smaller than my hand. Ramen was also delicious but 5 bites and it's gone. I would come back just with the expectation of spending a lot more money to get full read more

Food- 8/10 Delicious! There isn't many yummy places to get Asian food in Victoria, BC, and this is one of the few! I really loved the fried tofu bibimbap since it was so flavorful and the tofu was very crunchy! I would highly recommend ordering the dish. Cleanliness/Looks- 10/10 Everything is very clean, and they are very thorough in checking for vaccine cards/ID with vaccine proof. FYI- the times for open/closing on Yelp aren't accurate! They are closed Sunday AND Monday, and they do a 4-5 PM closing period to clean the restaurant. This was super frustrating... read more

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Tried several months ago not recommended this! Their services were unforgettable & weird. Tried few months ago that gave me unpleasant experience. When I entered their restaurant & asked if I could take my seat for waiting friends then they replied no as we all needed to order first b4 sitting in. That's fine. As it's around 7-8c outside I waited in the restaurant. As of the narrow space I kept myself next to the blackboard for avoiding interruptions. But then the cashier instantly approached me, while she's handling payments, & requested me to stay a bit further as my hair removing the blackboard's writing! Oh come on! How rude she was! When we were leaving a server was cleaning up our table but she looked annoyed over us. I really couldn't get it why they served Asian like this! Kinds of disrespectful! They served fusion Asian food but not authentic. read more

The balance of incredible flavors I was searching for in Victoria. This is the best food I've found hands down. Get literally anything. I had the pork belly ramen, and the fried chicken bao and it's EVERYTHING. Come here. read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE Refreshingly different, at a price. It's a toss-up - really high prices for Chinatown, coupled with small portions because we did takeout? I hoping dining in provides for larger portions because one shouldn't have to drive thru McDonald's after eating the mains just to feel full. But then the food was decently flavored, so it's 3 stars for now until I'm able to try it again! === 2. FOOD Bao offers a slightly different take on the usual dishes: Ramen: - Pork Belly ($15) - Tan Tan ($15, with soft egg) - Truffle Char Siu ($16) - (Chicken) Karaage ($16) ...all were nice but in the takeout containers were horrendously small, particularly for the price, and so it's good we went elsewhere to eat after this. Bao: With flavors like Shanghai Black Bean, Tonkatsu Chicken, Taiwanese Classic, Chinese BBQ, and Pork Meatball, it's great to try flavors you won't find elsewhere. Savor every bite though, because each delicacy is $4.50 or $15 for four! === 3. SERVICE & ENVIRONMENT I only did takeout, so from that perspective, the service was good and reasonably fast after ordering in-person. The environment looks to be an oasis in Chinatown - something intentionally dim, cool-looking, and clean in contrast to much of what is in the surrounding blocks. The space is small there may have been a step or two to get inside - either way, the limited space will pose a challenge for wheelchairs and strollers. Parking is best found at a meter on the street outside or in the municipal lot up the block on Fisgard Street. read more

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Two words.... SO DELICIOUS! Definitely stop by this gem when you are in Chinatown. There will be a wait when you go right after 12pm (open time). The restaurant is not huge -- has around 6 small tables and the bar. You have to order and pay first before you get seated. Food came out promptly after ordering. You can see the chefs making the food -- everything is fresh and made on the spot. We got the cucumber salad, pork belly ramen & the curry. Curry had a kick to it and all items were amazing!!! read more

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One of the first places we got takeout from after moving to Victoria. Recalling our impression, I only remember the portions being small. This time we came to dine in. Already popping at 5:30 on a Thursday! Got a table just in time. Pay-first style with self-serve drinks, simpler and probably keeps costs down. Menu pretty streamlined, mainly bao / ramen / bibimbap. All the bao we tried were outstanding flavour-wise -- my favourite being the classic Taiwanese. The complaint again is size: each is finishable in 2 bites, and they're $16 for 4. The truffle chashu ramen was too salty for my taste but perfect for the husby (he also asked for spicy). Chashu (thick with some crisp to it) and egg texture were on point. Had to add the pork belly ramen because the 4 bao + 1 ramen weren't quite enough for us... This one ended up being more generous in terms of portion size, but only 2 slim pieces of pork belly (albeit very well crisped). Without spiciness I was able to try the base broth -- it wasn't quite the traditional ramen broth, more like a bone broth. The mushrooms in the ramen were a bit over-pickled for my taste. Overall, neat fusion spot but a bit lacking on authenticity and portion size. read more

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Everything we had was amazing. 3 different ramen, bibimbap and baos - all super flavorful. Delish!

Pros: nice colourful presentation of food Service was pretty fast Good portions Cons: it is a fusion restaurant so ramen , baos, bibimbap etc.. are catered more towards western taste Flavours are decent but not as good as the authentic dishes they took inspiration from Pricey read more

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The food is delicious and the bao bun options are delicious. I wish I was staying in Victoria another day to eat more of the food. It is a cozy hole in the wall spot, but there is plenty of seating. Staff was very helpful and informative when we asked questions about the menu. read more

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Very rude and unwelcoming place! Walked in with my wife hoping for a nice lunch. When we walked up to the counter the lady didn't even say welcome instead said, "we don't have space and either way we don't allow outside food or beverages" because my wife had a matcha tea in her hand. We walked out of there fast because if they don't have manners to greet a customer I can only imagine how bad their customer service is!!! 0/10 DO NOT RECCOMEND read more

If you're going to name a place after a food item, it better live up to its name. I appreciate the variety of baos offered here and wish I tried them all. Definitely recommend the Taiwanese classic bao over the Chinese BBQ. The pork banh mi bao was just ok, thought the meat texture was off a bit, but the Viet influence was there. Each bao is priced $4.50, but there's a deal if you order at least 3. The chicken karaage ramen was decent. The broth was a bit too salty (and thinner for my typical tonkotsu preference), but the karaage served on the side was delicious. The Korean fried chicken bibimbap was spicy and loaded with kimchi and rice for people into that. I didn't order that sinus clearing dish, but that was a bad move on a hot day. This place is casual, order at the counter and pick a seat. Staff is friendly. I'm normally not a huge fan of fusion cuisine, but this places offer a bit of everything Asian and seems to be different than the rest of the surrounding joints. Arguably this might be good enough for touristy Victoria. read more

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Visiting Victoria and had to try this little place near Chinatown. Staff was friendly and food was really yummy!! The Bao's were our favourite. Fried Chicken Bao- has kimchi and a bit of spice but very flavourful and tasty Cha Siu Bao- big cilantro flavor, but I love cilantro so that was deeeeelish Taiwanese Bao - this was almost a shredded type of pork, very subtle but very good Ramens We got the Tan Tan (spicy) - they used almost like a Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Really good if you're into that spice!!! The Truffle Cha Siu is awesome for any truffle lovers out there, the Cha Siu is fatty and yummy Pork Belly Ramen - nice simple broth All the eggs were perfectly soft and tasty. Overall we really enjoyed it and would definitely come back! :) read more

Bao - Tan Tan Noodles, Truffle Cha Siu Noodles and Pork Belly Noodles. Center is 3 bao's - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Good to know- you have to have your whole party to sit and then it isn't a place to stay and enjoy. Bibimbap is mostly rice, not served in stone bowls and without a lot of veggies. If you are looking for that...keep looking. Overall not the favorite... read more

This place is not suitable for real Asians. It is better suited for non-Asians who want to try a little taste of Asian food. Our party of 6 (All born in Asian countries) disliked the food as it does not taste like what we use to. Fyi, you also pay before you eat since it is a small and busy restaurant. read more

Service was great and we got our food right away. Everything was priced very reasonably and the portions were great. Definitely try all the bao, they're the highlight. read more

The Bao's we had were pretty good, for being an Asian fusion eatery, and not being owned by Asians (knew about this after the fact). The Chinese BBQ was cooked perfectly, the pickled onions were great. A lot of people say it was too sweet, but I thought the level of sweetness was pretty good. I want to go back to the fact that this eatery is owned by white people. Although the Bao's we ordered were cooked to my liking, I would like the owners to really pay homage to the original recipes they took from, instead of just a tiny mention on their website. I say this because I'm a big supporter of POC small business owners. Putting something in the decor of your restaurant or in your menus that honors the origins of these recipes would be really great, especially since all the staff members I saw were white. Otherwise, you just look like another unaware privileged white person who stole recipes from Asians then hike up the price in comparison to other Asian-owned establishments...right in China Town, no less (contributing to gentrification). Not to mention appropriating Asian culture. Not meaning to sound harsh, but that is my honest 100% Asian unapologetic opinion! TLDR- good Bao's, and do more work on honoring recipes that aren't yours. read more

Bao - 4 Bao for $15. 2 Taiwanese, 2 Chinese BBQ. - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I researched this place and wanted to try it out. So glad that I got the opportunity to do so. The Bao buns were so soft and pillowy and the fillings were packed with so much flavor. My favorite was probably the Banh Mi meatball. One or two of those will definitely fill you up. The Tan Tan Men noodles were like nothing I've ever tasted, savory, salty, spicy, so many flavors happening in one bowl but yet they all blended so well together. The noodles were soft but had a good chew to them and the broth...I drank every last bit of it. read more

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The Bao buns were delicious! We loved the creative choices. I am vegetarian and had the black bean and the mushroom. The black bean was full of crunchy texture and the flavors were savory mixed with a little sweet and a tiny bit of spice. The pickled onions were a great topping. The mushroom was fantastic too. read more

For a place called Bao, I have pretty high expectations for their baos and they didn't disappoint! Each bao is $4.50 CAD, or you can get 3 for $12 or 4 for $15. They are decently sized with fluffy buns. I read some reviews prior to coming here and was apprehensive about the cashier, but they must have switched their staff because he was very helpful and even told me (without prompting) that the mushroom bao was spicy, which I really appreciated. I got the Taiwanese Classic, Mushroom, Pork Shoulder, and the Tonkatsu Chicken . All were good, but none really stood out to me. I would say the Pork Shoulder one was my favorite, followed by the Mushroom for a unique twist. The Tonkatsu had some ginger on top that was a harsh contrast to the rest of it, so I picked off some ginger on this one. The Taiwanese Classic was very standard, good but nothing much to say about it. The interior is decorated very nicely. read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

We ordered the pork belly ramen and the regular chashu ramen. The first bite was disappointing because it was not ramen. After the first initial bite, we decided to eat the noodles thinking it's not ramen and something else. It's still not good. I don't like leaving food but we didn't even eat half and had to leave the restaurant, still hungry. Mistake #1 - The broth. If you're looking for the creamy thick ramen soup base, this restaurant isn't for you. Although there are other ramen soup bases that isn't creamy, this soup base was not like any of them. This soup was clear with A thick layer of oil on top. Once you take a sip, it's sour. Why is it sour? No ramen is ever sour. Mistake #2 - Chashu Don't expect the soft, tender braised pork belly chashu. This is a crispy bacon. Mistake #3 - Shitake mushrooms Shitake mushrooms in ramen that are supposed to be sweet and savoury was extremely sour. I thought it had turned bad. The waitress said it's "supposed to be like that" because it's "pickled shitake". So if you like mushy mushrooms that taste like pickled cucumber without the crunch, this is the dish for you. Mistake #4 - the spice There are hundreds of types of spicy sauces and pepper flakes in the asian supermarket. You have to choose the right one for the right dish. If the chef didn't know, Ramen is a Japanese dish. So putting Chinese spices in a Japanese dish is probably not the best choice. My point in short is: You can't just put noodles in a soup, put whatever toppings you want on it and call it ramen. I don't think anyone that works at this restaurant has ever had ramen before. You can't make something you don't know what it is. I don't know what the chef tried to do, but these noodles are everything but good. read more

Be ready to order and pay before you find your seat. Luckily we got a table on a Monday around noon. We ordered a ramen, chicken wings and three piece bao. The bao bbq was decent but little was in them. The chicken bao was okay and a tad spicy but good. The general Tao chicken wings were the best of our order. The tan tan men ramen was a bit bland except for the pepper flakes and the noodles are comparable to spaghetti noodles. Overall it wasn't too bad but not authentic Chinese food as we expected. read more