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

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

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

We had the Korean chicken bibimbap, pork belly ramen, pork belly bibimbap, assorted baos, and chicken skins. Everything was delicious and service was great. Will definitely come back! read more

I loved this place. The tan tan soup was spicey and delicious with ground pork, noodles and a hard boiled egg if you want. We got the four Bao combo. Fried chicken. Pork shoulder and. classic. Limited seating. Line forms out the door but worth the wait. read more

It's all about the bao! We tried them all (except the Nutella) and absolutely loved every offering. Even though the place is small, the service is friendly, helpful and quick. Bao is well worth a visit. read more

Coffee was great, food was good, but the service was just ok. The guy charged me 50cents for an extra to-go container (I didn't want my leftover noodles to get squishy by leaving them in the broth). Never thought I'd ever need to say this while in Canada but the servers could've been a little friendlier. Not likely returning read more

Bao - Viet coffee, the RIGHT way - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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We went to Victoria for family day, and we came across this really nice eatery, we tried an assortment of their abajo (tonkatsu, bbq, and 2 other kinds that i don't remember) they were all really tasty. We had also the bibimbap, and the vermicelli pasta both really good. The service still is fast casual, you order at the counter, and get your food delivered to your table. Service was friendly, and pretty fast. We will definitively will go back next time we are in Victoria. read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Asian-fusion spot serving up hipster spins on some classic dishes. We tried the following: Taiwanese Classic Bao 2/5 STARS - I thought the baos were smaller than average and flavours were only OK. Tan Tan Men 4/5 STARS - Loads of flavour and good noodles. I loved adding the spicy chili oil to this dish to really elevate the flavour. Spot Prawn and Pork Belly Ramen 3.5/5 STARS - Great flavour and loved the pickled mushrooms (reminded me of the mushrooms from hot and sour soup). The broth was very mushroomy - which I loved. I was disappointed with how they only included one small spot prawn - left wanting more! Chicken Skins 3/5 STARS - I've had better - these ones were heavily breaded and didn't have the satisfying greasy, crispy and light chicken skins that I would've preferred. General Tso Chicken Wings 4/5 STARS - Good flavour and juicy. read more

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This place has some crazy noodle soups / ramen here. We actually jumped off of our cruise ship and walked about the center of town and found this place just to get some good asian food! Spice levels were very manageable, and the food was rather tasty, rather than a full blown straight on "heat" that you'd find in some spicy food. Great for a good cold day. read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I wanted to like this place, but the food was bland. I ordered the belly and eggs bibimbap. Sounded great on paper. Looked even more amazing when it came out. But there was no taste. It could have done without the kimchi as well. Some positives: The belly was cooked to perfection, and the eggs fried two ways was exciting. It was yolky just how I like it. I also ordered the chinese bbq and buttermilk fried chicken bao - in concept, it's great. But the buttermilk fried chicken is doused in kimchi sauce sogging the bao. The chinese bbq was good - as it wasn't overwhelmingly saucy and had a sweet flavor. read more

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I was craving Asian food while on a midday walk, and spotted this spot on Google. Their menu was pretty diverse but from what I gathered , mainly japanese and Korean influenced. They had a decent variety of ramens and bibimbaps, and also some pork bun style meals called baos. The service was rather quick, but we did mostly help ourselves. I had a Mei Fun ($16) stir fry with pickled cucumbers and a topped egg. The noodles were vermicelli bean threaded, and the eggs were ordered as an extra. The eggs were topped with a five spice mix and the cucumbers were nuoc rather than kimchi flavored, which supposedly was mainly a fish oil difference. The highlight of the dish was the pork slices, which added a good amount of savouryness to the dish. I was happy to see tofu mixed in, for that extra bit of "healthiness". The dish was quite filling and a good deal for the amount I got, but nothing extraordinary. I kinda wanted to try the restaurant's staple dish (BAO), but when I saw others eating it, it honestly didn't look that great. The food was easily better than average asian takeout places, but didn't wow me enough to get five stars. read more

Bao - Mei Fun ($16) - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

This Asian fusion restaurant really takes "fusion" TO ANOTHER LEVEL. At a minimum, I identified Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, AND Japanese on the very short menu. I have no idea how that's even possible. The restaurant is a serve yourself type of model, you need to order/pay at the counter, and get your own water. Also the inside has very limited seating (like 15 people??). We were fortunate to be seated on their tiny patio (4 seats) on a sunny and temperate day. I ordered 2 of the most popular Baos (Taiwanese and Chinese BBQ), the chicken karaage ramen, and a side of gailan because, you know, we need vegetables sometimes. For the actual food, I like the options available and they have some vegetarians ones in their menu too. Admittedly, I'm not a ramen person but the broth definitely tasted quite salty. Also it was strange how the chicken karaage with cabbage were served separately. The Baos tasted amazing, I literally inhaled them in 2 bites. I wish I ordered 4 different flavored Baos to myself instead!! read more

Bao - 2 Taiwanese Baos and 2 Chinese BBQ Baos - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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For the price I expected more. The Baos were pretty good but so small the mei fun dish with vermicelli Was disgusting and dry. I would Could only take two bites before throwing it away. The meat inside tasted like it was 4 days old and they just reheated the whole thing in a microwave. To top it off the lady who was taking the cash and orders for take out shorted me on my change and just walked off read more

Food was so good we got another round of Bao (just try all of them) while still finishing the rest. Fast, flawless, and delicious food you must try. Don't worry if there is a line, it moves by fast and tables will open up pretty quickly. read more

Bao - Hoyne IPA and some spicy sauce - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Came looking at the neighboring school and saw this, looked good and smelled great. Didn't know what to order and the woman at the front dest suggested based off what we like and we sat down and waited. Didn't take too long for food to get here and when it got here looked AMAZING. Enjoyed the food and left overall 5 stars. read more

This cute little Asian fusion restaurant fixed my Asian food craving in the area during my business trip. There are Vietnamese restaurants and other Asian restaurants near this Chinatown neighborhood but I thought I would give it a try and get surprised. I had a ginger ale produced by a local brewer which was very refreshing. The Korean BBQ chicken bibimbap didn't have the exact Korean flavour but I assumed it's part of the deal of fusion. Although the BBQ flavour and spiciness were a bit off, the chicken strips were super moist and tender. The kimchi and pickled cucumber were very appetizing with fresh chopped green onions and lots of white sesame. It had a good portion of rice underneath. Their taste balanced with the chicken. Another table ordered the buns which looked delicious. I think they are great to share with friends. When you visit this restaurant, be prepared that you will need to pay at the cashier when you're ordering. They will bring the food to your table. The cashier/waitress lady was very nice. read more

Bao - Korean BBQ chicken bibimbap (spiciness: mild - only choice) - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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The Chinese BBQ pork buns were so delicious anyone wanting to experiment on there love for pork buns- GO HERE. Yum!

It's alright. I heard great reviews so I was excited, but it's only okay I found. I ordered 3 bao for $12. The sizes were smaller than what I expected and mainly the puffy bao itself, so not as cheap as it might appear. Tonkatsu Chicken: I liked the pickled ginger actually (compared to another reviewer) because it balances nicely with the fried chicken. However, the chicken itself was kinda dry and not really flavourful. Chinese Pork Shoulder: My favourite of the ones I ordered I think. Taiwanese Pork Shoulder: it's alright, nothing particularly special I felt. All of them were also on the sweeter side FYI. Service was friendly and the restaurant vibe is good. read more

Bao - Bao (tonkatsu chicken, pork shoulder, pork belly) - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Great little Asian Fusion place in Chinatown- Victoria. The BAOs: Soft, juicy and delicious. I tried the tonkatsu chicken, the pork bahn mi and the Nutella banana bao. Bibimbap: The belly and eggs as well as the Korean fried chicken bibimbap was good! Just wish the dish had more meat and lesser rice. The best dish of all, however, was the Tantammen Ramanen. The sesame broth was flavourful and the added peanuts gave it a taste like no other. read more

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Delish little spot in Chinatown. Great variety of baos and friendly service! Restaurant space is small, we were able to get a table right away but if it's crowded could be hard to find seating. Recommend getting the fried chicken + Nutella baos read more

Bao - Fried chicken bao + banana Nutella bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Delicious bao, variety of flavors, it is counter style but they deliver to your table, very cute ambiance inside, intimate setting

I really liked how the Bao had a lot of filling inside and not just veggies. It was flavourful. The Bao was soft and it didn't fall apart like other places I've been to. I am definitely coming back for more! read more

Bao - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

We ordered Taiwanese Classic and Chinese BBQ! The baos tastes fantastic. I would not say it is traditional Asian food, but definitely a good combine of Western and Asian flavors. We also ordered Chashu Ramen and Pork Belly Ramen. It was good, but definitely not the best I have had. Hope it could be more developes read more

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Such a great spot. The Dan Dan mien was lovely and we tried all the bao types. Definitely will be back.

Wait outside until they are ready to take your order and motion you to come in! We got a couple of Taiwanese Classic and one Chinese BBQ baos, and they were both very good! They aren't big so if you're a small eater like me, you can probably order 2-3. We also got the pork belly ramen which was also really good! The spicy powder was on the hard boiled eggs, so I took them out and rinsed them off with the soup because I cannot handle spice. But I still highly recommend everything we ordered! read more

Love it! We drive down from Nanaimo just to enjoy a couple of their delicious buns! The ramen is also super good. ...and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. It's easy to find. We never have a problem finding a parking spot. They will prepare your food to go...without losing any presentation or food quality. Love it!!! read more

Meh. Great sounding menu but the taste does not live up to the billing. The ramen broth is really meh - does not taste like any of the average to good ramen places or standard broths. The bi bim bap has chopped up gai lan in it - which is not a Korean veggie and very nonstandard. The music is good at least and the egg in the ramen reasonably soft. Would not recommend to go back. read more

I came here for Wednesday ~3pm ish after a long day of tour. Ordered Pork Belly Ramen and Pilsner beer. Ramen was ok...not the best tasting broth or noodles but for Victoria, this is pretty good. Cons: space is precious, server did not want to share "bao" WiFi password (yes I am roaming but service is not as good as traditional WiFi) read more

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don't expect a lot of room as this restaurant is small but the food is well worth the wait. Portions are small so eat with your eyes and order lots, you wont be disappointed read more

The Baos were good, maybe great. The ramen was meh. The service was terrible. An extra bowl of ramen showed up on our order so I would warn any potential patrons to review their order with the person taking it. We told the staff we didn't order that ramen and were promptly told "yes, you did." This felt like such a huge waste of food. read more

This is quickly becoming our most favourite restaurant in Victoria. Awesome food in a trendy setting. read more

Think of the most tasty authentic restaurant, you know, the kind you know you will return after the first try. Then think of the opposite end of the spectrum. There sits Bao ramen. These people don't know the difference between ramen, bao, and bibimpapp. They are all Chinese *smh Fake ramen store with bad service. Avoid at all cost. Soup is sour and watery. Noodle is soggy and mushy, very poor texture. Ordered chasiu ramen but got a piece of bacon in my soy sauce noodle. But hey, try telling your server something is wrong with the mushroom. It's tasted rancid. Server will tell you "no, it's you taste bud" lol PS, they ask for tips before you sit down. read more

The baos were amazing, loved the way they toasted the Nutella bao. The Vietnamese coffee presentation was quirky and fun but the coffee wasn't as strong as we like. Great little place for yummy food! read more

Great flavor. Attentive. Helpful. We had a group of 7 and were easily accommodated. Family friendly. Kids loved their ramen.

Overall, not worth waiting for or going out of your way for. Food is mostly average, with the chicken wings being shockingly bad and a dish that I would recommend avoiding. I came in around 7pm on a Wednesday night with a group of 4 and we snagged the last table, thanks to help from the host who repeated a party of two seated at the corner table (which could accommodate four). There was still counter space available but the counter area is small. We ordered four different baos, the mei fun noodles with an egg, the pork and egg bibimbap bowl, and the korean fried chicken wings. The baos where nothing to write home about, and after trying four, the best description I can come up with is that they are heavy and unmemorable. Definitely pass on the buttermilk chicken bao which is fairly bland, given the thick bao, breading, and mostly unseasoned chicken. The pork and egg bibimbap was fine, though we wished there were more greens or crunch to break up the monotonous soft textures. The mei fun noodles were very tasty and we all loved the curry sauce and added egg. I would be willing to order this again. The korean fried chicken wings, which were the last thing we ordered, sadly ruined the meal for us. The breading was very hard, but covered in a vinegary, salty, mildly spicy sauce that was unpalatable. I say this as an Asian person who likes gochujang. Even my kimchi/pickles loving dad didn't like the wings. The meat was also almost hard, like it had been cooked several times already. I had been really excited to try the restaurant and was hopeful about the food, but it did not live up to my expectations. read more

The presentation was beautiful, yet the "hip" ingredients were very strange to my taste buds.....definitely not authentic flavors. Also service was very poor. We were never asked if we were needing anything else. In fact I went to the counter a few times to ask for water, fork and soy sauce. read more

Bao - Pork belly Ramen and Korean fried chicken - Korean Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Excellent eatery with a few sidewalk seats but more inside. Had a bao to try and rice bowl for lunch. We hit it at a busy time but it still came reasonably fast. The bao was a light airy bun with pork. Very tasty but no fun to share. It's small so better get your own. The rice bowl was excellent full of veggies and topped with a egg. Great hearty and healthy lunch. read more

Small place with passionately prepared baos. I had mushroom, fried chicken, and pork belly baos. All were great but the fried chicken was my favourite. Interesting drinks on the side, my pear kombucha was delicious! read more

A white washed assault on Asian food. It's like the sweet and sour pork of an actual bao. The noddle is super bland. I guess for Victoria it's okay but cmon try to have some spice and love in your food. read more