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Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
163 Keefer StVancouver, BC V6A 1X3
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
(604) 688-0876
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:30 pm - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
76 reviews for Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie
Review Highlights
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"Crispy pork belly, yes please - this dish was so good it..." In 7 reviews -
"...pulled pork sticky buns or sticky rice cake (a must try." In 3 reviews -
"The dessert, ginger panna cotta, was very nice." In 5 reviews
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76 reviews in English
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Review from Billy P.
4/12/2012
Came here from out of town on a suggestion, and was very impressed!
Don't expect a home cooked, hole in the wall, traditional Chinese meal.. This place was super classy, swanky, and more of a fusion type restaurant with tapas style, smaller portion dishes.
This place is really popular, we literally got there when they opened at 5:30pm, and we were seated right away. Within 10 minutes, the place was packed!
Awesome decor, and a VERY knowledgable waiter, who new anything and everything about each dish, seemed pretty passionate about it, and was more than excited to share.
We got the fried rice which was awesome!
The prawn and chives dumplings were mediocre at best, very simple.
The pork belly dish was amazing...very flavorful.
And the fish dish with the last piece of salmon left (before they had to start serving halibut) was also great!
Price was pretty steep, but I'm definitely noticing that all the dining in Vancouver is quite pricey. A small meal for 4 was a bit over $100.
Luckily... Experience, decor, and food were great, so the price wasn't much of a factor. -
Review from Melissa E.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 5/16/2012
Meh. I stick by th 3 stars and am tempted to reduce to 2...mainly because I had been out of town for 5 weeks with NO resto action so let's just say I was pretty easy to please.
But the food really left me wanting for more. THe only dish I loved were the pea shoots! Mmmmmm pea shoots. Thinking of sacrificing a few garden shoots myself based on this experience!
But otherwise...meh. I have had better dumplings at dim sum and the "sticky rice" isn't sticky rice and regardless is just ok. Sauce was too sweet and gummy. I can barely remember what else we had.
I really want to like this place, but i get way more satisfaction (both palette and wallet) out of a sunday morning dim sum experience.Listed in: Yelp's 30 day Challenge
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/14/2011
I dunno. I wasn't left with a great impression of this place food wise. However, I LOVED the decor,… Read more »
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Review from Meana k.
5/13/2012 1 photo
I see some of my Yelp friends weren't fans of this place. I wasn't expecting to be based on the reviews I read, but I came here tonight for a friend's birthday.
What struck me most was the service. Our server, Ricky, was fantastic. He was honest, friendly, and attentive. He even suggested we take one item off our order as it might be too much food. You could tell his recommendations were genuine based on taste versus price. This guy wasn't out to upsell, he was out to provide us a great experience.
The food is of course not authentic, nor was it masqueraded as such.
Duck wonton consomme -- nice. I didn't taste too much duck, but the broth was excellent.
Special fried rice -- pretty good but not much meat in there.
Pea shoots -- excellent. Nice and garlicky.
Octopus salad -- excellent. Loved this dish.
Pork belly -- this was great. I read mixed reviews and was nervous. Pretty decent size, also.
Shao bing -- good.
Shrimp and chive dumplings -- only okay.
Panna cotta -- excellent.
Chinese donut -- really good.
Homemade ice creams -- really nice.
Food overall was great and service was great. Decor was great. Ambiance was good. Prices.... that's where it all gets tricky.
To me, spending $200 on the items above plus a few drinks seems like a lot. These weren't entrees, they were shareable sized small plates.
If the prices were better, this place would easily get 4 or 5 stars from me. Instead, I have to remove a star simply for the prices. -
Review from Jay C.
Vancouver, BC
4/14/2012
Ok Iam a Fan of MOMOFUKU and I do love good foods!!!!
Food was some what ok...
porkbelly buns were little too familiar to Momofuku except with the sauce... (this was back in 2009)
I've had Shaobing it's ok... but had better one with their price...
Tofu was silky and smooth.
But again I'm a LA boy... Vancouver trend is getting there but still little behind the bar from LA or NY and Chicago...
to me this place is over-rated, over-priced with the amount of how much they are serving it's more of tapa size restau to me...
Only 2 star is given for that but if near future may change -
Review from versoverita V.
5/2/2012
Friday night with the troops on a friends weekend to Vancouver then off to Whistler...Keefer street recommended and have to say the restaurant and bars were just full...but there were no lines and no traffic (like in LA)...how incredible... Cocktails... go with the whiskey based Art of War instead of the Jinzi (too tame)...
the better dishes on our table were the soy/garlic/ginger marinated eggplant, house fried rice (yesterday's...???) and octopus salad (kim chi cucumber and plum vinaigrette)... we had fun...and that's what counts! -
Review from Trish L.
Vancouver, BC
4/13/2012
Great food, drinks and service! I love BaoBei. I have tried almost everything on the menu now and can honestly say I haven't been disappointed by any of them. I usually go with a group of friends so we can order a larger variety of things to share. The mantou, calamari and shao bing are not to be missed! Their house made ice creams and sorbets are always creative and delicious! My favourite sorbet so far is tangerine szcheuan pepper. And if you enjoy whisky sours do not miss out on trying the Kai Yuen Sour.
The atmosphere and ambience is great here too. It is a nice intimate space for a date or with a group of great friends. -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
4/9/2012
If you want a fun, hip, pricey night out with friends and a great ambience give Bao Bei a go. If you want mind blowing Chinese food... try looking south of 33rd and Victoria. Add in how difficult it can be to actually get a table here and you might have a lot of hassle for not much reward.
The cold eggplant and pickles that began the meal may have been the highlight, along with the yummy fried rice and the (way overpriced) Mantou.
The pork belly has the distinction of being the worst pork belly I can remember (seriously tasted like overcooked Tuna.. WTF) and most of the other dishes were tasty but unmemorable. You pay for the place and maybe the high quality ingredients... but there's nothing innovative being done here cuisine wise to justify the hipster factor. Super cool bathroom interior design though.
The Keefer down the street has amazing cocktails... worth every penny. -
Review from Andrea W.
Vancouver, BC
5/20/2012
This was not my first time to Bao Bei (and it will not be my last), but because this place and the people never let me down I felt that I needed to put in my two sense. Although some reviews note that the line ups can be a bit ridic; Bao Bei epitomizes the saying, Good things come to those who wait. While waiting you have the opportunity to enjoy some of the amAZING cocktails that they offer and take in all the great design details that you will not notice while you are stuffing your face. Whether you're sitting at the bar or a table you are sure to have a great experience. Although all of the staff is top shelf; hopefully you are so lucky to be hosted by Daniel. Not only is he easy on the eyes and sums up the cool, young, and easy going vibe of Bao Bei; but you will be in awe of his smooth serving style and on point food and drink suggestions. In summary, Bao Bei's owners had a vision and it has been flawlessly executed from the infused alcohol and flavour packed food, to the music, aesthetic and impeccable staff.
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Review from Chris B.
Bao Bei was an absolute gem of a meal. We got there to a significant line and a 40 min. wait. The host was really nice, took our names, and suggested get cruise up the block to the Keefer for a drink while we wait. The bartender at the Keefer said they send each other a lot of business.
We came back to find that we took too long, and missed being called for a seat. The host immediately recognized me, and assured me he'd put in for the next available table. Very classy.
The food was pretty good as well. From what I understand Bao Bei is a Chinese Tapas style place. So you should not expect the portions to be large. They're meant to be small and shared. Our server made this very clear, providing a number of suggested dishes depending on our appetite.
We started with the Duck and Mushroom Wontons in Duck Consomme. The difference here was in the noodle, which held together but melted in your mouth. Quite good with a perfect balance of mushroom. We then moved to the Shao Bing, a flatbread sandwich with lamb. The bread as quite good and the cumin added a nice subtle spice. We next had the Mantou, which is a steamed sweet bun with pork belly, I enjoyed this greatly. That's all I can say about it. Amazing. Finally, we had the Crispy Pork Belly. I'm a huge pork fan, and this piece of meat was nothing short of a work of art. The only thing was the sauce it came on didn't seem to fit quite right. I found myself leaving it off. All told, and excellent meal I would certainly recommend. -
Review from Monti S.
Vancouver, BC
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
It seems my fellow foodies don't agree with me on this restaurant. They're raving and I am far from craving.
Another we dont take reservations place. Puh leese, can we get over ourselves. Even if you're good I am not standing out in the cold in Chinatown to wait for a table. More likely you'll lose me too the Rosemary gimlets at the Keefer (which I havent reviewed yet).
So, lots of press and hoopla about this place and my friend really wanted to try it. So we got there at 6:30pm on a weekend night and it was packed to the gills. Its freezing, you're huddled by the door wishing for an oil drum fire and brown paper bag wrapped wine bottle. There is a tiny lounge (also stuck by the drafty door) that can cozily fit 6 strangers. They have two stools by the door but you're not allowed to sit on them because then it would violate code (note: take them away).
The room is an eclectic mix of Chinese barn style. Take some shabby chic, throw in some Chinese with a dash of cowboy with bad lights and VOILA, you have Bao Bei! Anyways, the room is really not all that relevant, it is what it is, you're coming for the food.
Took about 30 minutes for us to squeeze into the bar, they did offer us a small bar table with 2 stools, also by the damn door but we declined and gave it away to some poor suckers in lieu of the bar.
So what the big deal. You want great fusion creative Chinese, this is not it. Google Hakkasan in London, go there and you'll never return here. I don't plan on returning unless something has changed in the last 3 months based on the current reviews.
The bartender ordered us all her recommended dishes, her favourite, a take on a vietnamese sandwich made with lamb was beyond boring, like the never ending sandwich story. Over cooked lamb, sandwiched between an immense bun with over the top greenery that threatened to sprout out of the corner of my mouth on each bite. Not trusting her taste buds for dried out lamb and plain bread again.
We had some dumplings... ok
We had some fish... ok
We had some pork belly... all right (and I love pork belly)
we had some rice... ok
The place was OK. Its uncomfortable, the food is all right but not worth waiting for, and they are so many other places to go.
Pass. -
Review from Chelsea J.
Vancouver, BC
3/8/2012
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day, we were looking for something low-key/not too fancy and it was somewhere neither of us had tried.
From the menu, we had:
Marinated Eggplant
Assorted Pickles
Mantou
Squid
Shao Bing
Duck & Mushroom wontons
This is more a drinks & snacks sort of place, not somewhere I'd recommend if looking for a proper dinner. The wontons and assorted pickles were nothing special, but the squid was delicious as was the marinated eggplant! Neither the Mantou nor the Shao Bing looked how I pictured them to, but both were very tasty. We had the Philips ginger beer which complimented the flavours nicely.
I think they could work a little bit on the decor as it seemed a bit half-finished, and maybe have some sort of dress code for the servers - all in all, though, it was a very nice evening and I would definitely go back! -
Review from Alex H.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
First off, let's address the totally unmerited negative reviews of this place -- you don't come to Bao Bei because you want a standard Chinese dinner. There are a ton of "traditional" Chinese places around with kitchy decor and stained carpets serving beef with black bean sauce with poor service. If that's what you want DON'T come to Bao Bei because, yes, it is more expensive! But if you are looking for a serious night of fun, then this is the place to go. This is a place to go "out" for dinner, not just eat some food.
Came here with a group of 5 to celebrate a happy event. Started out with some magnificent cocktails -- excellent mixologist on the premises with house-infused botanicals to work with. We were too intimidated to choose from the menu so we told our waiter to just bring out the dishes and keep 'em coming. Nothing disappointed. All were a slightly updated twist on a classic Chinese dim sum, e.g., steamed truffle dumplings, peanut pork belly steamed buns, shao bing (with cilantro! and chiles!), etc., etc. We had no room for dessert but were so glad we ordered some Chinese donuts to share -- think churros on opium.
The decor straight out of a 30's noir interpretation of Hong Kong and provided for a cool atmosphere. We were seated at 10pm but didn't mind that eating out was going out as the whole place had a great vibe. Service was confident and friendly.
At the end of the evening, chef Joel Watanabe came to greet us personally. He is a friendly if somewhat shy and unpretentious person (refreshing in an age of "super-chefs") with striking features. We had had a few too many of the aforementioned excellent cocktails so I hope we didn't say anything stupid. The gist we were trying to convey was how happy we were to celebrate in his restaurant.
I would suggest that Bao Bei is a wonderful place to spend a night out. No reservations so show up early or be prepared to wait (and have an excellent drink at the Keefer down the street). One tip -- they will take reservations for the family table, but you need to be a group of 7-12. -
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
So I came here under the full impression that it would be costly Chinese food, a la Wild Rice. That made it less of a sticker shock when I went in, but for some reason I thought the portion sizes would be just a bit larger. The food is fantastic though, so I'm still really happy we tried it.
The place is already hopping at 6:15pm on a weekday, so be prepare for a wait if you come later (we grabbed the last table available). The servers are really nice, but don't have any sort of uniform. My awkward story is that I made eye-contact with a guy who I thought was a server, but he just looked at me funny and then sat down with his friends. Note to self: plaid is in. All the servers were wearing random plaid shirts, but half the dudes in the place were also wearing random plaid shirts. It was confusing. And embarrassing, obviously.
We ordered the mantou, the king pea shoots, and the pork belly. With a beer and a tea, it came out to $48 for two people (tax incl).
Easily reachable by transit: 19 / 3 / 8 / 22 / C23 (or even walkable from Stadium station). There's parking around the area and on the street. -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
10/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
First, let me say that I love the renovation of this Chinatown building. Sure, this type of gentrification is scary - it could mean that we lose the Chinese edge to Chinatown completely - but as long as just a few of these gems pop up I am happy as pie.
The food was amazing - truffled pork dumplings, duck and chanterelle wontons, chili wok squid - all delicious.
My personal favourites? The Shao Bing (tasted exactly like the yummy lamb sandwiches in Beijing!) and the Mantou, a porky sandwich from Xi'an - both of these were refined versions of the classics. The only downfall? They were out of pork belly - oh noooo! But no fear - i will be back for more - soon. -
Review from Ellie I.
Vancouver, BC
3/18/2012
4.5 stars
0.5 stars off because there's never enough room
I like it because the drinks and food are delicious and original and the ambience is fun. It's pricey for what it is but I quite enjoy it all since I have no idea how to recreate anything I've had at home. This place makes me imagine what the opium dens back in the day could have looked liked. -
Review from Simon K.
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
That is what you see from me, and I am going to let the cat out of the bag in my review and say, give me my tofu shop back! Something about this being the new kid on the block, the place to be, the place to hang, the place to be seen, well I will tell you, for all those words, go down the block to "The Keefer". I came here looking for a good time, and I love their note pad like wait yourself in line for a seat service. I did not mind this that much, but not being able to even provide an estimate of time, and later on coming back and getting snooty attitude was the one that really broke me to have a different approach to this place.
There have been many reviews on this place, and for me, to remember and frequent the tofu shop that used to reside in this spot, you would hope for something good to come out of it. I remember watching a documentary talking about the revitalization of Chinatown, and this was one of the featured places, and I will give them props for spicing up the night life in this part of town, but to present a couple small blocks of tofu for mega prices is just wrong. I am Chinese, you cannot trick me into paying your extreme prices for something I can whip up for a fraction of the cost!
The place has a stylish look of retro, with much on the Chinese flare. But you are in Chinatown, walk down the block, climb over the walls of Sun Yat-Sen gardens, go to the community centre, take a stroll through the Strathcona neighborhood, all that can be done for free, instead of burning a hole in your pocket for lackluster food, at high prices.
So, be warned to wait, as they do not take reservations, be robbed, but if your tongue doesn't care for good Chinese food, you won't notice, and maybe if you heed these warnings your time here will be better! -
Review from Zoe J.
Vancouver, BC
9/21/2011
If you like overpaying for food and dressing/acting like you're too cool for everything, then this is your joint! The hipster scene is thick here, and the whole place is filled with people loving the mediocre food and the fake chinesey ambiance. HELLO PEOPLE! Do you not remember what good food tastes like?
I will say this: The pork belly is super tasty, and the only thing keeping me from 1 staring this fool. Go there, get it, pay your $16 dollars, and eat all three bites that gets you. It's delicious, but is it worth it? In my opinion, no.
I went there with a group of 6, and we each ordered something different and shared it all. Everything but the pork belly was just okay. Definitely not something to rave about, and 100% not great chinese. Then comes the bill and you realize that you just spent a small fortune on a few appitizers that left you hungry.
Let's sum it up: this is a restaurant that's trading off a look. People want to say they like it because it's hip and filled with young, sheek, hipsters, but when you actually look at what they are offering, it's a mediocre mess for way too much money that leaves you hungry and disappointed. -
Review from Buster B.
Vancouver, BC
10/30/2011
Overpriced, mediocre Chinese food for white hipsters who don't know any better. Cocktails are astronomically expensive, decor strives for the faded glory of an opium den. Waiters are of the too-cool-for-school variety.
A plus or minus depending on who you are: Bao Bei attracts the creme de la creme of attractive hipsters. People dress NICE to feast on tiny plates of fussy Chinese fusion.
Verdict: There are a dozen better, albeit less stylish places, to get delicious, authentic Chinese food. If you must go to Bao Bei, know that you'll likely wait in line, spend a small fortune on small dishes, and be hungry afterwards. But dress nice, see and be seen, check in on Foursquare so your friends know how cool you are, and preen in Bao Bei's hipster low-light. -
Review from Tvd T.
Vancouver, BC
9/23/2011
Good, flavourful food. Good (hipster, and thus fairly indifferent) service... good drinks. The cocktails are delicious and expensive. They try some fairly tricksey things, so watch out.
For example, they want to charge you 50 cents for "extra" olives in your cocktail. "Extra" means any more than 2. Have you ever in your life been charged for extra olives in your cocktail? This kind of chicanery is a petty embarrassment for an otherwise fine establishment. A discussion with the manager on the philosophy of cocktail garnishes was necessary to waive the $2 olive charge. Yes, $2 is a trifle. No, that doesn't make it acceptable. When I'm paying $16 for a damn martini, you better comp the olives. -
Review from Joseph H.
Richmond, BC
8/22/2011
"Stuff White People Like" You have to see this to believe this. The layers of hipster irony found here at Bao Bei just makes me want to get a cold shower in acid rain.
Ok, this is in Chinatown. The old, decrepit and decaying Chinatown with boarded up shops and ancient yet garishly lit apothecaries. Where there are more tourists, hipsters, and homeless than there are actual chinese-canadian residents. So in the middle of this urban decay, you have an exquisitely and detailed rendering of a 19th century opium den but with no illegal drugs or gambling. Just overpriced fusion chinese food and dim sum. And the white hipster establishment loves this place. They crowd into it. They line up and wait for seats here. Outside is chinatown. Outside is the night market, where the same food made by actual chinese people is sold for a fraction of the cost of the dishes inside BaoBei.
This the new "Pet Rock" syndrome in Vancouver. The owners are geniuses, epic in their business acumen. You take a dish of food that is maybe $2.50 just outside the door, and instead charge $6 to $15 for it in a cozy, dimly lit dining area with beautiful interior design. You stick retro asian porn on the walls of the men's room as a design statement. You name cocktails with borderline culturally offensive, imperialistic names. And you have one of the hottest nightspots in Vancouver. -
Review from Mike S.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2011
I fell like I'm jumping on the bandwagon here b/c almost every rating I give is so high but VYR is definitely one of the better cities for food... At any rate, Bao is getting a 4 from me; the fried rice I had was a solid portion and tasty, good but not great. The dim sum was great! Thus a 4...
Friendly staff, quick, cool atmosphere... -
Review from Katie S.
Vancouver, BC
10/1/2011
I see a lot of people are complaining about how "hipster" Bao Bei is, and while it certainly is a hipster paradise, this doesn't have any effect upon the amazing food. The food is scrumptious and flavourful.
Yes, some dishes are better than others, for instance the sticky rice cakes were a bit disappointing, but for the most part the food is superb. The mackerel and pork were very good.
I think the strongest dishes are the vegetables. The "schnacks" and vegetable side dishes were out of this world. (my god, the bok choy is good)
I really enjoyed my experience at Bao Bei and I would go again in a heart beat. -
Review from Megan S.
11/5/2011
I love everything about this place - the neon sign, the warm and funky decor, the staff, the food...my god, the food!
My husband and I have eaten here twice - once as a planned date night, once completely by accident...we were walking home from seeing a movie at Tinseltown and it just kind of pulled us in.
Our favourite dish is the sticky rice cake with a sunny side up egg...not at all what we were expecting when we first ordered it, but it's a delicious combination of flavours and textures. The marinated eggplant is the best I've ever had - this is coming from an eggplant-obsessed individual, I order it whenever I see it on a menu. It's served cold with ginger on top, and the marinade truly sings, I could eat it all day. The mantou were also very good, the buns pillowy and soft.
Two dishes that didn't quite hit the mark with me were the tofu skin and the prawn and chive dumplings, I found the flavours of the tofu skin to be a bit too intensely truffle-y and the prawn and chive dumplings were good, but nothing special.
Bao Bei has an interesting and adventurous cocktail list, but neither of us are big cocktail people and they seemed a bit too pricey to start experimenting. Our first dinner we chose a reasonably-priced bottle of white to accompany our meal and the second dinner we had a couple of Sapporo beers - both complemented the asian flavours well.
Can't wait to go back!Listed in: Date Night
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Review from Linh N.
Calgary, AB
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
This petite, Chinese eatery might be difficult to find unless someone recommends it to you. It's located right beside the keefer hotel lounge so it's perfect to go there and grab a drink while you wait for your table as it could take 30-40 min.
The ambience and decor is very much like a typical wine and cheese bar.
This Chinese brasserie caters to mostly white people so my first impression was "how good can a Chinese restaurant be if they only cater to white people?"
To my surprise, the fusion dishes were quite unique and each one was very flavorful.
The 2 dishes that stuck out were the beef tartar and bok Choy. A must try!
The waiters are very informative and prices are very reasonable. Great place to chill on an ordinary night, enjoying some great eats and drinks. -
Review from Hilda L.
6/30/2011
As a Chinese person, I cannot recommend this place. Sure, the dishes sound unique and the interior of the restaurant is uber cool (retro asian with a modern twist), but it's not worth the price! We had many of the dishes that were already reviewed to death so I won't repeat myself (they were tasty but not out of this world). Did I mention the price they charge for what you get is redonkulous?
Food: 3*
Service: 3*
Ambiance: 3*
Value: 1* -
Review from Ed K.
Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
Wow I really loved this place. You'd think in Vancouver we'd be tripping over quality Chinese restaurants but its just not true. Beyond Dim Sum its hard to have a good-great Chinese meal. So many of the places use poor ingredients and stick to the OLD menues.
Not here, everything was fresh, high quality and innovative.
Can't wait to go back. -
Review from Silvia C.
Vancouver, BC
7/5/2011
This is a good restaurant for white people who are new to Chinese food and who are afraid to go to a real Chinese restaurant. Real foodies are in for a big disappointment.
I tried the following:
Mantou: not bad
Shao Bing: not bad
Fried Rice: total rip-off! $17 for this bland dish. I barely touched it and had to bring it home and added spicy sauce to make it ok
Sticky Rice Cake(with sunny side up egg): Shanghai style rice cakes, a bit too hard and too chewy. The egg would be better poached on top of the rice cakes rather than given as a side dish
Duck Wonton: not bad
Crispy Pork: disappointingly bland
Service: not so good. Staff mixed up dishes between our table and the neighbors quite a few times!
Highlight: drinks. Hello Susie Q is a good sour and sweet tasting drink
Would not invite foodie friends to this place. -
Review from Dan P.
Vancouver, BC
10/29/2011
Nice vibe and decor.
Menu and food hit the mark. Not a slam dunk but some interesting dishes. A bit on the expensive. Tasty but lacks value.
Drinks are top notch. One of the best Manhattan's. . Not cheap but you get what you pay for. I go back just for the drinks.
Good service and overall it was a good experience. I would recommend this. -
Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
8/11/2011
This place is amazing. I can't believe that the whole time I've been back in Vancouver I haven't been here.
We were meeting for work, and I was given the task of picking a place, I decided on Bao Bei as it seemed like the kind of place where you could share and try all sorts of different things, and guess what, it's exactly that.
We walked in at 630 on a week day and sat right away at a high table. We could have waited for the back, but decided that it would be just as easy to sit out front. It was great, the service was super fast, the staff really knowledgeable and friendly and all in all it was great.
I had a China Libre to drink, which is a rum and coke with something magical (we couldn't decide if it was grenadine or what) but my golly, amazing.
Between three of us we shared:
Sichuan Cucumbers
Marinated Eggplant
Shao Bing
Crispy Pork Belly
Duck and mushroom wontons
Pearl Bock Choi
Mantou
It was a lot of food but we did well and held our own. It was all amazing. It was an incredible blend of the chinese food flavours I've come to know and love with a bit of a flair on it all.
The one thing I will say is that it is on the pricy side given the neighbourhood but you absolutely get what you pay for. It was divine and I'll be back, that's for sure. -
Review from DineoutGal A.
Winnipeg, MB
7/29/2011
I'd give this place 4 stars for the drinks and decor but the food I tried is about a 2 so I averaged it to 3 stars. I loved the vibe of this place, though it did feel a tad too trendy. There's an interesting mix of traditional Chinese with retro hipster decor. This place is definitely representative of the owner's personality and upbringing - fusing her family photographs and traditional recipes with a modern twist. Don't expect traditional Chinese food despite being located in a quiet up and coming portion of Vancouver's Chinatown. And don't expect the low prices. I think anyone can look at this place and realize that the modern chic side of this restaurant is the part that's commanding the prices here so just adjust your expectations.
The drinks here are absolutely unique and delicious! I would come back in a heartbeat for the interesting cocktails. I love drinks that taste smooth, balanced, not too sweet and I want to be able to taste the alcohol but not be overwhelmed by it. Mixology is very much an art. Here, everything tastes balanced and they don't cheap out on the alcohol so me love the drinks here!
I loved Hello Susie Q ($11) and Number 8 ($11) though the first drink is probably the better one. I tried a sip of the Banana Colada ($11) and it was good but not my thing.
The mantou ($9) included 3 steamed buns with braised beef shortrib, hoisin, scallions, pickled cucumber, and roasted peanuts. See, my first pork bun was from Momofuku of NYC so unfortunately, that is my benchmark and well, Bao Bei's version feels very much like disappointment compared to Momfuku's pork bun. BUT, if this was the first pork bun I've ever had, I would definitely love Bao Bei's version. The flavours were there but I think the braised short rib didn't give the lusciousness compared to the pork belly.
The Manilla Clams ($12) has butter, Shaoxing, ginger, scallion, rau ram, and cilantro. This was my least favourite dish - there wasn't much flavour other than the butter. Maybe they forgot to add all the Asian ingredients in my dish?
As for service, the host was really friendly and welcoming. We had two or three servers swing by our table through the night and I must say for the most part they were nice. But we got this one gal who was like stoned out of her mind. She seemed to move and speak like she was in slow motion. After telling her my second drink order, she didn't come back for well over 25 mins. I flagged her down and asked her about my drink and she said "there's some complicating matters happening at the bar" but she would check on the status of the drink for me anyways. Huh? I think she just forgot to punch in the order, which is fine if she just told me that. Anyways, she was weird and the slow drink service in the lounge area is pretty disappointing.
Overall, great drink place, okay food and mediocre service. -
Review from Will B.
12/11/2011
Visited this place because it had so much HYPE from the local's but this SHIT they call food... is so mediocre.
My friend and i sat at the bar and had Matt as our server, he was nice at first but was really pushy on us getting a cocktail. Since my friend doesn't drink he got all pissy with her. He then started to ignore us for some hipster girl from New York. One of the worst server EVER! We order the house fired rice which was so bland and another pork dish. I can't even remember what we order because the food SUCKED! Also the menu was so heavy in PORK. I wouldn't even waste my time and effort in going there. It's in the ghetto and the drinks aren't great! Save your money and go to a real Chinese restaurant. It's not all about the Hipster's.... MATT YOU SUCK ! -
Review from Luisa D.
4/14/2011
I really can't believe it took so long for me to get here but finally last Friday I had the pleasure of dining in this lovely, small and quirkily decorated spot. Even the neon sign that greets you is a smile inducer.
When we arrived there was going to be about a 45 minute wait. The host graciously told us that some space to the side would be clearing in a moment so that our party of four could easily enjoy a drink and some appies before getting a table. Two well worn, leather armchairs sit beside a bench and a couple of small tables. Another couple were on the bench that sits three so he brought over another chair for us. I don't know why it pleasantly surprises me when a busy restaurant is so accommodating to guests. They don't take reservations so I guess they know they're going to have a lot of people waiting over the course of the night.
We ordered a bottle of Poggiotondo Bianco, some pork potstickers and prawn & chive dumplings. Each dish had 5 pieces and were beautifully made. Before we knew it a table was ready and we were excited to hit the rest of the menu. Our server told us that usually with 4 people about 8 dishes work and as we'd already he suggested with start with 6 more. A second bottle of the white wine was ordered and the four of us negotiated our choices. Water in pretty bottles (but not 'bottled' water) was poured for us and left on the table so we never went thirsty.
Our 6 choices were the mantou, the fried rice of the day, the crispy pork belly, the Dan Dan revolution, the king pea tips and the pearl bok choy. There was not a mediocre dish in the bunch! Each one perfectly seasoned, prepared and beautifully presented. Our server had the amount spot-on. We were sated but not stuffed.
One thing that really impressed me with this restaurant were the staff. From the tall, handsome host to the cute pixie server at the front to our stylish and knowledgeable waiter, everyone was so calm and collected despite the busy bustle happening that night. We never felt rushed or in the way. Our questions were answered patiently and everyone had an easy smile and sense of humour.
The icing on the cake, for me, was when a Queens of the Stone Age album came on! I mean really, QOTSA in a restaurant? I'd only ever heard them played in my own dining room. Yes Bao Bei, you won my heart that night and I was so happy to hear about your well-deserved awards this week during the Van Mag Restaurant Awards. Please don't ever lose this wonderful mojo that you've got going on. I will be back as often as I can! -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
5/21/2011
I've always wanted to try this place and my roomie was awesome enough to go with me! When we walked in, the owner was super nice and politely indicated it was a 45 minute wait, but that surprisingly turned into a less than 10 minutes! No complains there :)
My must trys were the Shao-bing and the Man tous and he definitely agreed to getting them too. We also ordered the fried rice of the day which included about 15 different items, NOt including the rice... when I heard spot prawns, I was sold!
We wanted one more dish and couldn't decide between the fried squid or the octopus salad and our waiter said that the latter was something different and worth trying so we went with that.
I thought the man tou was super soft and the meat was tender with cucumbers inside that added a bit of texture to each bite. There were three of them, a little expensive for the price but still very yum.
The fried rice was a large portion, but had lots of toppings, every bite tasting a little different than the next. It had the right amount of saltiness, and a good abundance of prawns.
The shaobing had mui choi (preserved veg), and was supposed to remind me of the steamed pork grandma use to make. The shao bing, very thin, had a good crunch with radish, and apples too. Unfortunately, the first few bites I had reminded me of a tuna sandwich, which was not what I wanted to order... close to the end of the sandwich, the flavours of the pork came through, but by then, all I could think was that the meat, although tasted like pork, was too mushy, and tuna-like.
The sauce on the octopus salad was too heavy - I believe it was on an bed of watercress. The octopus was cooked well, but I wasn't a big fan of the hardened texture. My roomie said it wasn't bad, so I'm going to have to trust him.
we were full but I really wanted to try their dessert. I wanted the panna cotta, although the mini bananas looked really good at the next table. There were two baneenies, cut in half, nicely coated in panko and deep fried. A small dollop of coconut sorbet to compliment. The sorbet was super flavourful and I could've eaten a whole bowl of it. The baneenie was really tasteless so when eating it with the sorbet, it really had no taste to it as the sweetness overpowered it.
The drinks were tasty and our server was really great. Both him and my roomate took some time to teach me how to hold chopsticks properly.. because I have forgotten since the age of 2!
A really interesting atmosphere... I would love to sit in the back and see more of the action happening. I wouldn't mind coming back for a snack and a drink. -
Review from Michael A.
7/12/2011
I'm giving this place five stars because the food was truly great.
The octopus salad was actually tender, but still had tons of octopus flavor. The omelet was buttery and with some hot sauce, perfect. We had all of the schnacks, crunchy/salty/pickled. All great. They put just a hint of truffle oil on the tofu skin and it added a richness without becoming overwhelming.
Really, every item we ordered was great. Lots of good solid vegetables on the menu. Good beer and drink list.
I'd say the service was a little uneven, and the neighborhood isn't great at all, but food: definitely excellent. -
Review from Larry L.
3/11/2011 6 photos
I think this is a 3 star review. It should be better. The staff was pretty good, the food was quite decent and I know that the ingredients were very good. The ambiance was nice and the company for dinner was perfect. Everything should have been as it was and even better. I was basically in heaven.
Well sorta.
OK the food then.
If this wasn't Chinese food, I'd probably not have thought about the cost so much. But being Asian and knowing that Chinese food in general is not that expensive, then,,,,,
Then again, the ingredients should be top knotch and would require the price increase. As in the quality of the Duck Wunton Consome.
You can read the reviews of others, which we pretty much had the same dishes and our reviews are probably the same as theirs as far as how we would have rated it.
My favourite dish so far was the spicy squid.
My favourite item on our bill was the way they named a dish Flied Lice.
My favourite drink that night was the Granville Island SAKE! Yes Sake. Between the two of us we had a whole bottle.
for $50.
I wanted this experience to be perfect, but the fact that the Chinese food being so costly, just didn't appeal to me.
It brought me back to Dinah Koo's early 80's Chinese Fusion dishes, but the difference was. In those days, it was really cool and worth the price. With todays market in food/cuisine. It just seems overpriced.
25% lower, I'd probably eat and drink there more often.
But you know.. It's busy every night they're open so don't let my review stop you from going. They have something magical that seems like it is going to last. And for that. It's a success.
It was an interesting night. My date and I went from one dining extreme at the down to earth Carnegie Center diner on the corner of Main and Hasitngs to the highly priced oppulence of Bao Bei.
And for you male diners. Check the pics on the washroom walls. Very classy! :)Listed in: Mojofoodies -Chinatown
-
Review from Sam L.
3/23/2011
I have a feeling my last epic (the classical sense, not the "dude, that was epic!" sense) saga of a review was too long, so here's a condensed version.
Service: Ok. The person who brought us a couple drinks while we were waiting for our table was great - friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. On the other hand, once we got to your table, our hipster waiter had the charming habit of not looking at us when he was talking to us, and thought it would be beneficial to explain to us how to order food.
Food: Quite good. Chinese pickles, yum. Duck and mushroom dumplings, sort of yum - the dumplings were ok but the broth they came in was awesome. Crispy pork belly, yes please - this dish was so good it made me want to cry. Dan dan revolution, super good and probably the best value on the menu.
Value:
value
[val-yoo]
noun, verb, -ued, -uing.
1. The worth of something in terms of the amount of otherthings for which it can be exchanged or in terms of somemedium of exchange.
2. Equivalent worth or return in money, material, services,etc.: to give value for value received.
3. Opposite of Bao Bei
Overall: My girlfriend and I had a great time and really enjoyed our food despite a few factors, such as the service and spending $120 on a dinner for two (okay, we had 3 drinks each, but still...) -
Review from Kari C.
1/16/2011
Came here after a friend and I wandered through Chinatown, looking for some decent eats. The streets were packed with night market shoppers, Hello kitty merchandise, and fake iPhone covers, so we ducked into Bao Bei after remembering that one of our culinary school teachers recommended it.
The decor of the place is heart-stoppingly gorgeous, as if it were lifted from the pages of an Anthropologie catalogue: A delicate-looking row of white-painted knives fastened into the wall, antique trays crowding another vertical section, tall, wispy branches shooting out of dainty vases, an olde-tyme-looking bar, and dim lighting. So pretty!
I'm half-Chinese and grew up eating a lot of dim sum, so it's fair to say that I know a thing or two about certain dishes. We ordered a few things, and particularly memorable was the radish cake. I had an internal struggle with this one, and not of the bathroom kind. Radish cake (AKA lo bak go) is one of my favourites. Melt-ily soft, fluffy, and moist on the inside, pan-seared on the outside, and littered throughout with tiny chunks of dried shrimp and Chinese sausage is what one can expect from this dish at restaurants across Vancouver. Unfortunately, what we received was dried-out, to the point of being almost firm. Yipes!
The dessert, ginger panna cotta, was very nice. It had a smooth consistency, and tasted lightly of ginger without being overpowering.
It was busy and service was brisk, but attentive. They kept noticing that my water glass was slowly being drained throughout the visit and filled it up repeatedly. The cards with funny phrases in Chinese were a cute touch. This is definitely a fun place for people to grab drinks with friends, but I personally have a difficult time paying $4 for 2 hard pieces of lo bak go, when my go-to dim sum place is a block away and charges $2 for the same amount, or T&T down the street sells the entire cake for $6.
I can hear my grandma scolding me already. -
Review from Sam S.
Vancouver, BC
3/9/2011
The four stars is for ambiance. Bao Bei is a hidden gem in dirty China Town district beside the boutique keefer hotel and keefer lounge (which is a must to visit). Back to the restaurant: the drinks here are great and its a beehive attracting a lot of hip and trendy yuppies. I say this because it seems like the people are coming out of the anthropologie megazine or urban outfitters.
Now to the food. Pulled pork was great, their sticky rice was different and their veggies are also different variations of chinese food. I am chinese and I found the food to be interesting because they seem to be a twist of chinese food that is not fusion cuisine. But.... overall the ambiance makes us for the coolness factor since the food overall didnt taste bad. Just don't expect a big dish of shrimp fried rice or sweet and sour pork. It's small tapas dining with cooking traits extracted from chambar, with a delectable ambiance for dates or being in the scene. -
Review from Nikki N.
Vancouver, BC
12/18/2011
Nice place, I must admit... I said it before reading all the reviews that it is a very hipster kind of place - which turns out everyone else agrees. That's not to say its a bad place..
Ambiance and decor was very cool. Rustic... Comfortable.. Small place so luckily we were seated almost right away because on a rainy December night I dunno if I woulda wanted to wait outside in a line up especially because they don't take reservations..
We had the octopus salad (great dressing), tofu, pork belly, squid stir fry and panacotta and ice cream for the dessert. The pork belly was probably my favorite, followed by the salad. The squid stir fry was good but nothing too unique about it. The dessert was interesting.. Ice creams were 3 different kind.. Jasmine tea, spiced walnut and a mandarin sorbet.
Food was very tasty and we were pretty full at the end of the night. Service was food, our server checked on us, filled water frequently and food came out at a good pace. Our server even made me some kind of juice concoction and when it needed some tweaking he complied with no complaints.
I rated it a 3 only because it's pretty expensive so not somewhere I'd go on a regular basis - but good for a special night out. -
Review from Joanne L.
Richmond, BC
10/28/2010
Interesting place with a mix of Chinese fusion, that seems to be the popular thing to do nowadays, just copy a whole bunch of common everyday Chinese dishes and serve it in a nicely decorated place in Chinatown. The owners are clever to have thought of this, especially to charge around double the cost where an actual Chinese restaurant would. With the bar/lounge area in the front of the store, it makes this place "chic and modern" like some Yaletown eateries.
The place was actually quite full on a weekday at dinner time, and I was the only Chinese person there, hmm that already explained a lot. Even the servers were not Chinese... The menu consisted of some interesting drinks/cocktails and several popular, but very common Chinese dishes that I can find in most proper Chinese restaurants. And nope, there's not a single word of Chinese on the menu for the food items.
We ordered the fried rice of the day, manila clams, potstickers, and a veggie dish. I was thinking "wow, really? These items are really nothing special". Alright, let's give this a try. The dishes come, and sure, they look like the normal dishes I always have but a bit smaller and higher priced. The food tasted good, like how the dish should have tasted like.
The restaurant itself was neat, walls had wallpaper that showed through paint, with old photographs and antique pieces. The women's bathroom door made me jump! That eerie green head hanging on the door glaring at you was definitely not what I was expecting. I have to admit I was quite spooked.
Hey don't get me wrong, I'm not hating this place, but I could get this kind of food at any Chinese restaurant in Richmond. it might be new and fresh to the non-Chinese community, but I wouldn't go to these places or pay this kind of price for these dishes. I'm not trying to be racist either! But maybe go try Chinese food at a Chinese place (there are proper, clean ones around if that's what you're worried about)!
