Melbourne, VIC 3000
baonow.com.au
Hot Asian buns and slouchy Chris fed up with my incessant photo-taking |
Bao Now’s claim to fame is being able to put ‘the world in a bun’. On the day we visited, there was everything from Mexican pork to bacon cheeseburger, and it was practically an obligation for me to return in the near future when I was told that there will be a new flavour – butter chicken – released soon.
Savouries |
Chris had already had lunch, so I was just going to share a couple of savoury buns with him, and maybe a sweet bun or two, and call it a day. But the owner (?) kindly chucked in an extra bun for us to try out, and in the name of research, who am I to decline?
Buffalo Chicken ($3) |
The Buffalo Chicken ($3) was our pick of the savoury lot. Taking inspiration from the zingy New York Buffalo wings, these buns were filled with a gooey, spicy mixture that had a faint cheesiness and a lingering kick to it. I would happily have half a dozen of these for lunch.
Bacon Cheeseburger ($3) |
The Bacon Cheeseburger ($3) bao had barely hit Chris’ tastebuds before he exclaimed that it tasted like a meat pie, and he was absolutely right. The comforting and lightly spiced mince tasted just like the Aussie classic, but I would much rather eat this – all the heartiness without the greasy feeling of eating too much grisly mince encased in puff pastry.
Egg and Bacon ($3) |
The Egg and Bacon ($3) bao had a big breakfast slant on it, tasting a lot like a chunky omelette steamed inside a bun (which was pretty much what it is). The flavours of this were mild verging on bland, but all it really needs is a bit of salt and a little more bacon to make it a prime morning snack.
Sweets |
And of course, the best part of a meal – dessert. The lovely proprietor/human/bloke behind the counter saw that I was having a bit of a mental seizure trying to pick only 2 of the 4 sweet buns on offer, so when he carried the freshly steamed buns to our table, there were 3, not 2 baos in the cardboard tray, saving from me a whole afternoon of what-ifs.
Cheesecake ($2.8) |
Cheesecake ($2.8) in a bao, how could that go wrong? Or right, depending on how open minded you are. But don’t let the odd combination put you off – the thick, smooth chunks of cheesecake filling went beautifully with the fluffy bun, and there was just a faint hint of sourness from the cheese that gave it the bao oodles of character.
Chocolate Mousse ($2.8) |
‘It’s like chocolate yoghurt in a bun!’ Chris injected again. And once more, he was spot on. We were licking our fingers as the sweet center of the Chocolate Mousse ($2.8) bao ran down our fingers, and I was left craving for a tub of chocolate yoghurt and a couple more of these babies.
Vanilla Slice ($2.8) |
I am so glad that the Vanilla Slice ($2.8) bao was added to our order, because it turned out to be my favourite one by far. It may not be as quirky as some of the other creations, but the viscous custard was flawlessly smooth and heady with the scent of vanilla. Bakeries everywhere should be taking the vanilla slices out of their cabinets and replacing them with these.
10 Comments
Thanks for the awesome review! We actually have some great lunch deals (3 bao plus drink, $9) in place, plus you can always buy extra bao if youre super hungry! Cheers!
You’re welcome, I really enjoyed your baos, good luck for the future! :)
SO amazing. Although I haven’t been to either, I find Bao Now WAY more interesting than Wonderbao (although I’m sure it’s tasty too). It’s just, I find it harder to justify price for something like that in AUD when I often have it overseas quite accessibly. But these, are definitely one of a kind. And so many choices I’d love to go for too! Btw sorry for being so behind to see what you’ve been up to, just been super swamped with uni and it’s exam time now… FOAH!!
Bao Now certainly has more novelty factor than wonderbao (post going up soon!), but wonderbao’s baos are much better executed and much, much larger. That said though, I’d be hard-pressed to pick one I like more, considering they both offer such different things.
And don’t sweat it, I understand entirely with the whole uni thing; just had my first exam today and we filled had to fill up four answer booklets in 2.5 hours, FOUR!!
Looks soooo good! Maybe one day, I’ll try it!
Hi there Amanda, thanks for commenting! :)
I’d definitely recommend giving bao now a go, especially for their sweet baos, which is a light and delicious alternative for when cake is just too much (is ther such a time?) :p
\O/ BAOOOOO~~~ omnomnom
I love their vanilla slice + buffalo chicken one :)
Maaaaan that vanilla slice bao is good, it’s so nice when actual vanilla is used instead of vanilla essence :)
Yay you visited Bao now :) I’m totally addicted to their Chocolate Mousse bao and I definitely like my sweet baos too ~ I didn’t get the chance to try their cheesecake bao gotta go back soon ~
Mmm yes their sweet baos are to die for! Did you get to try vanilla slice? It’s heavenly <3