Best Baos In Ōtautahi Christchurch

Vagabond Chefs food truck serves up delicious, seasonal cuisine, with their ever-changing menu keeping you on your toes! Favourites include Korean fried chicken with bulldog sauce, grilled pork belly with char siu sauce and crispy tofu with a peanut sauce - Yum! Each bao is served with a variety of vegetables and herbs, rounding off these tasty delights. Follow @vagabondchefs for daily location updates.

Nestled within the bustling Little High Eatery, is Eightgrains. Offering a flavour-packed selection of baos, including pork belly, sweet and spicy fried chicken, BBQ pork, tempura vegetable and a sweet fried bao. The pork belly is braised the traditional Taiwanese way for 3-hours, served with pickled veggies. The fried chicken bao is made using Sushi Soldier’s Japanese fried chicken, topped with Korean sweet and spicy Gochujang. For those with a sweet tooth, there is also a dessert bao to satisfy the craving!

On Papanui Road you'll find The Philippines Bakery, serving up bao buns jam-packed with filling. Flavours include the pork Asado bao is followed closely by the tasty Bola-Bola (pork meatball, salted egg and spring onion) and chicken Asado bao. The soft, cloud-like bao is perfect for the one handed on-the-go gobbling!

They might be better known for their dumplings, but don’t underestimate the equally delicious bao buns at Pot Sticker. With the bao dough made fresh onsite daily at Lichfield Street, you can’t go wrong! Choose from pork belly, Beijing duck or fried tofu all served with an addictive sticky Hoisin sauce. If spice is what you’re after, don’t go past the fried chicken with spicy Sriracha mayo. Make sure you try the dessert bao made with melted Whittakers dark chocolate.

Midnight Shanghai, located in the Riverside Market is the place to seek out mouthwatering bao buns. The menu features four unique flavours, combining a hero ingredient with lettuce and in-house sauce to accompany. The newest addition to the menu is a pork belly charsiu with pickled Chinese cabbage. The iconic Shanghai maple sriracha chicken bao and roast duck bao are a go to and the tempura cauliflower bao with chilli mayo is the perfect way to round off the selection.

One look at the Evil Genius menu and you’ll notice the creative names, which are no short of genius. From Chairman bao buns (spicy pork belly) to Bok Bok bao buns (Evil’s signature free range fried chicken) you’re sure to have a giggle. Vegans will rejoice at the sight of the Baolin Kung Fu baos—marinated tofu with vegan mayo. While meat-lovers, mustn’t miss the Baodang (sticky beef) baos with chilli mayo. All baos include greens and pickles, except for the chicken which is served with chimichurri and slaw. 

For an authentic Chinese experience, head to Maxine’s Palace to try their lunchtime Dim Sum menu, featuring a selection of savoury and sweet steamed buns served traditionally in a bamboo steamer. Start your meal with green tea to accompany your choice of Dim Sum. Make sure you try the popular steamed BBQ buns or gooey custard buns.

Ramen Ria has four tantalising bao bun flavours on offer. A hero on the menu is the roasted duck bao. Tender and paired with a sweet plum sauce, this is perfect for first-time duck triers and duck aficionados alike. The crispy roasted pork belly comes with the ideal amount of crackling and an orange hoisin sauce to lighten the palette. A zingy hit of ginger accompanies the tempura vegetable bao and the Karaage fried chicken is paired with a sweet and spicy sauce.

SUPER offers a delicious selection of bao buns made using local and in-season ingredients. Be sure to check the menu for the ever changing selection. Flavours have included Karaage chicken, Hangi pork belly and Tempura veggie bao with vegan miso mayo, teriyaki, pickled onion and coriander. Simply SUPER!