Bao

What is Bao? Perched on the ground floor of the Dragon Condos at 270 Spadina Avenue, Bao brings one of China’s most storied culinary lineages directly into Chinatown. Operated by owner Hongke Zheng as the downtown sibling to Richmond Hill’s Goubuli—a venerable brand tracing its heritage back to 1858 in Tianjin—the restaurant presents a tranquil, light-filled dining room lined with clean wood accents and expansive street-facing windows.

Bao Menu & What to Order The indisputable centerpiece here is the Tianjin-style baozi, each hand-pinched with the traditional 18 delicate pleats that cradle juicy fillings. Start with the traditional steamed pork buns or the deluxe pork, shrimp, and sea cucumber buns, eaten piping hot right from the bamboo steamer basket. Balance the carbs with street-style jianbing rolled around crackling youtiao, savoury braised pork blocks simmered in rich rice wine sauce, or vegetarian-friendly garlic-tossed snow pea sprouts.

Know Before You Go Bao operates primarily on a walk-in basis, and while weekday lunches are calm and breezy, tables fill rapidly during peak weekend dim sum rushes. Take the 510 Spadina streetcar directly to the Dundas Street West stop for an easy commute, as street parking along Spadina Avenue is scarce. The kitchen is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for both dine-in and takeout.