Bow Down to the Bao!
by Marlon Fernandes
Looking for a great place to eat at Universal CityWalk? There are plenty of choices. Our usual go to is The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen but on our most recent trip we opted for a quick bite at Bend the Bao. If you’re not looking for it it can be easy to miss. It’s located on the second floor of CityWalk above the cinema and overlooking the Hollywood Drive-In Golf. This quick-service restaurant has a great selection of baos.
Now you may be asking what is a bao? A bao also known as a steamed bun is a soft dough that's steamed with various fillings inside. At Bend the Bao they offer delicious options like duck crab cake and shrimp but on this trip Monica and I decided to share a Kimchee Fried Chicken Pork Belly and a Beef Brisket Bao. You can get a two bao combo for $12.29 and a three bao combo for $16.99.
The Kimchee Fried Chicken Bao has kimchee fried chicken kimchee butter gochujang cucumber stallion sriracha aioli. The chicken was crunchy and flavorful and the sriracha aioli gave it a great burst of flavor without it being too spicy. This turned out to be both Monica and my favorite!
The Pork Belly Bao has pork belly scallions cucumber honey-roasted peanuts and cilantro. The pork belly was meaty and tangy and was surprisingly more flavorful than I expected.The Beef Brisket Bao has beef brisket fried jalapeno pickled red onion cilantro avocado lime crema. The brisket was a little fatty and had a strong smoky flavor but was good overall and the pickled red onions and avocado lime crema added a nice flavor to it.
Overall Bend the Bao is a great option if you’re looking for a quick bite and a unique flavor at Universal CityWalk. It is also reasonably priced: with a soda it came out to about $20. The portions are very sharable and they also have a selection of sake beer and boba drinks.