Wonderbao

One of the great things about having lunch with friends (other than having the pleasure of their company) is that you can order more food… try more dishes… and take more photos! A group of five of us visited Wonderbao, and between us we ended up trying almost all of the bao on their menu. The bao were small and relatively cheap which meant that we each got to try a few different flavours, and in the end we all left feeling satisfied.

Braised pork belly gua bao ($4.20) and choi bao (V) ($2.20)

The pork belly was nice and tender, and worked well with the flavours of mustard, coriander and peanut. The choi bao had a good combination of shiitake mushroom, tofu and veggies.

Fried silky tofu gua bao (V) ($4.2)

The bao bun had a soft texture, and there was a good ratio between the bao and the tofu filling. The pickled mustard, sweet soy sauce, veggies and peanuts provided a good crunch and additional flavour.

Da chicken bao ($3.50)

The chicken bao had a good flavour, and the chicken was complimented by egg and shiitake mushroom.

Veggie pack: choi bao, taro bao & fried silky tofu gua bao ($8.20) plus a nai wong bao ($2)

The veggie pack contained three dumplings (veggie, taro and fried silky tofu), but we ordered the custard bao as well to combine all the vegetarian options in one box. The veggie and tofu bao both tasted good even without meat.

‘Traditional wonders’ box: da pork bao, char sui bao, choi bao & nai wong bao ($9.40)

This box contained two types of pork bao, a veggie bao and a custard bao. The pork bao were quite tasty, and the custard bao was a refreshing way to finish off the box; it was sweet, but not as sweet as a dessert.

Hot homemade organic soya milk ($3)

Verdict: Tasty bao and affordable prices. The boxes are useful if you’re not sure which bao to choose, and they are slightly cheaper than buying the bao individually.

Location: Shop 4/19-37 A’Beckett St Melbourne (it’s down the hall). Their website is here.