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| - It's been years since I've had hair on my head. So what am I doing inside a salon? Late on a Friday night, no less?
The answer involves three simple letters. BAO.
I've been wanting to check this place out for a while. I was in the area and found out via twitter that they were open late this Friday evening. (They've been staying open late on Friday nights for the past few weeks).
This cute little cafe is the epitome of random. Nestled within a pretty large salon, you will find Chef Sheridan Su and Jen Jen (it said that on her t-shirt) behind a small hole-in-the-wall counter. It's a very intimate setting and you get to watch them preparing your food. As such, I think I picked the perfect time to try this place for the first time. With no one else around, it felt like I was in their home and as they were fixing me a late night meal, we chatted back and forth getting to know one another.
With a couple as friendly and adorable as Sheridan and Jenny, I was immediately a fan of Great Bao, but how is their food?
I went with the ComBAO. This allows you to pick any three bao plus a drink for $10 (tax included). I opted for duck, pork, and chicken. The bread was so light and fluffy. I like theirs better than The Chairman truck. Each bao had something I liked and I fully enjoyed them all. But if I had to pick one, I'd probably go with duck. Honestly though, that's only ever-so-slightly ahead of pork, followed closely by chicken. According to Chef Su, I was the first to try a chicken wing version--the chicken bao is usually made with breast and thigh meat.
As for the drink, I went with a peach Italian soda with cream. It was surprisingly delicious. For some reason, it reminded me of a guava drink--very refreshing. After I was done with my three bao, Jenny asked me if I was ready for three more bao. What? I was so confused. Then she hands me a basket with three tiny balls of some sort of honey-biscuit-something-or-other. Funny and cute. Well played Jenny.
So a big thumbs up on the delicious food, the tasty beverage, the friendly service, the intimate atmosphere, and the quirky location inside a salon. Plus, I always love meeting awesome small business owners. Everything about Great Bao Asian Cafe is simply fantastic.
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