Ann Arbor, MI — This foodie adventure has been in the works for some time, mainly because it’s actually my second (documented) lunch adventure with my sister in Ann Arbor! Some followers might recall my first foodie adventure out to Ann Arbor to catch up with my sister at Biercamp, a friendly neighborhood meat shop specializing in barbecue. That adventure happened nearly a year ago in mid-June, and while I have seen and caught up with my sister at holiday gatherings and such since then, we were definitely due to cross another restaurant off my sister’s list of eateries and add one to mine for Ann Arbor.

My sister lives in Dexter, about 10 miles Northwest of Ann Arbor, is married, and has two teen boys who both play multiple sports. So, like myself, she often finds herself running around quite busy on most days and weekends! Whenever I’m not at work, I usually work on this blog, writing, and editing away for hours at a time while still trying to find some time for a social life. As a result, there is sometimes more time between our reunions than I’d prefer, but we still see each other more often than when I lived out of state. So, you know, silver linings!

My sister and I text occasionally to catch up on what’s latest or new in each other’s lives. Sometimes, she’ll fill me in on what’s new in the lives of my nephews, whom I inquire about as often as I can. A few weeks ago, we decided it was time to tackle another restaurant together and for us to catch up properly in person. We narrowed it down to a few options but ultimately landed on Bao Space.

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Anyone who knows me knows that I love storytelling; I equally enjoy hearing and learning the personal stories and experiences of others. So, naturally, I’m even more intrigued when a food or restaurant has a story behind it. Bao Space is a family-owned establishment in downtown Ann Arbor on North Main Street, just north of Huron Street. The family, who moved to Ann Arbor in 2018, say they instantly fell in love with the city after they arrived, according to their website. The family’s bao bun lineage stems back three generations — a family keen on honoring Chinese tradition and ancient techniques in crafting the buns.

One of Bao Space’s goals is reinventing how people view authentic Asian cuisine. I was eager and excited to try Bao Space from the restaurant’s name alone. I have been craving bao buns/dim sum since moving back to Metro Detroit nearly two years ago. I have yet to find a consistent eatery around the Metro (by all means, send suggestions if you have any!) that provides a proper dim sum experience or bao buns. While there are two options of bao buns (in lil taco form) served at Vigilante Kitchen in Midtown Detroit, this alone falls rather short of expectations for a burgeoning food city. As previously discussed during my interview with Detroit Chef and Content Creator Jon Kung, for all of the great ‘new’ that we get to experience around the city today in terms of its food scene, Detroit still lacks diversity in food options when compared to other major cities. While Detroit has come a long way in recent years, it still has some work to do regarding international cuisine, which usually resides in suburban communities.

I’m fortunate to say that I’ve experienced some magnificent presentations of bao buns over the years from places in Philadelphia, Toronto, and even Phoenix. So far, the lack of authentic dim sum or bao buns establishments around Metro Detroit has been one of the few foodie disappointments I’ve had since returning. However, as the city and food scene grows exponentially, this void will hopefully be addressed and filled by chefs, small businesses, and families eager to share their stories through food. If this is the first time you have heard of/tried bao or dim sum (like my sister before this adventure), there will be a little explainer before we dive into the food breakdown. Regardless of whether you’ve tried bao buns or not, you’re about to find out why you’ll need an excuse to visit Ann Arbor as soon as possible!

FULL STORY: Checking out Ann Arbor’s friendly neighborhood meat shop: Biercamp

I left for Ann Arbor last Saturday morning about an hour before noon, expecting to encounter some weekend traffic and construction. Growing up in Michigan most of my life has taught me at least one thing: the first nice, warm, sunny weekend day in the Springtime usually means that anybody who can drive a car will be out in said car going somewhere to enjoy the day. So, in other words, always leave for your destinations a little early! Sure enough, I arrived a few minutes after noon at the parking garage just west of the restaurant. I quickly descended several flights of stairs and walked out directly into the warm, welcoming rays of the sun as I marched onward. A simple right turn and several steps later, I arrived at Bao Space.

I walked in and met up with my sister at a table along the wall. We spent the first several minutes catching up, me lamenting about the traffic and my sister detailing her latest hobby of pickleball. We perused the menu and discussed what we were going to order. Neither of us had had anything to eat yet for the day, so we were ready to conduct our usual spread of the menu in order to try as much as possible. We decided on an order of the pan-fried Dumplings with Chicken, Shanghai Shumai, Pork Buns, Shrimp Triple Delight Buns, BBQ Bao Buns, Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce for my sister, and I gave the new Hot and Sour Soup a try. I also ordered a large black milk tea since it’s been a while since I last had bubble tea!

For those unfamiliar with dim sum, it’s an extensive range of traditional small-plate Chinese dishes, typically served during brunch in restaurants. The adorable little Bao Buns are among the various dishes featured in dim sum — freshly steamed soft buns stuffed with flavorful fillings, juicy meats, or vegetables. At Bao Space, the buns are handmade and rolled daily, then steamed.

One of my favorite moments from this adventure was when my sister pointed out that above the counter where you ordered, an informational and entertaining video showcased how bao buns are made. The video was a cool story told via animation of several family members introducing the youngest member to the family tradition. In the video, the youngster messes up the signature pinch and twist at the end of wrapping the bao and appears frustrated, but then the older generations console him and show him how to do it, resulting in a symbolic passing of the torch moment and happy ending. It’s simple and short and doesn’t have any speaking, but the story alone and its uplifting message are the type of positive vibes I love to see woven into the ambiance of a restaurant. I had yet to even try the food, and already, I was enjoying my experience at Bao Space.

The Food

Between my sister and I, we began to feel like we ordered quite a bit of food for only two people. We wondered if our eyes were bigger than our stomachs when we were inspecting the menu and its many tantalizing illustrations. But nonetheless, we’re both quite the foodies (perhaps our greatest bond as siblings!) and were ready to tackle this hearty challenge. One of the employees came out with a large tray and served us all the orders together, including our drinks.

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While we had been waiting for our food, I couldn’t help but notice how jam-packed the place was becoming. It was, after all, a beautiful day outside with highs in the upper 70s and nothing but blue sky overhead. Oh, and it was lunchtime! This establishment appeared to be quite a popular spot with folks ranging from college students to families and couples on dates. The sheer volume of customers during the lunch rush was intimidating, even as a customer from the sidelines, but the calm crew put the pedal to the medal and seemed to just roll right through the orders with no trouble. Outstanding and impeccable service, a crew in synch with each other, and a genuinely great eatery vibe. And we still need to get to the food, so get ready for a truly remarkable adventure through Taste Township!

This Hot and Sour Soup had the ‘new’ indication prominently featured above it on the menu, so obviously, I had to check out the eatery’s latest culinary addition! This was quite a strong foot to start on for Bao Space; I really enjoyed this variation of Hot and Sour. Most Hot and Sour soups I’ve had in my travels have been mainly brothy, with few other ingredients besides the green onion. Bao Space serves up this traditional soup that also includes tomato, Shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and egg. This was an excellently portioned dish, with every ingredient making its presence known to the overall profile. Each ingredient’s flavor held its own prominence, with the tomato’s acidity preventing the soup’s “hot” level from going too far up the scale. While the sour component was the stronger of the two, the mushrooms helped balance that taste.

I had to remember to take a photo after a few slurps in order to showcase how beautifully constructed this dish was. It was one of the best hot and sour soups I’ve ever had, and it was absolutely loaded with ingredients- all at a very reasonable price.

After having a week to reflect on the numerous bao experiences I’ve had thus far in my travels, I’d have to say these were probably some of, if not the best, bao buns I’ve ever had. When these bao buns are placed before you, you can’t help but feel like you’re a member of the family, honored to celebrate and partake in their generational tradition. The bao buns were the largest I’ve ever been served, and I could tell each one was loaded to capacity. The Premium Berkshire Pork Buns and Shrimp Triple Delight Buns can be seen below, while the BBQ Bao is featured in the bottom-right corner image within the main image at the top of the article.

The Bao Buns were the perfect temperature to just pick right up and bite into. While I could have tackled it with my chopsticks, the size of the bun was big enough to warrant assured delivery to my mouth. My sister and I bit into the Pork Buns first. I bit far enough into the bun to pull away with some blended juicy ground pork, spring onion, and the spongy bun exterior. I love the soft texture of the bao bun; it’s visually appealing in presentation and fun to eat. The pork was exquisite, and the bits of spring onion mixed in added the occasional bites of sweetness.

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The Shrimp Triple Delight Buns were quite a delight! These buns are stuffed with shrimp, pork, mushrooms, and Chinese chives. The bun I bit into had quite the shrimp representation, adding that seafood element to the previous pork bun encounter and adding in the earthy mushrooms. This interior blend was quite yummy, and I loved the particulars of this bun’s presentation, which was prominently featuring a piece of shrimp poking out from the top of the bun.

The BBQ Bao came served open-faced, with the meat and toppings placed within the crease of the bun, like a taco! This bao’s photo can be seen at the top of the article, in the bottom-right corner of the main image. This is one of the more common ways I’ve seen bao served at various fusion joints and new-wave restaurants around the country over the years. 

This was some sensational barbecue with a lovely char texture and taste. The mayo-based sauce had a hint of garlic and complemented the meat perfectly. The nice little bite and crunch of the pickled slice is also a nice addition, serving as a unique contrast to the soft and fluffy bun. All three bao buns knocked it out of the park in my book; I loved every bite!

The Shanghai Shumai and Pan-Fried Dumplings were not to be forgotten during this delectable meal. The Pan-Fried Dumplings were fried to perfection and had juicy, crunchy, seared exteriors. The inside mixture was loaded with little chunks of chicken. The dumplings were well-stuffed and also handmade daily by the steadfast team at Bao Space. Solid dumplings all around!

The Shanghai Shumai was a new experience for me, although I’ve had sticky rice in the past before. I was excited to try Bao Space’s sticky rice recipe and variation, and I found it to be quite good! The dumpling form was different from what I was expecting, but it gave the heaped clump of seasoned sticky rice a different approach than what I’m used to. The rice was cooked well and seasoned just enough to be noticed. Unfortunately, this was the only thing my sister wasn’t a fan of, but the silver lining was that I got the third and final piece!

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While we ate, my sister and I continued to get caught up on each other’s lives, including updates on other family members and the latest happenings. I think what really raised the bar and led to such great brother/sister bonding time was that we were exchanging conversation over such a wonderful meal. A tradition perfected by this family over several generations is now on full display for the world to enjoy in a quaint corner of downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I give serious praise to this family for sharing their expertise and cultural cuisine with the Ann Arbor area and neighboring Metro Detroit. There just aren’t enough of these wonderful international culinary gems around our area, so one can’t help but feel overjoyed when you finally discover a remarkable establishment. While I am excited to check out the one or two other dumpling and dim sum eateries I discovered around Metro Detroit while writing/researching for this post, I can promise I’ll be stopping by Bao Space the next time I find myself in Ann Arbor again!

For more information on Bao Space, click here.