Wow Bao: Enjoy your dim sum on the run
When it comes to fast food, everyone is trying to go healthy without sacrificing taste. An innovative Chicago eatery may have hit upon the perfect compromise by taking a centuries-old Chinese dim sum recipe and giving it a very modern twist.
Wow Bao serves steamed Asian buns with an assortment of savory or sweet fillings known as baos. The baos come filled with a choice of chicken (teriyaki, spicy Kung Pao, Thai curry), beef (spicy Mongolian), pork (BBQ) or vegetable (whole wheat edamame). Dessert bao options include coconut cream or apple cinnamon.
Though small (one bao can fit in the palm of your hand), they are surprisingly filling and a steal at $1.39 each.
What’s even more impressive than the price of the little buns is their nutritional content. Thanks to steam cooking, baos average 179 calories and 6 grams of fat or less and can be considered a balanced meal in a very portable package.
These healthy buns aren’t the only thing on the menu at Wow Bao. Other offerings include pot stickers, rice or noodle bowls, Asian soups and salads, and homemade ginger ale in original or pomegranate.
There’s even a breakfast menu for early risers, including breakfast baos (like egg, bacon and cheddar, or egg and spicy sausage), oatmeal, breakfast bowls and juices.
Ancient Chinese recipes aren’t the only things getting a modern makeover here; Wow Bao excels at fast food, with high-tech efficiency, streamlined menus and very contemporary décor. Each Chicago location is sleek in design, with wood, steel and glass accents, minimal color and full views of the bao steaming stations.
First opening its doors at Water Tower Place in 2003, Wow Bao has now grown to three downtown locations, with plans to expand in the near future. Currently, Chicagoans consume 300,000 to 400,000 baos each year, and Wow Bao ships its famous steamed treats anywhere in the United States. Quick, tasty and healthy, Wow Bao is a great alternative to standard fried fast food in Chicago.
Posted on Apr 12, 2011 by D.J. Siegel
