Bao Gourmet Restaurant

I am not a big fan of the local Chinese places in Bartlett, but this was pretty bad.  The service was reliable and the food was hot, but those are the only positives I can come up with.....the chicken was like soft, slimy rubber.  The best way I can describe it.  Just plain awful.  I started gagging after my first bite, just from the texture alone.  The veggies in the dish were ok, but I lost my appetite after eating the chicken.  My daughter got the chicken noodle soup and spit out the chicken right away.  I will not be ordering from here again.

My first visit was for lunch- I ordered the lettuce wrap appetizer, sesame chicken and an order of bao and had to double check my bill at $27! It seemed pricey for lunch, but then again I think they only have one menu.

The food was great! Very fresh and great flavors. The servings were hearty and the staff was accurate when describing dishes. They were sure to explain how to eat the bao dumplings so we could enjoy all the flavors.

I would most definitely come back, but would prefer a lunch/dinner option. We took home half of our meal because there was so much!

Bao has an identity crisis and leaves the diner feeling between disappointed and cheated.

First, it calls itself Bao. Unless the owner has a completely different Chinese character in mind, one would expect to find a good selection of steamed and stuffed bao or buns on the menu.  They are not on the menu.  You have to ask for them and, during my visit, they only offered 3 kinds.

Second, they show a bowl of noodle soup next to the name, but there is only one such selection on the menu, spicy beef noodle soup.  One would think, by the name and the graphic, that we would find a selection of noodles, bao and even steamed dumplings; a north eastern Chinese flavor.  

Third, they claim gourmet Chinese food.  The decor might suggest the possibility.  It gave the place a "bistro" like feel. Unfortunately, the food is not up to par with "gourmet".

I ordered the spicy beef noodle soup. Beef noodle soup is not, by any means, a "fancy" meal, but what I had was not "gourmet" quality.  The broth lacked richness.  I could have bought the noodles at a local Chinese supermarket.  The beef was sliced instead of cubed, and it was clearly pan fried prior to serving.  It wasn't stewed with the broth and other ingredients that would make a classic beef noodle soup. The overall flavor was ok, but it is not worth ordering a second time. My guess is that it is not a popular dish. That they are just making it because they have it on the menu.

Verdict: A Chinese carry out that tries to pass as a gourmet bistro but has not found the ways to be a gourmet Chinese bistro.  It is an identity crisis that leaves the diner feeling between disappointed and cheated.