I love the IDEA of wow bao. like the fact they put dishes (mongolian beef and kung pao) in a bao. HOWEVER, this place is WAYYYYY overpriced. you can get a bao that is triple the size in chinatown for less than half the prices. do the math. seriously! But I usually will pick one up if Im at water tower or on free Wednesdays. I just would definitely not buy too many of them as they are super priceyyy
Review Source:I love this place! I got the bbq pork bao and the spicy kung pao chicken bao, made it a combo and added the spicy peanut noodle salad and it was SO GOOD. I am Chinese and have had legit asian buns but I actually really loved the flavors of the buns here. The spicy peanut noodle salad was also delish, it came with cucumbers and cilantro, and the dressing was very spicy and had a great zing to it. The buns were amazing and soft, and they gave a good amount of meat inside. The only thing was the price per bun ($1.79 or so) was quite expensive, considering in NYC china town one bun is like 80 cents.
Review Source:Sure these buns are Americanized, but sometimes an authentic dim sum place filled with steamy carts is not readily available.
I ordered a refreshing cold peanut noodle salad and two steamed buns - Thai Curry Chicken and the seasonal Pumpkin bao. I Â liked the salty and sweet combination, and this helped me avoid getting dessert later in the day. Â
The buns are small with limited filling, so the fun was in trying something new if you want to shake up your snack routine while shopping in Water Tower Place.
This location is more of an express location. The menu here is a condensed version  and the work space for them seems very cramped, then you have to carry your food to go eat at some tables upstairs. The flavors are the same but at the other locations it seems a lot fresher, but that's just me. Â
I would recommend thai curry chicken on jasmine rice, or the thai chicken noodle soup.
Go to one of the other locations if you can, the atmosphere is better and food seems better too. Plus there are more options!
Yes these steam buns are a bit "Americanized" and are probably not the real thing but they are so tasty and so good it's real hard to pass by without making a pit stop and placing an order.
I really appreciate that the nutritional facts are posted on he wall next to the cashier so you can make an informed choice: going for a low cal combo or splurge on a six pack of baos.
In the winter the Thai broth with only 40 calories really has a kick and will warm you up in no time. All the baos savory or sweets are really good and worth trying. The coconut custard one and chocolate for desserts were much better than I anticipated and can become quite addictive so be aware.
In a nutshell a good place to stop by for lunch for a quick bite that won't empty your wallet (on par with typical traditional fast food prices) but will leave you with a much better taste experience.
Note, the seating area is one floor up so no you don't have to eat standing.
wow bao indeed.
little tender, soft buns full of juicy meat marinated in delicious  sawces.
i love it! i also love the fact that they have different flavors. more sawces the better!
the bbq one is the best by far though. also the spicy ones are actually pretty spicy, so if youre not a brave, strong sawce bawss stay away from them.
only downside is that they're kinda small, so you have to eat more than one. thats why you buy the six pack! ugh i want some now...
I sometimes view Asian fusion places with hesitation, since I don't feel you can ever go wrong going to Maxim's Bakery in Chinatown for a good quality bao. Â It sure is a treat to have this place near my school tho, and with such convenience, in a place as well-known as WaterTower no less! Â since not only do they have the traditional bbq pork bao (my childhood fave) but other baos, it's amazing b/c there's like a dozen different ones you can try. Â I really liked the cold peanut noodle side dish when I went there recently, and I believe it was their herb ginger chicken broth I had some time ago. Â super nom nom :D. Â not to mention its high-tech! Â you can order at the computer kiosks or in person! Â I was loving the extra seating at the top of the escalator (to your right, 2nd floor) as well where a friend and I hung out eating our baos. Â they just need to label the bags maybe tho b/c we got our orders mixed up. Â her 1 yr old was there and ate almost 1/2 of my food before the inadvertent bao exchange!
Review Source:I spend a little too much time at this Wow Bao. Their Mongolian beef bao is great, so is the Kung Pao chicken. I just wish the latter came without peanuts (although it might, I've never asked). The chocolate bao is PERFECT for a chocolate craving. Just be careful because it might explode out the bottom and stain your blue sweater.... just sayin'.
Review Source:Great mid-Christmas shopping snack!!
Steamed hot white Chinese mini-buns with your choice of filling... there's nothing better to bite into (and to warm your hands with) on those windy Chicago wintery days!
I had the thai chicken curry bao which was very tasty, full of flavor, and (although my sister disagrees) I thought had a great bread-to-filling ratio! Â My sisters are traditional and love the BBQ pork bao (which is the char siu bao).
You order and pay on their self-service touch screen which makes the process speedy and convenient.
SUPER CHEAP!!! Â $1.69 +tax for 1 mini-bao, and you can also order a pack of 6 if you want to share with some lucky friends or family of yours!!
Lastly, they have seating upstairs (up 2 flights of escalators) if you want to enjoy your wow bao while sitting.
Located at the bottom of Water Tower Place Mall, Wow Bao is one of the first stores you see if you come through the main entrance. Â This prime location always makes them busy, with people lined up and others using their self service touch screen monitors. Â Their specialty is obviously the Asian bun or bao which is a white flour based bread that encases some kind of meat, vegetable, or sweet filling. Â Overall, the baos at Wow Bao are very flavorful and packed with a generous helping of the specified filling. Â Unfortunately, they are expensive, not very filling (unless you order a lot), and their other options (bowls, etc) are more time consuming to make (especially on a quick lunch break). Â The expensiveness coupled with the almost non-existent seating, except for a couple two-person tables located in the mall, made me give them a just above average rating. Â The quality and taste are awesome for a "better-than-fast-food" place, but I would stick to my Chinatown restaurants before heading here.
I gave them a 3.5 / 5.0 rating but cant do half stars on here.
I ordered three baos and ate them all up in one sitting. Â The Thai curry chicken was my favorite. Â It was perfectly flavored, not too salty, just the right amount of filling. Â The spicy Mongolian beef was quite spicy for me but I liked its strong flavor and the kick of ginger. Â My least favorite was the BBQ pork because I didn't like the texture of the meat and there were little chunks of the fatty meat that wasn't pleasant for my mouth.
One or two can be the perfect snack to boost your energy while walking around the Water Tower, or try a few flavors for a meal.
I arrived after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night and there were people milling around, some eating their baos, but I barely had to wait in line for my order. Â The employees were friendly. Â A downside is that there nowhere to really sit down and eat the baos.
Overall, I would go back again. Â Next time, I'd like to try a sweet bao (seems like people like the coconut custard), any of the salads (I was a little wary of trying them this time because I wasn't not sure how fresh it would be), and the Thai herb broth.
Fast snack, fast food, fast self-ordering touch screens.... man! It's pretty awesome. The steam buns are soft and yummy. Mongolian beef? spicy and good!
The teas are a bit sweeter than they should be... like Southern Sweet Tea! Other than that... the food is pretty legit and service is pretty decent.
Whether you want a quick snack or order a dozen frozen ones to go... this is the place!
Oh wait, chocolate bun? Dude!!!! Dark creamy chocolate and asian steam bun...... drool...
I didn't review this place, like, right away? Â Wow... but JUST wow... wow without the bao.
Guess what, my friend who planned the itinerary for this trip (happened last Nov, btw) had this place on our list. Â The day we passed by one (closer to the Marilyn Monroe statue), it was closed -- figured that place was geared toward office clientele, so understandably so it was closed on the weekends. Â We were looking forward to visit the one on THIS location the day after.
It was Sunday, about dinner time, and this place is right under the Lego store, so you bet it's open. Â So we entered into the building, and being AT LEAST 15 FEET away from it, behind the crowd that was in line for some buns, we started to take some pictures of their store front. Â No flash, mind you. Â And then we were about to order some buns to try ourselves.
Suddenly, a very harsh voice yelled out to us: "NO PICTURES!!!  NO PICTURES!!!" An Asian (presumably Chinese) man looked at us and screamed angrily from behind the counter, while busily prepping his orders or rolling dough or something.  Interestingly, last time I was "barred" from taking pictures by the store staff while on MALL GROUND was in Shanghai.  Are Mainland Chinese  THAT protective of their store that they think they own the air surrounding it as well?
And was that man thinking we probably wouldn't be patronizing given that we were also Chinese, so he might as well shoo us away so we're not in his way?
Sadly, I was going to patronize, but I won't now. Â Coz your discrimination against your own race is more unappetizing than any bao that I might or might not have even seen you make. Â Too bad, coz I was about to contribute to my people and patronize their business, and I was actually excited to try their bao. Â But bc I took one picture too many to their liking, I was treated like a plague. Â
Who in the right business mind doesn't like free advertising these days? Â I would tell you all: don't even bother "checking-in" to this place, coz they probably wouldn't appreciate that very much, either. Â If you're in China, they might have already shot you by now.
Funny thing is, I was practically standing on the ground of the BUILDING, so I was not even in their "domain" of control. Â They had no "store" to enter into; I was ON PUBLIC GROUNDS. Â So unless this dude was a uniformed guard or something, I don't think he had the right to command us. Â And it's not likeI was being stupid or using flash, or even video-taping his "business secret", you know. Â Power trip much?
Bottom line, if you REEEEALLY have a problem about people taking pictures of your work, I say put a stupid sign up (and I will respect that), or do it in the basement. Â On second thought, why not close your store altogether coz we can't even take a picture of the STORE -- not that we were zooming into his hands trying to get between him and his dough, you know! Â The whole idea of him hating on us taking pictures and admiring their work, is plain ridiculous and uninviting.
So yeah, at the end of the day, wow is right. Just no bao.
Hot & Steamy
Fresh & Tasty
Quick & Cheap
It may sound like I am describing a book featuring Christian Grey, but I assure you, I'm not! Â Who would have thought putting delicious Asian meat into a puff of dough would be delicious? Â Well, believe me friends, this is the real deal! In a random stop along Michigan Ave, I was told I HAD to try this, and it did not disappoint!
Great snack for a girl on the go :)
I heard about this place from my cousin and I happened to be in Chicago for a day. Â My hotel was only a 5 minute bus ride away; so, I had no excuse not to stop at this place for a quick bite.
This location is located on the street level of Water Tower Place. Â I stopped here on a Sunday and didn't realize that they didn't open until 11AM. Â No worries, I walked around the mall for a bit (burning off additional calories to consume MORE bao).
I showed up a little after 11AM and there was a short line of people already! Â There are two ways to order, either person-to-person or using a touch screen kiosk. Â I opted for the touch screen, being the techie geek that I am. Â The system was very easy to use and extremely intuitive. Â The pricing is straight forward with clear pictures and description. Â The checkout process is super fast (credit cards only). Â
I went for the 6 pack of bao and a hibiscus tea (cold). Â The got 2 bbq pork, teriyaki chicken, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef and a coconut custard. Â
The bao themselves are a good size, about the size of a small apple. Â The flavor is amazing, I was pleasantly surprised to be honest. Â The bbq pork is just like eating one from a Chinese dim sum place. Â Full of flavor and the distinct Chinese bbq pork flavor and smell. Â The other one that I loved was the coconut custard. Â Not too strong in the coconut flavor and not too sweet; simply a great blend of two simple ingredients. Â
I was a little surprised with the price. Â I paid $12 for 6 bao and an iced tea; which I felt was a little steep considering what you get (Chipotle burrito with soda is still under $10). Â Even with a higher price, they delivery on a great product with quick service in good locations.
I'll definitely hit this place again the next time I'm in Chicago!
Cheap, delicious, quick. What more could you ask for? Great location in the water tower for a pick-me-up snack. Only complaint would be that there should be a little more meat in the buns, but for 1.20 ish per bun, I guess I can't complain much.
My friend ordered two of each bun. The standouts were the kungpao, the thai curry chicken, and the mongolian beef.
Cheap, fast, and delicious! Bao's are so warm and tender, and you see a little steam come out when you bite into each one. Filling is generous, and they have a bunch of great flavors, both sweet and savory. I like the sweet baos, and Coconut Custard is my favorite. Electronic ordering on the side with your credit card makes the wait super short. Great little snack while shopping on the Mile. Chi-town!!
Review Source:This a great pickup dinner option for me on nights when I don't feel like cooking, but want to stay in. Â The people are nice. Â Love the ordering options: either wait in line in the traditional sense (usually with the tourists), or use a kiosk to order, and avoid the line (like a champ!). Â
Food has always been solid. Â Quite inexpensive (six buns for under 9 bucks). Â The menu is simple, but the occasional curveball (special Bao) are usually welcome. Â
Would I consider these traditional? Â Not really. Â But Delicious, filling, and could be worse health wise. Â Nice in a pinch. Â Haven't gone wrong with a choice here yet.
The perfect little snack! Bao!
Bao chicka wow wow! Ok, I'm getting carried away.
Thai curry chicken is my personal favorite, but I have tried a few different flavors. They also have hibiscus iced tea which is pretty good.
I love being able to try several different things and call it a meal, this is a great place to do just that!
I got a combo lunch; my choice of 2 bao and a cup of Thai broth. Â
They had a "special" bao or the day, week or month that was something like Duck Curry, so I got that and a Kung Pao Chicken bao. Â I haven't met a bao I didn't' like. Â They are quick, easy and always flavorful. Â The Kung Pao is probably one of my favorites. Â It's got a nice spicy kick and there's some nuts or something that gives the filling some texture and a little bit of crunch.
The Thai broth was awesome, even tho it was blazing hot out, I was still loving it. Â It was like a cross between chicken broth and tea, it had a savory ginger and lemongrass flavor. Â I just know I'll be craving Thai broth during the winter.
Wow Bao, I never knew you existed before but I already wish I had met you earlier...
These little buns were quite a treat while roaming North Michigan Avenue. The curry and kung pau were delightful.
Warm, soft buns and option for meat or veggie filling. Ordered the 6 pack to get a varied selection. Not a big fan of the BBQ as it was somewhat too sweet.
Ginger ale was too ginger-y
Friendly staff
Would be great to have as a quick no mess lunch
Why isn't this concept bigger??????
First, I believe that Wow Bao is part of the "Let Us Entertain You" conglomerate of restaurants, a Chicago based company. Â That's a good thing, They run great restaurants.
If you've never had these Asian buns, you are in for a treat. Â They are soft, warm, steamy, tasty! Â When you sink your teeth into them, it's like pressing into a dense cloud of something heavier than cotton candy, like stacks of warm "Wonder Bread"(When I was a Benedictine monk, we had an old monk from England, Dom Austin, Â who, upon his first taste of American Wonder Bread exclaimed, "it's a wonder they can call it bread!"). Â Aaaaaaaanyway......
When you get to the center of the bun, you have very tasty, spicy filling. Â Now, it is HEAVILY seasoned, no matter which "bao" you choose. Â But I do love the chicken curry the most. Â SOOO GOOD. Â
Do yourself a favor, when you're in the Loop, order a couple of these. Â It's the perfect snack. Â I will say it's a little heavy on the bread and light on the protein or filling for a full meal, even if you buy 3,4, or 5. Â
They're unique, you won't find them in a lot of places. Â DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ELECTRONIC ORDERING MACHINE!!! Â It's actually very efficient, and I always get my order ahead of anyone who's second in the line when personally ordering.
I don't know why I waited so long to try Wow Bao. Â Maybe because I was scared of the unknown- hot asian buns?
Anyway, they offer a bogo of a bun with a foursquare check in. Â Awesome. Â They have dessert buns. Â And next time- I will focus my energies on trying all the buns before I return back to the bowls. Â
I had a chicken curry bowl with quinoa. Â I love that they offer quinoa. Â The portion was a little small, and a little salty, but overall pretty good and it's not terrible for you either by weight watcher standards (always good to see!).
For buns, I had the edamame- delish. Â And the chocolate- which was very very chocolatey and had coconut in it. Â Â Which, thankfully I like, but I still feel they should say that. Â Anyway, my friend had the coconut custard one and we split the two dessert buns, both were good. Â But....not as good as the other buns.
I deduct a star because their employees were not very friendly, no 'hello' and not very knowledgeable.
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