Sunday 27 September 2009

bao

I have yet to try making my own bao - given my inadequacy when it comes to folding dumplings, I have been avoiding folding bao! So it was good to find these delicious take-home bao in a freezer at a grocer in Richmond. This grocer has a half a freezer with other vegan products, such as mock fishballs and pork nuggets, though alas no cha siu!

vegan mushroom bao and curry bao

These bao are giant, I can only fit three in my bamboo steamer at once. The curry bao is not spicy, it just has a great curry flavour (kind of kapitan-ish), and the mushroom bao is a bit cha siu-ish, a little sweet but very good.

I keep forgetting the name of the grocer because it's something very generic, like 'Richmond Asian Grocers' but it's at 200 Victoria St in Richmond. The bao is about $5.00 for a packet of six giant bao.

9 comments:

Victor said...

Uh,,I have never tried a vegetarian bao before. Never mind about making one. Too much work. Recently I bought Man Tou from the Asian supermarket here. Yet to use them. Looks very good.
Victoria St, Richmond is one of my must visit place each time I go to Melbourne. Great food, great price.

nora said...

what are those? like the steam buns bianca of vegan crunk makes?

Mihl said...

I am very curious and would like to learn more about these. Must research, they look delicious.

Tara said...

I have no idea what these are, but now I really want to try some!

steph said...

Victor, have you not had kaya bao or pandan bao or red bean bao? They are all vegetarian and so tasty!

Nora, I just had a look at the steam buns Bianca makes, and yeah, they are the same sort of thing. They are so delicious!

Mihl, they are definitely delicious. I am hoping to try making them myself sometime soon!

Tara, they are a great snack food, filled with lots of great stuff and then steamed. I usually find them at Chinese grocers.

Joanne said...

Awesome, I am definitely going to visit generic-Asian-grocery-in-Richmond and buy some.

They look as if they might be made with wholemeal flour - are they?

Victor said...

Oh, yes I have, Steph. The Kaya bao and Ang Tao Sar Bao. Tee Hee. Forgot about them. I usually buy them at the bakery shop in Penang. They don't have them here in Hobart.

Tevere said...

Kaya bao... oh man, I think it's been years since I've had one of those. Too long. (Although I'll be in Singapore for all of 12 hours next week-- it might be time for an emergency snack stop.)

I'm so glad you're in Melbourne now, scoping out all the vegan Asian food that I can nom when I get back. I can't wait to try that vegan dim sum place in Box Hill.

steph said...

Joanne, these ones are indeed made with wholemeal flour!

Victor - yeah, it's hard to find any of the sweet buns for sale, I usually have to wait until I'm in Penang!

Tevere, Singapore sounds like a great opportunity for emergency bao! And also other delicious foods... Maybe we should have an excursion out to Box Hill, the vegan dim sum place is amazing and I haven't tried the bakery out there! (it's like bread box but for vegetarians)