Take a Bao

I really like the food and drinks here, cool vibes, really pretty décor. I always get the Chicken phở, Tom Yum Soup or Broken Rice. I’ve tried some other things, but those are my favorites. I always sit at the bar, Dylan is my favorite bartender, he makes amazing drinks and is super nice. This would be a great spot for a date. Definetley worth a try. I’ve seen a few celebs there. It also is in a great location on Ventura Blvd. if you want to walk to a bar after. :)

Yummy. Price on the high side but well worth it. The bao s are of course good. Both blonde cashiers friendly. Other people nice also. Well done good atmosphere

Really enjoy coming here for lunch. I highly recommend their short rib plate, salmon plate or their mandarin chicken plate. I’ve been coming here since they opened in 2012 and always love introducing my friends and coworkers here.
They also have complimentary valet starting at 12pm. Sometimes it can get really crowded around 1230 – 1 but other than that there are no complaints. Prices are reasonable and portion sizes are pretty big.
Try this place out for lunch!

I came into this place for a quick, tasty bite; after having been here once with a friend. I live in the neighborhood and was in the mood for some bao. The cashier/​bartender functioned as if her all black attire was not just a dress code, but a symbol of her mourning of her life. She was all over the place: dropping numbers, forgetting to give me mine, having no clue what I ordered. I understand that people have a bad go of it some days, but it was a hot mess.
After waiting fifteen minutes, I had the pleasure of watching a larger party, that came in nearly ten minutes after I ordered start their main courses. After waiting twenty-​two minutes I noticed the bussers and kitchen staff pointing at me in a panic (they clearly had forgotten to make my food).
Finally, after twenty-​seven minutes I get the one bao and one main dish I ordered, at different times. Nearly thirty minutes and not one person in this establishment felt it necessary to apologize, explain the mix up, our acknowledge me at all – outside of pointing at me from across the restaurant that is. They should change their name to: take poor service, because that’s what I did today. Second and last time ever dining here.

Great variety, my steak noodle salad was delicious. Could have used less dressing, but other than that– delicious. Excellent customer service, had food about 7 mins after ordering. Thought it was just a couple dollars overpriced, but would return. Loved the beverage selection– I had reed’s extra ginger brew.

WOWIE ZOWIE .
Very interesting menu & I didn’t even realize it was a Asian fusion restaurant. There is something for everyone. The soup my friend had, I almost put my spoon in it.
Carrot cake tasted so fresh, like they just made it. Prices were great.
Fabulous place.

I find it incredibly weird when there’s an Asian fusion restaurant with no Asian person at all as a staff member. At first I thought the owners were Thai, given that the menu had so many Thai-​esque component to it.
They have tom yum soup, and Thai bao, and what convinced me originally that it was Thai was that they have Thai Singha beer! The largest beer company in Thailand. After asking the cashier, she said they weren’t (but it really doesn’t matter what ethnicity the owners were, I was just curious).
I find it completely amusing that a White chef and his Latino sous chefs would be making Asian food for mainly White consumers. Anyways I digress.
I came on a Saturday for lunch around 12:30pm and the place was not packed, nor was there a line for ordering. It was nice, it was cozy, and it was well decorated. The restaurant had a nice modern twist to it.
I had their Bahn Mi Bao special which features a pork belly, carrots, pâté, and what have you. It’s really good! The bao itself is really soft and it’s subtle sweetness is a testament to a job well done.
Next I had the Peking Duck bao. It was definitely «Asian fusion.» Traditional Peking Duck bao features the crispy duck inside the bao, eaten with leeks and plum sauce. The duck came out and it looked almost like pulled pork, except it was pulled duck? Instead of the crispy duck skin they put two pieces of tortilla chips for the desired crunchiness. The entire thing was coated with a delicious plum hoisin sauce. The entire presentation and flavor of the bao was good, it was just… different.
I had these two baos along with a Singha beer which made my total come out to around $ 20.00 with a $ 1.00 tip for serving me beer (I have an alcohol tipping rule, $ 1 for 1 drink). Was my money worth it? Meh. It was definitely good, I just think there are much more affordable places for similar qualities that are less «commercialized.» Just my two cents. Welcome to the most expensive «Asian» eatery outside of commercialized giants like P.F. Changs and Din Tai Fung.

I love this place but a few things have turned me off. First, the curry I ordered had a dead bee in it!!! The second time they messed up my other curry order and put shrimp in it.
Hope they can fix the issues

#FusionRocks! #Korean #Thai #HappyNewYearEats
This place does not deliver.
But through «Eat24» you can get delivery!
We ordered the following:
2x orders of the Thai Steak & Noodle Salad 13.5 R/​GF
lemongrass marinated steak, mango, avocado, carrots, red onion,
cherry tomatoes, peanuts, mixed herbs, mixed greens, chow mein noodles,
thai chili vinaigrette
1x order of Korean BBQ Short Rib 13
grilled short rib, house kimchi mix, bok choy leaves, fried egg, scallions, spicy
korean red chili sauce, served with brown rice
(But we substituted the short rib for grilled chicken)
1x order of Coriander Grilled Salmon 13.5 GF
atlantic salmon, roasted cauliflower, kabocha squash, tomato, eggplant,
thai basil, broken rice, thai green curry sauce
(This was so YUM!!!) (My ultimate favorite and paleo!!!)
Super yummy eats here!

Cool place to check out for some good Asian food.
Valet parking or street parking is available. Opted for valet cause it was convenient. Free too!
Baos range from 5 to 6 bucks, all look too damn good. Pecking duck was good, but I had some of my friends pork belly and it was clearly the best. Definitely need to try of them here!
Ordered the curry. Soup-​like and it was delicious.
Definitely coming back if I’m in the area!

I love the concept, the cuteness of this place and it’s pretty kid friendly. It’s just that I wasn’t blown away with the food. We went for an early dinner on a Tuesday night and it was nice to see a great mixture of crowd… from single guys on three laptops, to couples on a date and incredibly 3 families with kids.
We ordered the papaya salad, sweet potato fries, grilled pork belly and signature bbq pork bao, yellow curry shrimp dish. The only thing that wowed me was the bbq pork bao. The grilled pork belly had not much flavor and I had to load it up with their house curry ketchup (which by the way is super hot!). The papaya salad was pretty disappointing.
It’s a cute place for drinks and maybe the bbq pork bao, just avoid the big dishes… they aren’t worth it!

There are so many great things on the menu, this is one of those places you try to take as many people as possible with you to get to try more.
I loved their napa sesame salad as well as the house kimchi mix and the fish bao.
I do think the prices are a bit high for the portion size, each of those dishes was not more than a few bites.
The quality is great, it did take awhile to get the food though they were all pretty simple items.
Service was ok, not stellar.
The flavors were great, I really enjoyed the soft pillowey bao and the fact that they offer wheat and lettuce wrapped options as well.
Can’t wait to return to be able to try more.

It would be so easy to dismiss this place with its gimmicky name and amusing attempt at street cred: «Bao buns made especially for us in the SGV (ie. The real deal).» But if you take it for what it is, a playful spin on a Chinese staple — borrowing from a variety of Asian cuisines, served with a quick dining concept — you could see it as a place that offers Valley workers a fun option for their luck hour break.
Take a Bao starts out as a counter at the Westfield Century City mall food court. The freestanding offshot made its debut in Studio City about 5 yrs ago or so with a menu offering different savory fillings for their steamed buns, as well as noodles, rice bowls and dessert bao and Cocktail service at the bar.
It’s a modern, sleek space that is pretty tastefully done, and confident in its identity. It doesn’t try to put on any airs or aspire to be ‘scenestery’ — it just is what it is. You order at the counter, get a number marker, seat yourself and wait for your food to arrive on the table. Or sit at the bar for ‘full Service’.
On a weekday after all my classes are done, I parked myself at the bar and with great effort dragged my eyes away from the cocktail list, placing myself with Izze soda instead. Bao was the main reason for my last visit, though a few of the dishes sounded interesting for another time. (Roasted Market Fish in Banana Leaf with Coconut Kaffir broth, broken rice, wor-​charred snap peas… eggplant, bok choy, finger chilis, Thai basil, anyone?)
I decided on Thai Chicken Peanut Bao ($ 4.50) grilled chicken, Thai peanut sauce, cucumber, cilantro, scallions, crushed peanuts Pulled Pork Bao ($ 4.50) Hoisin braised bbq pork, pickled red onion, cucumbers, Duck Confit Bao ($ 6) maple leaf farm duck legs, grilled scallions and plum Hoisin sauce.
Again, authenticity is not the intention. The flavor of dough did remind me of the bao normally used with peking duck — but it was rolled thinner and longer, so it in effect was more like an inflated tortilla or wrap versus the thick, pillowy bao I know and love. Tough different, it was still fluffy and tasty even if not completely true to the original. (They also offer a wheat option for their buns which I didn’t like it as much as white one probably as it was grainy and made me think ‘healthy’ which I subconsciously associate with ‘not delicious’). So, traditionalists may bulk, but I thought the baos were fun interpretations.
Persoally, I like the Duck Confit Bao best, may be because it’s hard to beat the classic duck and Hoisin sauce combination served with bao.
That combination to be represents the ultimate umami: gamey, savory meat with sweet, slightly tangy sauce and subtly sweet bread. Take a Bao does an admirable jobs — you aren’t gonna get good peking duck at that price, but the meat which made me think ‘pulled duck’ was decent.
I did also enjoy the bite of the Thai Peanut Chicken and Pulled Pork baos — textures were balanced: tender meat and soft bao were countered by crunch peanuts and or cucumbers, alfalfa Sprouts and then enhanced by smooth and richly flavored sauce.
Portions are fairly small tough, so expect 2 baos per person.
Though the focus was bao, I also wanted to try the Lemongrass Caramel Chicken Wings ($ 6) tossed with sweet and spicy sauce — like an Asian take on Buffalo wings.
The sauce was the consistency of sticky toffee, and as a finger food, this dish is decidedly not conductive to working lunches (May be those who have more poise than me could manage, I would recommend not wearing clothes you love and bringing lots of moises towlettes.)
Other than that I loved the bold flavors and crunched deep fried skin on these wings. There was also enough for three people to fill up on, so not a bad deal for $ 6. (A 5 pieces from KFC would probably be the same price… and these are much much better).
All told, I got in and out of Take a Bao in less than a hour and had fun and tasty lunch for not that much more than what I would have spent on a fast food place and less exciting casual restaurants. So, thank you for playing and quick service spots. But I will take and prefer Take a Bao over Chipotle any day. WELCOM to Studio City and Take a Bao — I liked your first act and hope the show goes on.
Solid 3.333 333 333 333 stars review! The reason why I rated this 3 Sstars instead of 4 stars is that the potion is smaller than what I had expected…

Fun place to hang out, casual dining with a great bar. I got the papaya salad, and two bao. The bao were very good and very large. It was a lot of food. I got one of their specialty cocktails, very yummy. We got there in time for Happy hour on a Friday, and they have a great happy hour menu. Very enjoyable place to have dinner.

If you’re looking for a hip-​casual, Asian-​fusion dining experience, this is your place. Known for their traditional bao sandwiches, they provide a variety of traditional Thai inspired fare with a healthy twist.
The food can be categorized into: bao sandwiches, salads, rice dishes, noodles, and plates.
Flavorful, quality food that you’re happy to pay for without a full service restaurant. You pick a table, order at the counter, and it’s brought out to you. They have a full bar as well, and one TV by the bar if you just can’t miss the NY Giants game. But it’s also a great casual date place or to catch up with a girlfriend over their happy hour white wine and sesame edamame.
I had my 31^st birthday here because it can seat lots of people, and Jonny Knoxville was there that night. So you know it’s a cool place even for the rich and famous.
Vegans and vegetarians will find ample food options here. Tofu, veggies, and specialty sauces flood their menu, and they are happy to make adjustments to contents if you need them. Friendly staff, super clean, and great ambiance! Love the clean modern décor. There is indoor and outdoor (under market lights!) seating. First come first serve, no reservations.
My favorite things:
Edamame
Thai peanut chicken Bao
Pulled Pork Bao
Cabbage salad
Eight veggie salad
Don’t miss their happy hours with extensive libation offerings and tasty plates.
Valet is complimentary! Whaaaaat?! Unheard of on the bustling Sherman Oaks strip. Points!

So my friends and I popped in because we were soooo hungry after work and the Thai place we intended to go was closed. Unilocal-​searched this place and walked right past as the sign didn’t stand out. The guy at the counter handed us menus, told us to sit wherever we wanted and come up to order when we’re ready.
I ordered the cashew chicken and some Peking duck n pork belly bao. I didn’t like my chicken dish as it tasted strongly of orange peel and was all white meat. The pork belly bao was overpriced and not particularly amazing in any way. Free refills on fountain drinks though. They’ve coke. My friends enjoyed their teriyaki n yakitori chicken bowls.
The atmosphere is fantastic, clean and beautiful. I liked their patio seating too but it was a lot cooler inside during mid afternoon.
I wish they would just provide full service. Come onnn… For their pricey food and the fact that there’s a nice waiter bringing the food and doing refills… You might as well!!!
Anyway we did metered parking at face of street by the Thai place we were gonna go to, but there might be parking at the back of Take a Bao.

I had Take a Bao bookmarked for so long and finally made it to give this place a try during happy hour. The happy hour deal is far from remarkable for the food. You get $ 0.50 to $ 1 off each food item so I wouldn’t be rushing back here to make it in time to make the 7pm cut off.
Their happy hour beer is $ 4, which I find to be a pretty decent deal. Their cocktail is $ 7 and I didn’t like the spicy mango drink I got. The white beer though was delicious and refreshing.
We ordered the pork belly bao, the thai peanut bao, and their signature pork bao. We also got sweet potato fries, tofu balls, papaya salad, and chicken fried rice. Did I mention all this was for 2?
While the portion is generous, I wasn’t impressed with the food. The papaya salad isn’t the typical papaya salad you can get at a Thai restaurant and there wasn’t a lot of papaya to be found. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t expect those flavors in my papaya salad. The tofu balls lacked flavor even with the dipping sauce. The chicken fried rice was average at best. I did enjoy the sweet potato fries.
As for the buns, I would skip all of it except for the pork belly. Their bao definitely doesn’t hold a candle to the best pork belly bun (probably on earth) at Ippudo but compared to what I can find in LA, it’s not bad.
The big plus about this place is the free valet, which is hard to find on the boulevard these days. I may come back for a pork belly bun and a cold beer during happy hour at some point but I definitely won’t be rushing out here again any time soon.

So I came here for a Sunday night dinner with some college buddies and Johnny Knoxville was sitting at the table next to us! We didn’t want to ask for a picture though because he was there with his wife and kids.
Anyway, onto the review. Take a Bao apparently has complimentary valet parking. You just have to tip the valet. I wished I knew this before I parked 3 blocks away to save money.
It’s a seat-​yourself restaurant where you order at the counter and they’ll bring your food to the table. There is also a bar if you’re feeling thirsty.
I ordered the pork belly ($ 5) and peking duck baos ($ 6). Despite how expensive they were, both baos were mediocre. Trust me, I’m Taiwanese. We eat baos all the fucking time.
I also ordered the caramel chicken wings ($ 7). They taste nothing like caramel. The wings were pretty forgettable, in my honest opinion.
This seems like a pretty hip food joint, but do yourself a favor and just go to Chinatown for a real, delicious bao. I’ve certainly experienced better, so I’m going to have to give this place a 2-​star rating. It’s just expensive, sub-​par food.

Grilled Pork Belly Bao
House cured, grilled pork belly, pea shoots, crispy shallots, Japanese mayo, okonomiyaki sauce.
Soooooo good. If I wasn’t so full, I would have ordered another one of these.
Peking Duck Bao
Maple leaf farms duck leg, scallions, five spice wonton chip, plum hoisin sauce.
This one is soooo good too I would have ordered another one.
Tempura Crusted Cod Bao
Very good and if you prefer fish, you would order another one of these too. I would have!
Yeah they’re kind of pricey for the portions. They’re really good though.
Plenty plenty plenty of metered parking in front of and across the street from this restaurant.

Came here on a rainy Sunday night with my friend. Free valet but the poor guy was sitting in the rain so we tipped him when we left. There were plenty of seats inside. When you walk in, you can grab a menu and drool over your choices. Once you’ve made up your mind you order at the counter & afterwards you’ll place your order number card at an empty table.
The service was okay, they didn’t seem too thrilled to be there.
On to the food: (Came to a bao place and I didn’t order myself a bao but my friend did) :P
Tofu Popcorn ($ 5.50): It was nice and crisp! It came with a cilantro cashew chutney sauce. I liked it!
Sweet Potato fries ($ 5.00): Came with a yummy citrus sambal aioli sauce. But the fries were a little too salty for me.
Tempura crusted cod bao ($ 5.00): The fish was nice a flakey and it was a pretty big piece of fish!
Yellow curry, shrimp & tofu ($ 12.50): Pretty good. It has sort of a sweet taste. You have the option of white or brown rice!
Short rib bibambap ($ 13.00): Generous amount of food. It was a little spicy but there’s sriracha on the table if you need more spice like me: P. It was super good & made an awesome leftover too. You also have the option of white or brown rice.