Judge Bao

Here are five reasons why I love Judge Bao (and why you should try one!):
1. The owners, Debbie and Jamie, are so down to earth and very welcoming. I first came across Judge Bao at The Street Food Collective (SFC), where Debbie was so friendly and happily explained all the dishes they serve, including the preparation and ingredients used. It was great to see a couple so passionate about their product.
2. The bao, of course. Fluffy cloud-​like bao, all delicately homemade, using Debbie’s mum’s recipe. The bao are then filled with heavenly ingredients, from pulled pork to mapo tofu to lamb. My favourite so far is definitely the black vinegar braised free range pork which I tried at Auckland’s Street Eats. The pork was perfectly cooked and gone in a flash!
3. The presentation. You will find that Judge Bao are generous with their fillings and also have great toppings — pickles, sriracha sauce, sesame seeds, spring onion and peanuts. They also serve fried chicken, which is delicious.
4. Their fortune cookies. When I was last at the SFC, I received a fortune cookie with my bao. The messages inside the fortune cookies are hilarious and not the normal ones you would get. I love the added extra bit of fun!
5. Seeing them around town at various events — most recently at Street Eats and now they are doing a pop up with Tiger Burger on O’Connell Street in the CBD!
Seriously get to Judge Bao now if you haven’t already — you will literally be in ultimate foodie heaven!!!

Judge Bao is that killer mix of beautifully made food and awesome owners who are not only suuuuuper passionate about their business but also have mad skillz. Everything is made by Jamie and Debbie from the milk buns to their pork «floss.»
Easily my favourite to date is the Black Betty — ChinKiang black vinegar braised pork butt with sesame and baby spring onion. It’s sweet and sour deliciousness. My only advice? Don’t wear white whilst eating it!

The verdict is unanimous. Judge Bao rules! Escaping from the shackles of the regional marketplace to hold court at the super slick Street Food Collective, hardworking and friendly couple Jamie (ex-​Depot) and Debbie show us how to turn love into food. With an obvious love for authentic Asian flavours and a commitment to quality ingredients and homemade condiments, they produce a limited but exciting selection of steamed pork and tofu buns. Their 5 spice fortune cookies are a cute conclusion to a satisfying snack and their range of small bites continues to expand by the month. The price of their pork buns ($ 10) may be called daylight robbery by some, but I believe it more than adequately reflects the quality of their product and encourage you to test the evidence with your own lips. The biggest challenges will be making a choice between the delicious samples on offer and having to roll out rubbing your full and happy tummy once dining court is adjourned.

I’d never come across a fortune cookie that I actually wanted to eat until I went to Judge Bao at The Street Food Collective in Ponsonby. Their black 5 Spice fortune cookies taste amazing and are a great twist on the original.
All of Judge Bao’s ingredients are sourced locally, the meat and eggs are free range and the Bao themselves are hand made by Jamie and Debbie. Jamie was a chef at Al Browns famous Depot Eatery so you can expect quality food and some specialised cooking techniques.
The service was great with the owners Debbie and Jamie delightful to deal with. I had the Peggy Siu Bao with char siu, hoisin, coriander and some awesome «floss» The savory floss I had never had before and was a nice addition to the Bao. The Bao itself had a nice texture it was fluffy but had a bit of denseness to it which gave it a bit more substance.
My issue is the price. Jamie’s background at the pricey Depot maybe an indicator as to why the prices are so steep, or it might be the quality of ingredients that means prices must stay high. $ 10 for a single Bao not much larger than a regular slider whether using free range meat or not, is a little on the pricey side for my liking.
Hopefully one day they bring down the price so I can try a few different Bao at the same time.
Other than that give these guys a go!