Bao Bei
49°17′ N 123°06′ WRestaurant$$$
Bao Bei suits a group sharing small plates in Chinatown on any night of the week, and the 2026 Michelin Guide recommends it. Book on Tock, because when the room fills the staff send walk-ins to a nearby bar and text them once a table frees up.
What to order
- Kick ass fried rice with prawns and bitter melon
- Mantou buns with braised pork and pickled ginger
- Braised pea shoots with garlic
- Sticky rice cakes
Bao Bei means precious in Chinese, and the restaurant says you'd use the word for anything with special meaning to you. The kitchen takes its lead from Taiwan and China and borrows flavours from around the world. Michelin credits chef Joël Watanabe with reworking Chinese classics using high-quality ingredients.
Michelin's inspector points to the kick ass fried rice with prawns and bitter melon, and to mantou buns filled with braised pork and pickled ginger. Even the braised pea shoots with garlic get a mention. Kitchen last call comes half an hour before closing, which means 9:30 pm most nights and 11:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Parties of six to 10 book the family table, where a custom family feast of Bao Bei classics and specials costs $75 or $98 a person. It seats at 5:30 pm or 8:30 pm. A card holds the table, and changes or no-shows inside 24 hours cost $25 a person.
Worth knowing
- Bao Bei says it proudly uses MSG, which turns up in some of its Chinese condiments.
- Gluten-free diners get a short list, because soy sauce brewed with wheat runs through most of the menu.
- The restaurant can't promise safety for a severe peanut allergy, since many of its Chinese condiments hold traces of peanut.
- Two parking lots sit on the block, and the restaurant says street parking is plentiful.
Quick answers about Bao Bei
Does Bao Bei take reservations?
Yes. Bao Bei takes reservations on Tock, and parties of six to 10 book the family table.
What does Bao Bei mean?
Bao Bei means precious in Chinese. The restaurant says you can use it for anything with special significance to you.
Is Bao Bei open on Mondays?
Yes. Bao Bei opens every night from 5:30 pm and closes at 10 pm from Sunday to Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday.
What are the opening hours of Bao Bei?
Bao Bei keeps these hours: Mon–Thu 17:30–22:00; Fri–Sat 17:30–24:00; Sun 17:30–22:00.
What should you order at Bao Bei?
At Bao Bei, order kick ass fried rice with prawns and bitter melon, or mantou buns with braised pork and pickled ginger, or braised pea shoots with garlic, or sticky rice cakes.
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 12 km
