Bun'd Up

Stopped here for lunch because I had been craving bao buns, but left disappointed. The bathroom had a terrible smell (like a dirty mop), and the outdoor tables were dirty. At $5 each, I expected the buns to be tasty and well presented but they fell short. The buns were bland and small. I ordered the mushroom, fried tofu and fried shrimp buns. The mushroom was chewy and tough, the tofu bland, though the bang bang shrimp was the best out of the three. To top it off, the tater tots were either reheated or overcooked. Additionally, there is no counter service. I had a question about my drink and had to go nearly into the back kitchen to get someone's attention. I was so disappointed that I went to the Asian supermarket and bought bao buns to make at home next time.

I love bao. So while in the DMV area this past week, I was really excited to try this place. Because of the setup, "service" is virtually nonexistent. No one greets you when you walk in, and you're expected to know that you need to order on the kiosk that is conveniently situated in front of the register. Though, the ordering process is self guided (no opportunities to ask questions about the menu), you must track down an employee for a receipt after you've paid. As for the food, the buns alone are really good. However, as for the flavor of the contents of the 3 buns we tried, they were just okay. The fried shrimp bun was the best. The pork belly bun was decent. But the friend chicken bun was really bland and had no flavor. I ended up taking the chicken off and just eating the bun. Oh, let me know forget the "loaded" fries. I have no words...other than TERRIBLE (see photo). The shop is cutely decorated and situated right by the common area of the plaza. There was one other person at the restaurant while I was there on a Thursday evening; though the plaza was full of patrons. That should have been my sign. 😭 In all honesty, I more than likely won't eat here again when I return to the area.

We recommend everyone to give them a try if you are a fan of Korean flavours. Fries were not good at all. Completely bland. Try the other signature items.

I came with a friend and the baos were good! The best one by far is the braised pork belly. Something about the savory meat paired with the juicy, sweet pineapple is chef’s kiss 😘 Their Brussels sprouts and cucumber salads are both delicious as well. The nuggets are okay, and the wings are incredible. What an amazing, unforgettable meal. Also, the neon signs decorating the restaurant were really cool. Altogether, the vibes were pretty great.

You order through a QR code and you can choose from different selection of meat in a bun or a bowl. Drinks are in cans. I got myself a bulgogi bowl with a bed of rice and side of Korean pickles and pickles onions. It was good, since I was craving something Korean bbq like. A lot of rice. They have a nice section with accesible of water and utensils towards the backend. Minimal contact with the employees. There is a also a ping pong table and outdoor seating. Place was kind of quiet for a Saturday evening.

Hubby and I decided to go here after a recommendation. We’re got a few buns, tots, and the vegan dumplings as they were out of the pork dumplings. It was fairly quiet in the place considering they had the patio door open and a bunch of people and kids were outside. Everything was good just not boast worthy. And not worth the decent drive we took. But if we are in the neighborhood would definitely go again.

Grilled chicken rice bowl is a little bit of dark meat chicken on top of white rice with a few pickled onions on the side, Ridiculously overpriced at $15. The spring rolls were ok. . The pork buns were ok, but nothing special. The food is way overpriced for what it is.

I came to check out the Pentagon Row area revamp and this was my choice. I got 3 Baos along with tater tots. I am allergic to eggs in mayo so had to get no sauce in 2/3 baos. They were still quite tasty and the tots were excellent. I wish the presence of sesame seeds in the tots was noted because I am allergic to sesame seeds and had to take them off one by one. To finish my meal, I tried the ice cream bao sandwich, which was very good. Instead of bao bread, it had fried dough which was freshly prepared. The ping pong table in the dining area was quite attractive and I will definitely check it out on my next visit !!