Caobao

I didn't realize I showed up as she was closing until I was already helped. The lady here was so nice and the food was decent. The pork bao texture is kind of like a meatball inside the bao and the brisket was mildly spicy but I found it to be good. I believe the buns are the same kind you can find in the freezer section but they were a quick steamed snack!

It’s a food court inside of HMART… it’s hit or miss. Sometimes, there are families and students and it feels nice. Other times, it is filled with HMART or other local employees taking a break… still the buns here are the best. My rating is ONLY for the non bao food—> I give it 2 stars because this week, we randomly decided to get kdogs. Why? I do not know. It’s not even a specialty K-dog place like the long point HMART or the one at Katy mills. Do not eat the hot dogs here. Our were clearly par fried first, then sat around all day and were sort of refried and left it too dark, oily on the outside and gooey and wet on the inside. See photos. We had to throw them out. Also, I’m giving 2 stars for service as we waited 5 min before the lady at the counter even saw us and only after I had to get her attention. She was so enamored by her cell phone, and sitting there doom scrolling, she would have never seen anyone.

I will be coming back, the buns are amazing!!! I ordered three, the BBQ Chicken, the Juicy Pork, and the Egg Cream. The Juicy Pork was so savory and juicy! I ate it in three bites and wished there was more!! The Egg Custard was sweet, but not overpowering, and the custard was wonderful and creamy! I would definitely recommend these two!!!

I had the pleasure of trying Caobao in Katy recently, and I’ve got to say—it’s one of those places that surprises you in the best way. Tucked into a modest strip center, this spot delivers big on flavor, quality, and overall vibe. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warm hospitality, a clean, modern space, and the kind of chill atmosphere that makes you want to stay a while. I went with the Baozi Combo and chose the Chicken Teriyaki bao, a Taro bao, and the included salad. The Chicken Teriyaki was absolutely spot on—steamy, soft bao dough with a generous filling of sweet and savory teriyaki chicken that was perfectly cooked. The balance of flavors and texture hit just right. The Taro bao was a pleasant surprise too—lightly sweet with that classic creamy taro flavor, making it a nice dessert-like follow-up. The side salad was fresh, crisp, and came with a tangy Asian-style dressing that brought everything together nicely. Service was fast and friendly. The staff took time to explain the menu and offered suggestions without being pushy. You can tell they take pride in what they do, and that energy carries through the food and presentation. The ambiance is clean, minimal, and casual—perfect for a quick lunch or a relaxed dinner. They’ve clearly put thought into their branding and presentation, from the menu design to the plating. Pricing felt very fair for the portion size and quality, especially considering how fresh everything tasted. Caobao has definitely earned a spot on my go-to list in Katy. Whether you’re already into Asian street food or looking to try something new, this place is worth checking out. Fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. I’ll be back for more.

Definitely fusion - not very authentic gua baos. Anyway, don’t get the pork belly gua bao! Super dry and not very seasoned :( Smoked duck was good. Soft shell crab was average. Side salad was not great - fries were average. Probably won’t return..

This is the first time I have their duck bao, and have to say it won’t be the last. I am so hooked!!!! Highly recommend everyone to try their egg cream and duck bao!

Delicious bao options and soup dumplings. All came fresh and hot. Spicy brisket was not too spicy, pork, chicken curry, and teriyaki chicken were all delicious. Soup dumplings were large!

I'm a harsh grader but even I have this place at 5 stars. My wife and I tried a couple of different places inside hmart and this was our favorite. Please note that we only order the steamed buns (but they were all fantastic). We ordered a spicy brisket, chicken curry, spinach and cheese, and a BBQ chicken one. 3 overall would make a full meal. We will be coming back and it's worth a drive off you like steamed buns.

They were out at the Asian night market. We stuck with the basic pork bao - well actually they call it a "juicy" pork bao. They put some sauce all over the bao that I thought kinda ruined the bao. Maybe that's why it's juicy. But I wish they put that on the side instead. Taste was basic. And at $5 a bao I'm not sure I'd get another one.

I had no idea h-mart has a food court which is where this establishment is located. Decent amount of seating with picnic tables and high top seating. Service was very friendly at Caobao. Stopped in based on reviews and I really wanted to like these. The bulgogi has good flavor but the beef was rather stringy/tough. I do wish there was more protein in the guabao. As for the Texas trio - not sure if the bbq flavors just don't mesh with Asian cusi but I couldn't even finish those bao. Firstly there's no indication of which is which so I had no idea what I was biting and it turned into a game trying to figure out the flavor profiles.

I ordered the two bao with fries combo. You are able to choose two baos from the basic list. The spicy brisket bao was really flavorful and the pork one was good but nothing fancy. I would order the spicy brisket one again for sure. Only downside was the amount of fries was really small and could be a little bigger (it was like kid sized).

6.5.22 Tried the hot steam buns today. These are our favorite here. The boas are made when you order them. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

The fluffiest and most delicious buns around. So good, they would make Sir-Mix-Alot himself, smile. Caobao, is a bao lovers dream, and some of the best baos I've had in the city. I think they are far beyond any competition. These fluffy buns are the best, and look like they came straight out of a Pixar movie. This family business, is located inside of the H-Mart of Katy, in a food hall named, "Market Eatery". There are various options of little restaurants inside this grocery store, but Caobao has a place in my heart, and it keeps me coming back for more. The staff working the shop is always nice, and there are options on the menu of baozis, guabaos, and other snacks. The baozis baos are the steamy bun goodness that always call my name. I've tried many of them, and they are all fantastic. Spicy Brisket, Chicken Teriyaki, BBQ Chicken, and Peperoni Pizza are all delicious. My favorites are the Spicy Brisket and the Chicken Teriyaki. They have a sauce on top and are filled with a good amount of meat. The Peperoni Pizza bao is done a little more crispy than the Spicy Brisket, which is a bit more fluffy. Regardless, they are all delicious, well priced, and just fluffy goodness. There is plenty of seating in this 'Market Eatery'. Many times I'll just wait a few minutes for the baos to be prepared and i'll eat them there. You can also take them to go. Its always a 'Baotastic time' and you'll definitely want to know all a'bao' it.

Loved going to CaoBao on Westheimer. Decided to try this location. Started off with a young man/boy working the register. He didn't really speak to us. Didn't say hello. Just toon our order. He wasn't rude by any means just definitely not meant for this social setting. Seemed to be there because he had to be. Ordered Guabao sampler with Fish Guabao and Shrimp Guabao. Wife ordered Egg Baozi and Cheeseburger Guabao. Food came out and we sat down to eat. Shrimp was ok definitively did not taste as fresh as the other location. Then I bit into the fish and it was raw... or very undercooked. At that point I was done. My appetite was pretty much over. O toon it up and explained to the young man. He showed the person cooking. Then he apologized and asked if I wanted something else. At that point I was pretty much not hungry after the scenario so I asked if I could be refunded just for that item. He apologized again. I went back to my table and asked my wife how everything tasted and she said it just didn't have the same taste or feel as the other location. I then tried her items and she was correct...the egg Baozi which was one of our favorite tasted old. Honestly, super bummed about the experience. Probably won't be making a stop again anytime soon.

Caobao is all go-to all time favorite bao place. Each order is steamed/cooked to perfection. The staff is also very helpful with recommendations and quick with orders. I highly recommend the chicken teriyaki bao and the brisket bao! Caobao is located inside of Hmart in their food court. It's a very casual dine-in if you are wanting to go with a group of friends or grab a quick little meal on your lunch break. 10/10!

We had ordered from another food court counter and I added the spicy brisket bao just to try it. It was pretty good and different, but more than I'd like to pay when I'm used to the price of tasty baos in Houston's Chinatown.

Friendly most time i come here. Wish the service could faster some days. It is located inside the H mart store.

Any reason to go into an H mart is reason enough but CaoBao just gave me. New favorite lunch spot! Fiancé and I both got sampler plates. He got spicy pork and bang bang shrimp with fries, I got pepperoni pizza and soft shell crab with fries. There wasn't a bad thing on the plate! Great portion size, Everything was hot and delicious, but my only critique is that I myself prefer more salt on my fries and the soft shell crab. Now I am a southern cajun woman and prefer my crab seasoned to the gods, spicy and drenched in butter and lemon. Okay this crab was FRESH it tasted like they had taken it out of the tank right before serving me and I can absolutely appreciate that but it was just a bit toooooo crabby for me but if you enjoy fresh crab taste then it's an absolute 10/10 all the way around. Also try the vanilla ice cream and honey!!!

Tried their food stand during lunar new year at The Post. Super fluffy buns and really tasty. Can't wait to check out the actual restaurant to try the rest of their buns!

These baos were made in house. The price is pretty average for the size you get. It's alot cheaper to get it here than at a festival for sure. I got the juicy bao but it's not as the name says, maybe less. Some may take a while to have ready but this one was fast.

Had the pork belly and cheeseburger Bao, the pork belly was a little over cooked but mostly tasty. The cheeseburger was surprisingly very tasty as the texture was different with the outer Bao! Also ended with a 2 pack of cheesecake egg rolls - sweet and creamy.

Bao buns were all fresh and hot. The meat was very delicious and succulent. Will definitely be back for more.

the best was the looks. taste is mediocre and the food is as fusion as you get. much prefer some of the other options available in the area, especially with the price they ask for (3.6$ per bun).