One of my most memorable Boston food memories occurred about five years ago. My dad and I were walking through Chinatown when I spotted a Chinese bakery. I curiously wandered in and was immediately bombarded with an endless array of unfamiliar goods. The selection of sweet and savory products was dazzling, and completely different from the North End bakeries that I was accustomed to. After a prolonged period of indecision, I chose a barbecue pork bao bun.

The bun was unbelievably soft and pillowy, while the sweet, porky interior brought a savory richness. The whole experience was among the most unexpectedly ethereal food-related moments in recent memory. Did I mention that the bun costed me about a $1.50? Unbelievable.

Bao Buns, also called steam buns and baozi, are a variety of Chinese bread that are stuffed with savory fillings of countless varieties, although pork is most common. The buns are made from a painstakingly involved process that ends in steaming the buns until light and puffy, creating a uniquely soft texture. If the concept or the word sounds familiar, that may be because Pixar made an adorable short film titled bao that preceded Incredibles 2. Bravo, Pixar.

Now, there’s no Chinatown in New Hampshire, which is a state where pseudo-Chinese fare rules. However, Manchester residents can get their bao fix at Noodz, a fast-casual spot serving up Asian Fusion eats.

This hip spot in downtown Manchester made quite the splash when it opened in late 2019. Was it due to the unique menu of modern Asian fusion food? Was it the fact that it was spawned from the owners of The Birch, arguably one of the best restaurants in the city? Or was it the blush-inducing name and bright neon pink sign? All three for sure.

The scratch menu is loaded with noodle soups, dumplings, fried rice, bao buns and a few oddities like General Tso Cauliflower. They recently celebrated their official grand opening, with which involved releasing new dishes, and expanding their hours. The prices are a bit high considering the portions, but everything is made in house, and creativity is sprinkled throughout the menu.

I moseyed my way in among what felt like a hundred others during this grand opening and indulged in some bao buns. There are four varieties on the menu; I opted for the Banh Mi Buns, a culinary mash-up based on one of my favorite sandwiches of all time.

A Banh Mi is a French-Vietnamese sandwich traditionally served on a crusty baguette and filled with liver pâté, fresh mayo, sliced pork roll, pickled carrots and daikon radish, cilantro and cucumber. My first experience with one of these handhelds was in Portsmouth at Nikki’s Banh Mi Shop. Every mouthfeel and flavor is somehow harmoniously crammed into this sandwich. It’s crunchy, creamy, rich, bright, meaty, acidic and spicy all at once.

These Banh Mi Bao Buns are Fusion cuisine squared. You’ve got Chinese, Vietnamese and French influence all in one item. The buns are filled with fried pork belly, pickled vegetables, cilantro and a sweet and spicy sauce that likely contains hoison.

The light and fluffy buns and devilishly crisp and fatty pork belly jive very well. While the pickled veg adds a bright crispness and the sauce adds a bit of moisture and spice. I work across the street from this place so I have tried multiple items, and this is my personal favorite by a mile.

But that is not all. You have the option to add hand-cut fries to your buns, and its an option that should be embraced.

These super crisp fries are doused, and I mean absolutely loaded with Kewpie Mayo. I had no idea what Kewpie mayo was at the time, so I asked google, and it turns out that it is actually a Japanese brand of seasoned mayonnaise containing egg yolks as opposed to whole eggs and rice vinegar as opposed to distilled white vinegar. The lack of egg whites makes it richer and more yellow than regular mayonnaise.

The meal was so satisfying that I barely noticed that I only had about five inches of room to eat. I ate everything, disposed of my trash and waddled out of the place, felling a bit heavier than when I entered but ultimately satisfied.

To all the bao virgins reading this, go find Noodz and eat their buns, you’ll enjoy every second of it.

References:

www.foodrepublic.com/2016/07/12/what-is-a-bao/

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-bao-buns

https://www.kewpie.co.jp/english/products/mayonnaise.html