If the taco and the pork bun had a child, it would be a bao. A Taiwanese staple snack made popular by Momofuku chef David Chang (though his pork bun is sadly not on the menu at Momofuku Seiobo anymore), a bao is a soft and light steamed milk bun, folded over into a taco shape and stuffed with a variety of fillings. Restaurants around Sydney have not hesitated to put their own stamp on the bao, which has resulted in a lot of different combinations, from braised pork to fried chicken.

Mr Bao

Venture to York Street’s George Arcade for traditional bao buns filled with less-traditional fillings by Mr Bao. Perhaps the most creative filling on offer is crackling pork belly, succulent roast pork, Mr Bao hoisin and home-pickled cucumbers. If pork isn’t your thing, tempura prawn and wasabi, or even karaage chicken with spicy aioli, might be. The restaurant and bar was originally a small market stall, but demand grew for a permanent outpost. Owners James Pham and Angeline Lee plan to extend their current opening hours to a breakfast service that will include hangover-oriented bacon-and-egg bao. Good morning indeed.

Bao Dao Taiwanese Kitchen

Just about everything at this tiny Chatswood hangout is under $10. How’s a soft bun filled with a strip of sweet and sticky braised pork, pickled chilli, fresh coriander and crushed peanuts for $4.90 sound? The restaurant is dedicated to bringing authentic Taiwanese food and snacking culture to the Sydney mainstream. Each of the bao are made to order with the freshest produce.

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Bao Stop

Bao Stop has been built from a shipping container and serves bao at many Sydney food events. It will return to Sydney’s Night Noodle Markets later this year and sling its trademark Gau Bao – a staple in China and Taiwan. Its Gua Bao has the fluffy, steamed consistency of a pork bun and is stuffed with one of four fillings: pork belly, fried chicken, fried Peking duck and fried tofu. The shipping container has booked a three-month stint in a car park in Drummoyne and will appear at various events in Sydney in the near future. Watch its Facebook page for details.

Belly Bao

The website for this canteen declares: “Street food, but not as grandma remembers”. Essentially, it’s a traditional bao with a modern stuffing. Belly Bao is inside Goodgod Small Club and serves a selection of six different baos, plus gluten-free and vegan options. The canteen caters to the desires of Goodgod’s dance-floor patrons, so snap up a soft-shell crab or a slow-braised beef short rib bao to start off a night, or to accompany you on your way home. If you are more of a sweet tooth, why not try a dessert bao? There is Baonana Split or strawberry to choose from.