Submitted by William Foreman on 04/16/2022
Probably the best Chinese cuisine I’ve had in the US. Fresh food cooked right — without the gluggy, corn starchy sauces you usually get. My wife and I went to Wanna Bao for a Saturday lunch. We love spicey food and ordered mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐 (excellent), green beans 干煸四季豆(excellent) and dumplings in chili sauce 紅油水餃 (good). The food was more than enough, and we took half of the mapo tofu home with us. It was served fast by friendly staff. The decor was simple and avoided the cliches of other Chinese restaurants. If you pay cash, you get an 8% discount. I can’t wait to go back to Wanna Bao to try more dishes.
Everything was delicious! The jasmine tea duck came with some Asian-style tortillas (for a lack of a better way to describe them ????) and some amazing sauce that complimented and enhanced the flavor and played very well with the duck; the lychee jasmine tea was so good!! The lamb was spicy, but good; the crispy bottom bao was excellent, and our waitress was very hard working. We will definitely come again!
Submitted by Jennifer Schroeder on 08/05/2022
We came around 3-4pm here on a weekend. We didn't wait to get seated down. The staff were pleasant.
I got the xiaolongbao soup dumpling and the spicy dry popcorn chicken. The dumplings I could tell were handmade. The soup broth inside was piping hot when it came out. It didn't seem like there was a lot of broth which I was hoping for. The wrapping was chewy and did not have any of break when I picked it up. It was cooked for a good amount of time. The popcorn chicken was exquisitely crunchy and the meat was tender inside. There wasn't too much peppercorn so I was able to enjoy the food.
Submitted by Kr Nguyen on 07/30/2022
I was missing Shanghai and looked up places for Shanghainese food. This placed popped up. I was hoping for authentic Chinese food but it wasn’t. This is definitely Americanized. Otherwise it was just ok. The atmosphere was super cute though. I think had it been another time I would have given it more stars but I was really missing the food I had while living in Shanghai and this wasn’t even close. That’s my bad.
Submitted by Brooke Lavid on 06/04/2022
The red dumpling oil is great starter. My absolute favorite here is the crispy spicy chicken popcorn.. it’s comes with the right amount of heat. If you love Szechuan, this is the dish for you.
Submitted by Hugo O on 05/19/2022
I absolutely LOVE this dumpling house. I’ve always driven past it and finally I stopped in. All I can say is I wish I would have came in sooner!
This is definitely my new favorite dumpling spot in houston. The building seems small from the outside but inside has a bar and lots of intimate seating, which I wasn’t expecting.
We ordered the shang-hai chili wraps, pork soup and pork/shrimp soup dumplings, crispy bottom dumplings, and dumplings in red chili. The food was fresh and authentic. 10/10
Submitted by Keisha H on 05/14/2022
Great find in the midtown area! We really enjoyed the variety of dumplings and buns. Next time I want to try a szechuan dish or smoked duck. Service was excellent and the inside was well furnished. There was also on-site and street parking nearby.
Submitted by James Reil on 03/05/2022
Delicious food and great atmosphere. The restaurant is spacious, yet it feels cozy and intimate. The crunchy bottom bao are so good I didn’t even remember to take a photo before we devoured them. The spicy crispy popcorn chicken is so flavorful and I’m obsessed with it. Also, I like that you don’t have to worry about parking since they have plenty of space right outside. Definitely will be coming back for a third and fourth time.
Submitted by Miriam Lopez on 12/29/2021
We came here on the recommendation of our waiter at Uchi the night before. So glad he recommended it! It's a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ restaurant that's got some really good authentic Chinese food! You can't go wrong here...
Submitted by Stephen Brown on 12/16/2021
I will definitely be back! This is one of those places that makes you want to come back the next day. It is extremely clean and has a great ambiance to enjoy delicious food.
I loved the scallion pancakes, so buttery and perfectly flakey. The shrimp and pork dumplings had a Nice bold broth and packed plenty of flavor. I forget the name of the beef dish——it had cabbage and bean sprouts; I loved the spice level and had nice flavor. Not pictured but the house sake was smooth and pleasant.
Just a note that the sweet tea is unsweetened and comes with sugar packets on the side. Staff was extremely welcoming and allowed you to enjoy your food and conversation. You get water upon being seated.
I am so excited to come back and try more menue items.
Submitted by Iliah Racine on 08/13/2021