Baohaus - NYC

For a face, Menelaus launched a thousand ships and burned the topless towers of Ilium. For street food at the hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is Baohaus, I launched a new subset of blogposts and burned...well, I didn't actually burn anything...clearly my approach was far less heroic...and far less excessive. I wouldn’t have launched any more than a hundred ships for Diane Kruger's Helen.

When you go to Baohaus, try not to be deterred by the across abomination known as IHOP. Whoever allowed such an eyesore in the quaint quiet of the Lower East Side should be shot...or forced to drink a pitcher of syrup. Tomato, tomato.

So squeeze through the stiffly-hinged, impossible-to-open door, squish down the narrow aisle between the food prep area and the wall and order your Chairman Bao at the register. Greasy slab of pork belly between two fold-over slabs of soft steamed bao leaves nothing to be desired. Except one more bao. One is never enough, even if you get other stuff. If you don't eat/don't like pork, the Haus Bao is a beefy alternative, and there's a broccoli bao and a tofu bao to appease the vegetarians/hippies/girls too prissy to eat meat. At a whopping $3-3.50 each, just drink one less beer next time you go out. Though if you had done that in the first place, maybe you wouldn't have ended up at Baohaus.

The Taro Fries with Haus sauce are tasty and better than any potato.

If you're not feeling the Taro Fries, the sweet Baofries with black sesame or glowing green pandan glaze are a crispy carb. These little bao bites just might be your cup of tea...or box of Bao...Though why would you ever back down at the sight of taro fries?

If you're thirsty go for a refreshing sugar-water Ai Yu Jelly Lemonade or any other unique made-in-China-just-like-everything-else bottled teas or juices.

So yes, I have just compared Baohaus to Helen of Troy...and a Brad Pitt movie, in case you missed the reference. But all mythological hyperboles aside, Baohaus is the ultimate late-night New York experience. A hole-in-the-wall serving up otherworldly street food after hours is the foundation on which the city that never sleeps builds its reputation. So when there’s no drivin’, no sleepin’, and you live it up like it’s the weekend, make sure you end your weekend at Baohaus.