Dinner at Bao Bei

The Stanley Park Seawall
2016 Vancouver, BC

Waking up on the final day of my Vancouver adventure, I was treated with my first sample of Pacific Northwest rain. In fact, it rained pretty much all morning and into the afternoon. This left me only two hours to take a stroll through Stanley Park, return back to the crib to wash up, and then head to my final dinner in Vancouver at Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie.

Bao Bei's neon sign
Photo Credit: Museum of Vancouver

Bao Bei, which is Mandarin for "precious" is former bartender Tannis Ling's critically acclaimed Asian eatery located right in the heart of Vancouver's historic Chinatown. Thanks to the work of executive chef Joel Watanabe, Bao Bei offers its own take on dishes from Taiwan, Shanghai, and the Sichuan province. This is paired nicely with an excellent craft cocktail program, no doubt influenced by the proprietor's background in mixology.

Entering the restaurant, one steps into a small waiting area with lounge chairs and an arcade fighting game machine to pass the time waiting (this place is 1st come 1st served, so waiting is a fact of life). The space seamlessly transitions to a bar area, complete with L-shaped bar and three high-tops for informal eating. As one walks down the length of the restaurant, it narrows considerably to make room for the kitchen, before opening up again at the end for a few larger tables. I took a spot against the wall at the L-shaped bar, and was greeted by the proprietor who was tending bar.

After being handed the cocktail menu, and giving it some consideration, I went with the Chino Margarita. Their take on the classic margarita, it was made with dried tangerine peel infused reposado tequila, ginger, lime, egg white, and a chili salt and sugar rim. The drink was fantastic: well balanced, with the notes of the tangerine revealing themselves from the tequila with each sip. This was complimented by the citrus notes of the lime and peppery notes from the ginger, while the egg whites added body to the mouth feel of the cocktail. So far, we were off to a great start!

Pork sausage and fennel dumplings
2016 Bao Bei. Vancouver, BC

While sipping my cocktail, I studied the menu to kick off my culinary odyssey. For this portion, I went with an order of pork fennel dumplings, shao bing (sesame flatbread), king pea tips, and kick ass fried rice with salmon. The first to arrive were the dumplings, which were excellent. Like any dumpling, the key is the thickness of the wrapper, and these were of the utmost quality. Absolutely thin, yet strong enough not to rupture when being handled by an amateur chop-stick user like myself. They were nice and crispy, but not so much to become chewy, and just the right amount of residual oil. The pork-fennel mixture was excellent, with the savory of the pork being complimented nicely by the fennel notes. A nice starter for the meal to come.

Shao bing (sesame flatbread)
2016 Bao Bei. Vancouver, BC

Next came the shao bing, the first of the main entrées ordered. A sesame flat bread, it was loaded with slices of lamb, fresh cilantro, and diced onion. The flat break had a nice firm exterior texture, with great flavor from the sesame seeds in a similar manor as sesame lends its flavor to a bagel.

The lamb was a nice touch to this dish, as it's strong flavors pair nicely with those of the sesame seeds. The cilantro added bright fresh notes that complimented, yet held their own against the other flavors. Finally, the onion added that necessary sweetness to round out the dish's flavor profile. Outstanding.

Kick ass fried rice
2016 Bao Bei. Vancouver, BC

The final main entrées soon arrived, which was kick ass house fried rice with salmon. Chef Joel's take on a Chinese restaurant staple, I was presented with a bowl teeming with chunks of egg and salmon, flecked with green bits of broccoli.

The dish's flavor profile was wonderfully rich, yet balanced. The eggs lent their sweet notes, while the salmon provided its robust fish flavors. This was complimented by the habanero soy that added spicy and salty flavors to round out the dish's flavor palette. One thing I noticed was that while the dish was fried, it was not overly oily or heavy. Perhaps this was a double-edged sword, as I easily demolished a whole bowl by myself!

King pea tips
2016 Bao Bei. Vancouver, BC

Served along side both entrées was a platter of stir fried king pea tips, which I justified as balancing out the carb overload from the fried rice and shao bing. They arrived a beautiful and luscious green, coated in a shaoxing wine stir fry sauce, and bits of stir fried garlic.

The pea tips were perfectly tender, yet not to the point of being overcooked. The shaoxing wine sauce added excellent notes, paired with the bursts of flavor with each chunk of garlic. The stir fry oil rounded out the dish, lending just enough richness to work nicely with the fresh vegetable flavor of the pea tips. A delightful pairing to some excellent entrees that I could easily consume stand alone.

Vanilla panna cotta
2016 Bao Bei. Vancouver, BC

With the last plate of the main entrées cleared, I was provided with a desert menu. After a quick look, I settled on the vanilla panna cotta with summer peaches, plum shochu, and fresh lychee. After a few minutes to let the fabulous meal settle, I was presented by a gorgeous shallow bowl of chilled white cream topped with a wreath of fresh fruit.

The panna cotta was excellent: not too sweet, and adding the rich buttery notes that make it a suitable palette for sweet flavors. Those were provided by the peaches, which burst with sweetness being at the peak of their season. The lychee added its own sweet, yet more citrus flavors to round out the desert. A very light desert, that highlighted the abundance that summer provides.

With the final spoon of the panna cotta, I sat back and marveled at how delicious tonight's meal was. Before visiting Vancouver, I spoke with a couple of colleagues with ties to the area for Chinese restaurant suggestions. Their suggestions were all places known for their authenticity; while this is something I would normally value considerably, I realized I could find authenticity in San Francisco. What I was truly looking for was a unique experience that took advantage of my journey to Vancouver.  Thus, Bao Bei stood out as a place that started with an authentic foundation, and then built on it in their own direction. The result was an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere, and a nice finale to a wonderful trip to Vancouver and the Canadian Pacific Northwest.