Location: 137Rivington St b/w Norfolk & Suffolk
Phone #: (646) 684 3835
Method(s): Eat In & Delivery
Price Range: $$
Food: A
Value: B+
Service/Atmosphere: B+
Overall Rating: B+
Bringing Taiwanese street food to the NYC masses, Eddie Huang opened Baohaus in the heart of the Lower East Side in January 2010 (no relation to Baoguette). I applaud the idea, because as I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog I love the type of place that has very few items on the menu, but does those items exceptionally well.
They serve "Bao's," which are soft buns with your choice of 4 different varieties of ingredients. While not being as large or tasty as those at Momofuku or Ippudo, I am a big fan of Bauhaus nonetheless, since they have some unique & delicious menu items (well-sourced too) and it's convenient for a quick bite. Eddie's next restaurant, Xiao Ye, opens this summer and I am already excited to try it out based on the menu that was released.
What I Liked
The menu is so small at Bauhaus that you can try almost everything on your first visit. The 3 different Bao's they have for us meat-eaters (they also have the Uncle Jesse which is tofu-based, but, as you might have guessed, I have yet to try it) are all served stuffed with crushed peanuts, cilantro, "haus" relish and Taiwanese red sugar, and are better described as follows: the Haus Bao ($4.50/bao) contains organic skirtsteak and is a very interesting & delicious flavor blast, the Chairman Bao ($4.00/bao) contains pork belly and is also quite good (and different due to the peanuts) but it is just not quite as tasty or substantial as its competitors, and the King Jaffe Joffer ($6.80/bao) contains high-end Imperial Wagyu skirtsteak and is definitely worth the steep price because it is some of the most succulent meat I have ever had in a bun. Also worth noting are the "Straight Frush" and the "Royal Frush" (both names already copyrighted) which are both funny to say when ordering and a pretty good deal (3 or 6 bun combination deals with peanuts or bao fries and a drink). The one thing I don't understand is why Eddie is so anti hot suace. My first time trying this place he happened to be working, and I asked him for some hot sauce for buns, and his response was "we don't do hot sauce here." I always like a good dose of Sarachi on my pork buns, but to each is own, I suppose. The Bao's are relatively spicy even without the hot sauce so consider yourself warned.
What Could Use Work
The Boiled Peanuts ($2.50) are definitely a one-of-a-kind flavor and (even though they are in this section) I would recommend trying them at least once. However, the vinegary, slimy flavor of the nuts just isn't for me. Perhaps it is an acquired taste because apparently this is a hugely popular snack all over Asia.
Killed It!
The Sweet Bao Fries ($3.50/bag) are far and away the most memorable item at Bauhaus. It's pretty simple: fried, sliced bao (the soft, doughy bread from the buns), showered in their incredibly sweet black sesame sauce. The sauce is condensed milk based and is as thick and rick as it sounds. Make sure you get a bag of these while at Bauhaus!
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