If you want a break from seafood platters downtown, Wicked BAO at 232 North 2nd Street serves Asian street food in a historic building a couple of blocks north of Centre Street. The specialty is the bao, a steamed Taiwanese bun, served three to an order.
The bao list includes braised pork belly with pickled mustard greens and peanut powder, bulgogi beef with house-made kimchi, buttermilk fried chicken with jalapeño aioli, Filipino adobo pulled pork, fried shrimp with sriracha aioli, fried snapper, and crispy tofu, plus a trio if you can't pick. Small plates cover pork or veggie pot stickers, spicy Sichuan dumplings, Chongqing wings, charred octopus and roti canai with curry. For something bigger there's pork ramen in miso broth, beef noodle soup, kimchi beef fried rice, Singapore-style chili shrimp and Sichuan dan dan noodles. Vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are marked, and dessert is mochi or BAO donuts. To drink, there's sake sangria, Asian bottled beers, wine and Vietnamese coffee.
Practical notes from Wicked BAO's site:
- It's dinner only: 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Sunday and Monday.
- Happy hour is 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, dine-in only.
- Dishes are served as designed, with no substitutions.
- Groups of 10 or more book by email, with a completed credit card authorization form due 72 hours ahead and wine choices five days ahead.
- Private dining is only on the outside deck, for parties of 15 or more, and the deck seats up to 28.
If the group's set on sushi or Thai instead, Fancy Sushi is on Sadler Road and Ahan Thai Kitchen is out on State Road 200. For a big-party dinner on the deck, reservations and bookings can manage the email, the authorization form and the wine deadline so the night comes together on schedule.