Bing Wu emigrated from China as a teen and recently moved from the San Francisco Bay area to launch a full-service restaurant in Chalmers Place on Washtenaw Ave.
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BaoBao Asian Eatery specializes in soup dumplings known as xiaolongbao. Wu says they’re “getting really popular” in California and New York but are harder to find in the Midwest. “Some Michigan people, they don’t really know what soup dumpling is,” he says.
They differ from most bao buns in that gelatinized broth, or aspic, is added to the filling, releasing a savory hot liquid when given their turn in the round bamboo steamers. Six options, spanning veggies, meats, and seafood, range from $10.95 to $14.95 for six-piece servings.
The menu also includes several appetizers and full-on dinner entrées, along with interesting potsticker varieties such as chicken and corn, kimchi and pork, and beef and onion.
Wu, a computer science major at San Francisco State, says his partnership group runs a hot pot buffet out West and is also involved in construction contracting.
The buildout of the former Detroit Wing Company location is sleek and bright, with light wood, sage accents, and palm tree graphics. It accommodates seventy-eight with a mix of booths, tables, and stools at the front counter overlooking the bustling commercial strip.
Near the front is a large food prep area where dough is made fresh daily, visible through large windows so that “people can really see what’s happening in the kitchen,” Wu says.
BaoBao Asian Eatery, 3365 Washtenaw Ave. Daily 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. & 4:30–8:30 p.m.
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