Bāo means bun or dumpling or a little mound of yummy goodness. You would usually hear this word being shouted out in Chinese bakeries or in Chinese restaurants when you go yum cha and eat some dim sum (yum cha literally translates to "drink tea;" it's a dining experience which involves drinking tea and eating dim sum; sorta like brunch/ dim sum is a term used for a type of small Chinese dish or simply, a type of Chinese appetizers) Regardless all of these scenes deal with yummy delicious foods.
If you ever walk into a Chinese bakery, sure, you can grab your occasional boba (West Coast saying)/ bubble tea (East Coast saying) but as walk to the counter to make your order, you'll most definitely pass by or grab a glance at a huge variety of bread-like pastries. Those are all bāos, all with different fillings and flavors.
- "bolo bāo" pineapple bun: no, theres no real pineapple inside this delicious bun. It's sorta decorated and shaped to look like a pineapple.
- "cha siu bāo" barbeque pork bun: yes, there is chinese barbeque pork inside this bāo- a surprisingly good combo.
Growing up, I used to eat bolo bāo almost every morning- that's how much I loved it. But the place I love hearing the word "bāo" is at a shanghai-nese restaurant.
If you ever venture into a shanghai-nese restaurant, you MUST order xiao long bao. I dont care if you're not in the mood for it or dont know what it is (you soon will find out what it is), it is staple to order this dish. Xiao long bao is a type of steamed bao from Shanghai and is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets (xiao long literally translates to "small steaming basket") They are often referred to as soup dumplings. At any shanghai-nese restaurant, these dumplings are freshly made to order. Each plump dumpling contains a little pork meatball surrounded by a delightful meaty broth. When you order them, they usually arrive at your table in the steam bamboo basket along with tongs. By jeebus, use the tongs! It doesnt matter if you've mastered to art of using chopsticks, these dumplings are super delicate; one little rip in its dumpling skin and the soup spills all over and basically you fail (because you lost all those flavorful juices/ soup). To savor the dumpling and also to prevent burning your mouth by the hot broth, the preferred method of consumption is to bite off a little piece of the doughy wrapper, drip the broth to a spoon (a Chinese soup spoon is a common eating utensil at these types of restaurants) or suck the broth with a "slurp", then eat the rest.
If you ever venture into a shanghai-nese restaurant, you MUST order xiao long bao. I dont care if you're not in the mood for it or dont know what it is (you soon will find out what it is), it is staple to order this dish. Xiao long bao is a type of steamed bao from Shanghai and is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets (xiao long literally translates to "small steaming basket") They are often referred to as soup dumplings. At any shanghai-nese restaurant, these dumplings are freshly made to order. Each plump dumpling contains a little pork meatball surrounded by a delightful meaty broth. When you order them, they usually arrive at your table in the steam bamboo basket along with tongs. By jeebus, use the tongs! It doesnt matter if you've mastered to art of using chopsticks, these dumplings are super delicate; one little rip in its dumpling skin and the soup spills all over and basically you fail (because you lost all those flavorful juices/ soup). To savor the dumpling and also to prevent burning your mouth by the hot broth, the preferred method of consumption is to bite off a little piece of the doughy wrapper, drip the broth to a spoon (a Chinese soup spoon is a common eating utensil at these types of restaurants) or suck the broth with a "slurp", then eat the rest.
Once you've mastered the art of eating xiao long bao, you are set for life (okay, not really. But your taste buds and tummy will thank you) They are just yummy, flavorful, and delicious; words cant describe it (so below there are pictures :) ). I love eating these soup dumplings of heaven. I can eat a whole steam basket-ful if I could. Whenever my friends visit or are in town and they're super hungry for good food, I take them to a shanghai-nese restaurant and right away, order xiao long bao- a tradition that started with my dad and whenever he would take me out to Chinatown and have lunch. 
- Shanghai Cafe
100 Mott St (between Canal St & Hester St) - Shanghai Asian Manor
21 Mott St (between Chatham Sq & Worth St) - Shanghai Asian Cuisine
14 Elizabeth St (between Bayard St & Canal St)
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