Mean Bao

Yeah this is a takeout place. They have some bar style seating but the place is so tight with no air flow it’s stifling. The food is great though. We had pork belly bao, jerk chicken bao, and shrimp and pork dumplings. The bao is pure comfort food, I especially liked the pork belly one. The dumplings were also great. I will definitely go back and order take out but it’s really not for eating in.

Stay away!!! We came here for lunch after having a positive experience at their leslieville location. First of all, the place is a dive. It’s tiny and dirty. Secondly, the food was inedible. The two guys behind the counter seemed frazzled and lost. They couldn’t answer any questions about the food. They forgot to give us our complete order, but we asked for a refund on the forgotten items because what they had given us was so bad.
Pork belly boa — flavour was ok but texture was horrible.
Braised beef boa — I took a bite and had to spit it out. Tough meat with a big hunk of fat. It tasted like it hadn’t been cooked for long enough, and also had no seasoning. It tasted like boiled meat. Ew.
Shrimp dumplings– had dried hard edges, and the shrimp inside was very fishy and had little crunchy bits. Tasted like it had been badly freezer burned. This I also had to spit out.
Pork dumplings-​same dried hard edges that seemed freezer burned, and the filling tasted like moth balls and pig crap. Really bad.
Quinoa salad — this was the only thing that was remotely edible, and it tasted like mucky, sticky quinoa with hoisin dumped all over it. So still bad but we didn’t have to spit it out. However we didn’t take more than a bite each.
A truly gross experience. They also had no napkins, no straws, and the entrance was blocked with a garbage can in our arrival. Stay away!!!

2.5−3 stars
Oooo I was kinda hopeful with this one. Maybe I will be back, not sure yet.
I had the Pork belly Bao and Shrimp dumplings.
So the sauces are all on the side but I didnt realize there were hardly any sauces or flavor in the actual bao and dumplings! It maybe just the type of bao I had…
As far as the shrimp dumpling — its just that, dumpling wrapper and plain cooked shrimp. No additional flavorings inside it, not even sesame oil, garlic? nada.
I did get the sauce on the side which had all that and dipped it in there but still, unfortunately Ive had better. The bao, as pretty as it looked, tasted also pretty plain.
Its a great place, not much seating but I like the décor, rustic wood tables and metal chairs. I like the garage window. The front window has a moisture issue — the steam from the kitchen and the cold outside builds a pool of water on the ledge (not a reflection of the food I know, but it would be nice if this were fixed as I do like the cute place).
Anyhow — over all its ok if you want a quickish bite to eat for a moderate price.
Given all the great reviews, this may just be an off day for them. If I come back I’ll try out the other baos.

I came here at about 10:55 pm on a Friday and these guys were just about to close shop. I was lucky they were open but also was understanding that this was definitely going to be a to go order considering the doors were essentially going to be locked behind me.
There’s room for maybe 4 people to sit and maybe 5 people to stand in line in this tiny space.
I went with 2 pork belly baos that were boxed and bagged for me really fast. I didn’t get to eat them until I went home considering I was just being greedy because I had just eaten minutes before but wanted a late night snack after a late dinner.
My wife was hungry so it worked out. By the time I got home the baos were still very fresh and very good. Not bad considering this was «order and leave» food. The hoisin sauce is rich and tangy. The buns surprisingly held up and didn’t get overly soggy considering they weren’t eaten for about an hour since I received them.
The pork is a nice thick healthy cut which is common with all pork belly baos I’ve ever had. For under 5 bucks it’s a perfect snack.

These tasty little snacks are dirt cheap. You can get two for 6 and a half bucks. They are so tasty. I love the spongy bread things (bao) and the variety of fillings. I always get jerk chicken filling. These guys get ‘fusion’ right. Great spot for a quick and delicious snack on Queen and Bathurst.

Funnily enough, I enjoyed the cold noodle salad more than I enjoyed the pulled pork bao. While they were both really good, the hint of coconut in the marinated noodles went really well with the tofu, peanuts, cilantro and red radish. The noodles were also surprisingly filling! The pulled pork needed a bit more pulled pork. Will definitely be coming back to try out more of their items!

We were just strolling around the area when we stumbled into this little gem tucked away in a corner. We got the jerk chicken mean bao and the pork belly mean bao. I really enjoyed the flavours and it’s a good snack in between meals. Around $ 3 – 4 a bao so not too expensive but don’t expect to walk out full. Will definitely return for some more baos!

I’ve had the pork belly baos at Mean bao twice — they are delicious and one of my favourite pork belly baos in the city. The pork belly is juicy and flavoured while the bao is soft and fluffy. On one of my visits, I tried the dim sum which was a mistake — stick with the baos!
Mean bao is hip and gives off that «hole in the wall» vibe. However, the seating inside is very limited. If you come with a big group, consider sitting outside during the summer.

MEAN!!! The place outside looks super hip and cute. Like one of the cool kids on the block, I knew I had to duck into this place and grab something.
The place is suuuuper tiny, and it can probably fit under 10 people. There are about 5 – 7 spots at a small bar area to ‘dine in’. They have cute little décor like a ‘mean bao’ tshirt and other cutesey things that I adore. The people that work there are very nice and useful! The baos were done in a few min, to my surprise. Yay! They serve regular dim sum things and the famous baos. mmmm. I had the pork belly one and it was JUST DELISH! Makes my belly rumble just thinking about it. and that’s coming from somebody who usually doesn’t touch pork. Boyfriend had the pulled pork and that was very delicious too! Nice and juicy tender pork in a bao. Yummy.
Everything was on par and I just ADORE. The only thing that was a little off was the inadequacy of the seating (good thing we came at an empty time!) and some of the table areas were a bit sticky. but still, I’d definitely be back!

It’s not very often I get to go to Toronto, so when I have the chance, I want to hit up as many places as I can while I am in the area. I was really interested in trying out some «Bao», basically a Korean or Vietnamese bun sandwich. This sandwich is actually in many Asian cultures (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese) all with similar ingredients and cooked the same way. I had recently bookmarked Bahn Mi Boys, but my brother told me about the place called Mean Bao beside his house so we gave that a try. Located on the corner of Richmond and Spadina, if your not looking for it you can easily pass it on the street. The store is very small, basically enough room for the service counter and 2 tables beside the wall. You literally cannot have more than 5 people in the store at once
The menu isn’t very big, but they hit all right taste notes with their selections to make the sandwiches sound good. I opted for the most popular Pork Belly Bao (the most popular one according to the staff). Cucumbers, hoisin sauce and pork belly filled a small 5″ Bao (a little on the small side for a sandwich). The taste was excellent, but the portion size and price ($ 3.95) knocked it down a few stars. They also offer some Dim Sum items such as Siu Mai and dumplings.
Quick bite to eat… check
Cheap cost… on the fence
Good flavour… check
Seating…ummm ok.
Small portion… depends on what you call a good size
Mean Bao.3 Stars

Pork belly bao is da bomb! After having had the bao at momofuku and even the best homemade version, I started dreaming of a fast food style restaurant that would allow me to stuff my face with as much bao as I wanted in an affordable and efficient manner. Mean bao is that dream.
I feel so strongly about the superb quality of the bao that I awarded 5 stars despite the average dimsum, and tiny venue.
It’s worth a visit if you are in the area to grab some bao’s (pork belly!) while you walk along queen street. It’s cheap and so well made. Can’t really go wrong with a mouthful of pork belly.

Have tried their baos and dim sum. Get the baos, stay away from the dim sum! The dim sum wasn’t good.
The baos (at $ 3.95 each) are all quite good. The bao itself is super fluffy. I more recently had the chicken and braised beef baos, both of which were tasty. Meats were tender, and sauces and toppings made the baos nice and flavourful. I think I tried the pork belly bao at the grange location and wasn’t that impressed with that one.
I’ve always been greeted with friendly service here. Also convenient location (right at Queen and Bathurst).

I stopped here for a light lunch a few days ago and just had to come back! I ordered the Siu Mai and the chicken and on my second visit, pork belly baos. My order each time came under $ 10 which is pretty flippin’ awesome. And surprisingly it was very filling, the portion sizes are just right!
The siu mai is good, just like anywhere else but I noticed the quantity and size changed on my subsequent visit. The first time there were about 6 pieces and they were average sized. The second time I got 4 pieces and they were gigantic! I didn’t feel cheated either way but do prefer the smaller size (weird, I know).
The baos I tried were excellent, perfect blend of flavours, textures and great «snack» size and priced just right. I feel like they should’ve gone the crunchy way with the pork belly but it was more like a fatty pulled pork — and they have pulled pork on the menu so… trust me and pan fry that sucker a la lechon kiwali.
Shout out to the fellow cross stitcher!

I like it here! Its a cute little tucked away shop with the most simplistic design ever, but its all in the details. They’ve got those bare walls with a «BAO» décor, some green chopsticks, an aqua coloured cart, its all so minimalistic, but also so homey at the same time.
Their bao was really good, and for a good price! I love the idea of asian fusion. I had a pulled pork with apple slaw bao, and it was delicious for $ 4! For snack, thats a yummy deal.
The service is also really good, the people behind the counter are so nice :) and i saw one of them eating a noodle dish that he said the kitchen is testing, and it looks mighty amaze-​balls. Will be back soon for it

Small shop that sells pretty good mainstream bao. Not much room to eat but you can gobble it up pretty fast. They made it pretty fast and I enjoyed it.
Got the pulled pork — delicious, braised beef — not bad, tofu — surprisingly good! And the chicken — a bit dry. Under $ 4 each.
Definitely a must try. We then ended off the night by going to bahn mi. A night well done!

I like it! The prices are cheap (about $ 3.50 per bun). I didn’t eat the dim sum, I don’t quite trust their dim sum quality.
However the buns (the bao’s) are Chinese sweet buns (the white kind). Traditionally they are stuffed with BBQ pork, custard, or veggies and mushrooms. In this restaurant, they are used like a taco, stuffed with pork belly, chicken, or beef and salad. Also tofu, etc. Plus hot sauce on top.
They are tasty!
It’s a blend of VERY WESTERN stuffing
+ Chinese sweet buns
I mean for $ 7 two buns, it’s not that bad! I ordered the ground beef and the chicken. Both were good. My very Chinese friend also agrees.
The place itself is super tiny, two half-​tables and 4 stools. Usually customers order takeout and leave. No more than 10 skinny people can fit in there. Food is not fast, my baos took about 7 minutes total. They prepare them fresh and hot for you. I will happily return :)

Mean Bao screwed up my lunch order. I asked for shrimp dumplings and a medium spicy pork bun. I got a very spicy pork bun and a sloppy Joe, this was my friend’s order… but instead of mixing us up, they just doubled his so we both ate his order.
At first, I was very annoyed (don’t fuck with my lunch, etc.), but I’m over it. Why am I over it? It was very, very tasty! An excellent cheap ($ 16 for two) take-​out lunch option on Bathurst S of Queen.

Stopped by mid-​afternoon for a snack and had the pork belly and pulled pork baos… both were very tasty!
Very small menu and venue.

Hi, I’m Chinese. I think I know dimsum. This ain’t it.
I asked if they make their own shrimp dumpling and siu mai. They said yes, so I figured, let’s give it a try.
The shrimp dumplings were totally over steamed and the wrappers were soggy. The shrimp inside had very little flavour and nothing to bind them together. The wrappers actually had the texture of wonton wrappers. Bizarre.
The siu mai looked impressive and authentic. The taste? It was like eating a springy meatball. It just didn’t have the right combination of pork, shrimp, and other ingredients to give it a real dim sum taste and texture.
I’ve had their baos at the Grange location and they were okay. I wanted to try their other menu items but I wish I stuck with the baos.
2 stars because the guys behind the counter were nice.

Nice little place on Bathurst and Queen.
I love that the food here is fast, fresh and fuss free.
I tried their pork belly bao and pork and shrimp dumplings and they were both realy good and super cheap. Most menu items are under $ 5
Service was casual but attentive.
I will b going back for sure.