Bao Bei, a Taiwanese eatery based in Rockville, made its mark on Food Network show The Great Food Truck Race.
The eatery was created by Kevin Hsieh. Chef Hsieh wanted to preserve tradition and provide authentic Taiwanese flavors.
“Bao Bei is a term of endearment in my native language used to describe someone or something you treasure deeply. It is a homage to my family, who have instilled in me the traditions and recipes that I hold dear,” Hsieh quotes on the Bao Bei website.
Chef Hsieh recruited the help of his good friends Zakary Keres and Cody Hoover. They competed against eight other teams on Season 17 for a chance at winning $50,000.
They made it to the final rounds after coming in second place.
Bao Bei started as a ghost kitchen back in 2022 and has received regional and national recognition for its flavors.
The main seller is, of course, the Bao buns! Bao Bei offers a mouthwatering pork belly with pickled greens and peanut sugar or a vegan Tofu-Riffic Bao with slow braised tofu with pickled greens, cilantro, and peanut sugar. It doesn’t stop there.
If you aren’t in the mood for a bao bun, you can get their slow-braised tofu or pork belly in a bowl with rice, a braised egg, and pickled greens. And there’s something sweet on the menu with their Brown Sugar Swirly Buns, Almond Tofu Jelly, and a seasonal Pumpkin Cinnabao, handmade with real Japanese pumpkin.
After The Great Food Truck race ended, Bao Bei announced on their Instagram plans of opening a brick and mortar location in Montrose Crossing. Chef Hsieh says they plan on opening in early 2025. They still plan to operate out of the ghost kitchen until the restaurant is open, and then the ghost kitchen closes.
