‘Hot Asian buns’ alert: Restaurant opens with street food delivery in Treasure Valley

If you’d like Asian street food delivered to your doorstep, a chain new to the Treasure Valley has you covered.

Wow Bao, a fast-casual outfit founded in Chicago, is offering delivery in Meridian and Nampa. The menu centers on bao, a steamed bun with fillings such as teriyaki chicken, spicy Mongolian beef or whole wheat vegetable. Hence the chain’s marketing slogan: “Hot Asian buns.”

Dine-in and takeout are unavailable. It’s delivery only. And drivers serve only the Meridian and Nampa areas, not Boise.

Here’s why. In August, the Sizzler restaurants in Meridian and Nampa supplemented their kitchens with Wow Bao virtual operations. Local Sizzler co-owner Gretchen Anderson said that adding Wow Bao to the mix will help keep her restaurants afloat during the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19.

“There isn’t any Asian street food, really, in the Treasure Valley,” Anderson added. “So it’s kind of a cool new deal. People are learning about it. They’re enjoying it.”

Bao can be ordered, mix-and-match-style, in sizes ranging from a two-pack ($5.99) to an 18-pack ($39.99). Wow Bao also sells bowls, pan-seared potstickers, steamed dumplings and combination meals.

Wow Bao delivery is handled through DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats.

If Wow Bao proves successful, Anderson said, her Sizzler restaurants “may come up with another dark kitchen to throw out there. Because right now, the trends are going so much toward delivery and takeout.”

In the meantime, Anderson said, Wow Bao is “really good. It’s tasty.”