Dah Bao

Dah Bao is a restaurant located way down 5th street in Davis. It’s in a plaza that you may not have been to if your only Davis experiences are the university and downtown. Dah Bao is located past the police station in a plaza that used to house old Davis staples like Jade Garden and Sushi Nobu. Both of those restaurants have long gone leaving the plaza a bit emptier and less frequented.

But Dah Bao may just change that as it really does give you a reason to head out to this area. They feature a small but inviting menu. If you’re like me, you’d be temped to just order everything on it!

The main attractions for me were the steamed buns (aka baos) and the noodle soup. There aren’t very many places around Davis to get a legitimate bun so this is a very welcome option to have. The buns come in two varieties - veggie and pork. The buns remind me of the kind I used to find at dim sum places in San Francisco. They come out piping hot with an authentic filling. There’s a quality in the taste that will remind you of the Asian foods your parents or grandparents would bring you to as a kid. If this isn’t an experience you had, these flavor notes may be something completely new to you. I guess what I’m trying to say is that these things have that certain ‘Asian’ taste. And to me, it brings legitimacy to the dishes.

The buns can be ordered individually as well as in a 5 pack.

The beef noodle soup is a comforting item that is perfect for any days that are a bit colder. Davis isn’t exactly known for cold, but during the winter months this would be perfect. Dah Bao’s version of beef noodle soup is simple in its execution. You have the choice of skinny or wide rice noodles, and it comes with some Chinese broccoli and thin slices of beef in broth. I found the dish well put together with a very clean taste.

If you’re in the mood for a rice dish, there is a selection of items you can get. The pork belly over rice was something that my family really enjoyed having. Again, like with the noodle soup, the dish was well put together and had a clean, less greasy taste to it.

If you’re in the mood for milk tea, Dah Bao has you covered in this area as well. There is a large menu of different teas to select from. You can get regular black tea or go with fruity varieties. Of course, if you’d like a specific topping in it, that can be added. I am a fan of pudding in my milk tea and I was happy to see that they had egg pudding available as an addition.

Pair the drink with some popcorn chicken and you’ll have a great snack to enjoy at any time during the day.

I was impressed with Dah Bao and am eager to come back and try it again and again.

Website: No website at the time of this review.

Address: 2880 5th Street #140, Davis, Ca 95618