Wonderbao is a little hidden gem in Melbourne, down the hall of the building, opening out into an alley way. I did have a big of a struggle to find the place. However, I was not disappointed with the bao's there though. With a small selection of bao on the menu, Wonderbao reminds me of the Momofuku-esque pork belly bun famed by David Chang. Though these buns can be found on the sidewalks of many Asian countries, these have just gone a little more refined.
Braised pork belly gua bao and Roast pork belly gua bao.
The braised pork belly bao is wedged into the soft pillowy bao and topped with pickled mustard leaves (a staple condiment in Asia) and crushed peanuts. The braised pork belly is soft, however in terms of pork belly softness, not the softess I've tried so far, it doesn't melt in your mouth as the Momofuku one does. The roast pork belly is topped with cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon and hoisin sauce. I must admit that anything with hoisin sauce gets extra points as I love that stuff, and this bao had more rounded matching flavours which I enjoyed a lot more.
In terms of bao, it is soft and has a good texture, maybe a tad on the sweet side. For those stuck in Melbourne and can't get to Momofuku in Sydney, then this is the next best thing.
Wonderbao
Shop 4/19-37 A'Beckett St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
0 comments