Gongfu Bao

Gongfu Bao has been steaming buns on Bank Street since 2012 and calls itself Ottawa's kickass little bao shop. Owner and chef Tarek Hassan draws on Chinese and Taiwanese cooking and on the diners and street food of Hong Kong. Ordering is at the counter, there is seating, and groups can book sit-down tables or take over the whole room for a party.

The bao run from braised brisket, fried chicken and Berkshire pork to red-braised tofu belly and five-spice lion's mane mushroom, and the same fillings come as rice bowls. Around them sit duck siu mai, smashed cucumber, mushroom congee, Hong Kong French toast and bolo bao, with Hong Kong milk tea and lemon tea to drink. Vegan, halal and gluten-free options run through the menu, and the Chinese Restaurant Awards named the shop a Top 50 honouree in its Elite 30 Canada list for 2025.