Baomama

Early this week we received an invitation from a family friend to visit The Filipino Centre Toronto in Scarborough which is almost 26 km away and, with not much traffic, it takes 40 mins. to get there. It was a Friday when we went there. There was traffic. There were collisions. There were road closures and construction. It took us at least an hour to arrive at our destination.

There was a small gathering of friends, old and new, all immigrants to Canada. I was asked to cook ginataang pampano for lunch. Pansit, bugogi, steamed rice and other viands were shared among the guests. We talked for hours, sharing stories - of when they first arrived, their struggles, and of how they supported each other. We were thankful that we drove that far and that long.

Around 4:30pm, when everyone was getting ready to go home, Lola Rica (Suarez) invited us to go to a newly opened restaurant called Baomama. It is owned by a young Filipino couple. My wife Dolly asked what they offer. Lola Rica said, "They sell bao."

"Bao?", asked Dolly.

Leo, one of the members of the board, who was seated across Dolly, said that bao is like a taco. It is a soft bun, folded in half and filled with braised pork belly and some vegetables.

Lola Rica said, "You know what...let's go to Baomama so you will see for yourself what it is."

Curiosity filled my mind as we walked to Baomama. I was hoping that bao will fill my once again empty stomach!

We were at Baomama in no time. It was a 5-minute walk from The Filipino Centre Toronto office.

When we came in, there were customers waiting for their take-out orders, some were placing their orders and some were already enjoying their bao. Baomama is a busy place. There is a constant flow of customers. While waiting for our turn to give our orders, I had a chance to look at some pictures that were displayed by the entrance wall. I was filled with excitement! I know this bao! I loved eating this when my family and I were still living in Manila. It was called cuapao. I used to drizzle my cuapao with hoisin sauce and peanuts.

Chef Niña explained that cuapao has more of a Chinese flavor to it. Baomama has a more Filipino twist and flavor. (They have adobo as a filling. WOW!)

Chef Niña told us that one of Baomama's goals is to introduce Filipino cuisine and flavors to a wider audience. Baomama was started by Chef Niña's mom. And she wanted to continue her mom's cooking legacy. They started with phone-in orders for pick-up and/or delivery. Then they ventured into pop-up restaurants. Baomama was a big hit with their last pop-up venue. They already have a following and it was this success that gave them the courage to venture into a full blown restaurant. As of this writing, Baomama has only been open at this location for a month!

Chef Niña also explained that there are people who want to try Filipino food but are overwhelmed by Filipino food like balot, dinuguan, or bagoong. The flavors are just too strong and exotic. She wants to start with small bite-sized portions of more popular Filipino dishes like BBQ Chicken, Crispy Shrimp, or the Deep Fried Pork Hock (Crispy Pata). And this is what makes Baomama unique - hand-made bao buns filled with mouthwatering Filipino dishes.

It was time for us to place our order. Baomama has a simple straight-forward menu. We got one of the Mama's Try-pack Deals - the 3 Premium Sarap. We had to wait around 5 minutes for our order to come out which I think is not too bad since these are freshly-made.

We brought our bao home. That was another one-hour drive. I opened the box and had my first bite of the “Land and Sea” Shrimp and Mushroom Premium Sarap Bao. WOW! This bao is different. It is so soft and fresh. The shrimp and mushroom is perfectly cooked and seasoned. Baomama is worth the one hour trip. We are definitely going back! Chef Niña says they’ll soon introduce bao with kaldereta. Now that is something to look forward to.