Bao Bei, the popular Taiwanese street food concept, is gearing up for the grand opening of its first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Wednesday, August 27th. This exciting news comes after the closure of its successful ghost kitchen at 11910 Parklawn Drive on August 1st, which served the community for three years.
The new 1,903 SF Bao Bei restaurant will be located at 12055 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center (adjacent to the former Honey Pig space) in Rockville. This marks a significant step for the culinary venture, allowing them to welcome guests into a dedicated dining space. Bao Bei first launched in 2022 as a ghost kitchen, quickly gaining a loyal following for its authentic Taiwanese street food. Their menu features a delightful array of options, from fluffy and flavorful baos to satisfying rice bowls and tempting small plates.
The heart and soul behind Bao Bei is Chef Kevin Hsieh, a proud 2013 graduate of nearby Gaithersburg High School. Driven by a deep passion for his heritage, Chef Hsieh’s mission is to share the genuine and time-honored flavors of Taiwanese cuisine with the local community. “Bao Bei, a term of endearment in Taiwanese, describes someone or something you treasure deeply,” explained Chef Kevin Hsieh. “A tribute to my family, I will share my culture with the community through Bao Bei’s dishes.”
Adding to their growing recognition, Bao Bei recently captured national attention as a finalist in the highly competitive 17th season of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race. This intense, elimination-style competition pitted nine talented aspiring chefs from across the country against each other, vying for a grand prize of $50,000. Bao Bei’s distinctive Taiwanese flavors resonated with audiences nationwide, and their impressive performance has generated even more anticipation for their brick-and-mortar debut in their local community.
