Da Bao is an upscale casual dining restaurant that serves East Asian fusion dishes including noodles, rice bowls, sando, bao buns, dim sum, and onigiri.
The restaurant’s motto is “Eat Bao Have Fun!” and it specializes in freshly made bao buns, served the traditional way in a bamboo steamer. Top options for fillings include brisket; Nashville-style fried chicken tender; six-hour-braised black Angus ribs with caramelized onion; and crispy fried duck with onion slices and hoisin sauce.
The restaurant’s signature cheese bao bun comes with an Arabic twist. Baos are usually steamed to get that warm fluffy white dough, but this one is deep fried after steaming, so the dough color shifts to golden brown, leaving a crispy outer layer over the fluffy inside. It is then filled with three different types of cheeses and zaatar, then glazed with truffle honey.
Da Bao offers a good range of dishes, all presented in a modern-but-authentic way to ensure a fun experience for customers.
There are seven choices of mojito at Da Bao, with refreshing summer flavors including mint and strawberry, mixed berries, and watermelon lemon peel. The passion fruit option is our recommendation, though. Made with fresh passion fruit, passion-fruit syrup, sparkling water and yuzu juice — the Japanese lemon that tastes like a mix of lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin and is a common feature of Japanese Mojitos — it’s a delight.
Da Bao’s interior is inspired by cyberpunk culture, with flashy neon lighting and a dark, though relaxing atmosphere aided by chillout lounge music.
The restaurant is located in Rovan Tower in Jeddah’s Al-Salamah district. For more information, visit @dabao.sa on Instagram.
