BAO Soho

Walk into BAO on Lexington Street and you're immediately hit with the smell of steam and soy. It's controlled chaos in the best way—the open kitchen means you can watch them hand-fold each bao, and the marble counter is where the real action happens. You'll find yourself squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone from Soho office workers grabbing lunch to couples treating themselves on a Saturday night. The menu reads like a greatest hits of Taiwanese street food done with proper technique and premium ingredients, but nothing here feels pretentious or overwrought.