Soup dumpling enthusiasts, unite! Wanna Bao offers Szechuan and Shanghainese cuisine in Houston’s Midtown area. Restaurant owners Dean and Grace Dee left their jobs as petroleum engineers to open up Wanna Bao with the goal of serving delicious and quality Asian food. Dean Dee’s parents own One Dragon in Chinatown and Dee worked in the restaurant for a over year and a half before creating his own menu.
Each dish on Wanna Bao’s menu offers authentic tastes of Shanghai and Chengdu cuisine. The xaio long bao, or soup dumplings, are always a treat, filled with flavorful soup and pork. Other menu items include their sweet and sour baby back ribs, jasmine tea-smoked duck, scallion pancakes, crispy bottom bao and dancing pork belly.
Grace Dean took care to ensure the ambiance and décor fit Midtown’s vibe, but true to the Chinese influences. Updated, clean and sleek, the restaurant offers an upscale dining experience that is similar to the feel of a traditional Chinese teahouse. Further, as the restaurant evolves, the Deans plan to expand the menu to include Singaporean and South Asian dishes.
