Bao Chick

Bao Chick is somewhere between four and five stars butI will give ultimately give it five because the owners is the hardest-working guy I've seen. He is always hustling, trying to get the attention of potential customers by luring them in with a free sample. "Chicken, number one! Dumpling, number one!" I've been meaning to try Bao Chicken and glad that I finally did. I ordered on the screen and was treated to a dumpling and chili oil while I waited. My original chicken sandwich was enormous, with the chicken sticking out from the bun. It was perfectly fried, not greasy at all, with a crispy exterior but still moist inside. It had some iceberg lettuce and a healthy dose of mayo and came with a side of chili powder to add some heat. Bao Chick also has dumplings (steamed and fried) and chicken tenders. There is outdoor seating in the food hall. Parking can be a challenge (this is one of my least favorite parking lots in Irvine because it's so small).

Bao Chick is located in the Trade Marketplace food court and offers up delicious fried chicken sandwiches and dumplings. The food court itself has a lively atmosphere and has a variety of other cuisines to try. Bao Chick specializes in fried chicken dishes with a Chinese twist. The portions are huge! The chicken sandwiches are the size of my head. If it's your first time, the original chicken sandwich is definitely the way to go. The fried batter is impressively voluminous and crunchy - it's also a different fried batter than regular fried chicken. I don't exactly know how, but it's very large and in charge. And the chicken is so juicy and moist. If you're not too hungry, the wings are also a good choice - but just be warned that they are also huge hahaha. They're cooked perfectly though, with the same fried batter and juicy meat as the sandwiches. The fries are also very yummy and served with a Cajun spice. The owner is very passionate in his work, enthusiastically sharing free samples of his dumplings and delicious dumpling sauce. He clearly loves his food and it reflects in his cooking. Definitely check them out!

The staff here are super passionate about their fried chicken--both the popcorn chicken and chicken strips have that amazing crispy crunchy breading. And paired with their house sauce? DIVINE.Besides the chicken, what I loved even more are the grilled baos and soup dumplings that would give Din Tai Fung a run for their money. Literally oozing with soup and honestly one of the best I've ever had!Thanks for reading! ^-^

- located in a small outdoor food court - owners are so friendly, they offered dumplings and chili oil samples! (chili oil was surprisingly so flavorful and not just spicy to be spicy) - loved the popcorn chicken - batter was thin and almost biscuit-like or like panko breading, meat was tender, and more dry seasoning was provided on the side

Unexpected yummy surprise! We were sold with the sample chicken tender. Very engaging owner and very nice helping us with our order. The crispy batter was soft, yet crunchy. The grilled bao had great flavor and texture. We are at the bar there but there were plenty of seats on the Monday afternoon.Parking was not too bad but can be rough to find a spot during peak times. Very open & spacious place.

3.5 stars. The food here isn't bad. It's not amazing but it's not bad. Pretty good portion and super crunchy chicken. The couple that works/owns the place are super friendly.

The grilled pork dumplings were very good. I would get those again. Soft (not too thick) wonton wrapper, juicy filling, slightly crispy edges--perfection. They look very aesthetically pleasingly cute as well. Service was fine, the guy is very nice and gave us samples. My little boy loves chicken tenders/sandwiches, so he was set on trying the original chicken sandwich--no spice, and it was huge. He got the thigh, but maybe he would have liked the breast meat more (next time). I tried a little piece of the chicken, and it tasted like it had a hint of 5 spice in the batter or something. The breading is cool, but it was too oily for me. The food hall is kinda cute. There are other options for food if your party likes variety. You can walk a little more and try Chewie and Mellow for drinks--super good!

Still my favorite place in OC for anything fried chicken! Awesome service, great food and perfectly battered fried chicken! Highly recommend the chicken sandwich and chicken tenders!

I wasn't planning on getting any food here but I was suckered in by the sweetest man emphatically giving out samples of juicy dumplings. He was raving the people passing by about their special chili oil and crispy chicken so I placed an order for the chicken wings. They were incredible! Super crispy and flakey and the mayo sauce that went with them was delicious as well. There were huge pieces of fried chicken in one order; a great deal. I had enough leftover for later and they heated and crisped up nicely in the toaster oven. I am so glad I ended up trying this place and it's always nice to support a business with such kind hard working people behind it.

fantastic servicegave out a free sample great food and gave me a free drink great service and foodvery stisfied