Bao'd Up

in the mueller district of austin, texas, bao’d up owner ting lin is dedicated to building a new brand of bao zi restaurants that the whole family can enjoy. bao zi, or steamed buns, is a traditional chinese delicacy first made around 1800 years ago. although the dough is difficult to perfect, it has retained its popularity thanks to the invention of new kinds of stuffing or flavors. growing up in fujian, ting, like many other kids in china ate juicy pork, egg cream, and red bean bao all the time, and it was his favorite meal as a child. hundreds of millions of bao are consumed on a daily basis in china, but this popular street food can hardly be found anywhere in the united states. after starting his own family in america, ting wanted to make bao for his daughter, and began to think of how he could share those great childhood memories with his family and friends. previously a co-owner of xian noodles, ting has since been focusing on making bao a part of the american household.