The Bao Super Bowl in the
🍿 Vegan Fried Chicken Showdown

Ever since I started my Vegan Fried Chicken Showdown, my brackets have been in flux. I just have to settle on them and create a second round if new eateries rear their fried goodness. The most updated version is at the end of this post, but first, a twist…. a Bao Super Bowl.

I just couldn’t overlook how many bao shops offer a fried “chicken” option. It is only fair to integrate these offerings in my showdown, especially given how impressive some are. I decided to hold a Bao Super Bowl, determining the best vegan fried chicken bao in New York City. And the winner will go up against the big boys in my Vegan Fried Chicken Showdown. And I’ve already had my first bout! Or should I say bao-t!

First, a rejected bao: Bào Tea House in the West Village. Can you guess why this Vegan Fried Chicken bao did not make the cut?

If you guessed that it was made of creepy pre-made super-processed texturized soy protein then you are right! I should have guessed given its proximity to OG texturized protein purveyor Red Bamboo.

Bao by Kaya was the first official contender. They’re in one of those really busy fancy pants food hall that are all the rage now. Right by all the office buildings on Lexington Avenue.  

The Buddha Bao has fried tofu, red cabbage, red onion, cilantro, black sesame seeds and sweet chili sauce in that soft subtly sweet bao. It was so heavenly. The tofu was crisp and all the toppings played beautifully with the sweet chili sauce. This bao would be difficult to beat!

The price was 4.99 for one. I thought that this was a steep price given its size… but its competitor was even more expensive!

Speaking of: Baoburg in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has a Veggie Bao that has deep-fried King oyster mushrooms tempura as a base, along with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and miso soy vegan mayonnaise. $12 for two. Considering these are like sliders, about 3-4 bites, the price is super-steep.

These bao were really good, but the mushrooms upped the moisture a bit too much while being pretty bland. The mayo was nice but the tempura needed some seasoning.

So Bao by Kaya wins the first battle. They’ll go up against Bunsmith in Crown Heights in the second round.

The updates to the Vegan Fried Chicken Bracket:

Pickle Shack, and their amazing chicken sandwich, has left me high and dry for the second time! I have recently discovered that they are close, or vacated from the space at Industry City at least. This is as heartbreaking as it was when they closed their 4th Avenue location in the middle of my Burger Battle! I hope they are going to pop up again. But I had to remove them from my brackets. They would have went very far.

But there are many new additions. Some are a bit mysterious as websites differ from other social media sources. Some are specials or at pop-up events. And the Bao champion is included as a first round battle… meaning I better get to bao-ing!

You may also notice these are all New York City eateries. But I have been making a list of Los Angeles-based vegan fried chicken for an upcoming trip. It’s going to be an East vs. West battle soon!