Bao down for these buns.

  I can hardly believe I only tried my first bao bun two years ago, but it's true. Since then, I've been obsessed, and you should be too. Dublin is thankfully a hot spot for bao buns; Aungier Street in particular has several locations serving them.

Big Fan Bao

Location: Aungier Street  If you're a big fan of bao, there's really no better place to go. Big Fan Bao made it onto the Michelin Guide this year, if you needed anymore reason to stop by. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcsYeW_sU1c/

Juanitos

Location: South William Street  Juanitos have a new bao bun dish on their menu which comes with pork belly, kimchi, daikon, crispy onions, and kewpie mayo. And if pork isn't your thing, they also do thai duck bao buns too. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca4QISBqcmt/

Ukiyo

Location: Exchequer Street Ukiyo does some delicious sushi, which I highly recommend trying too, but you also have to order their bao buns, either as a starter to share with someone, or one all to yourself. The crispy pork belly in hoisin sauce is the perfect filler for this bao bun. https://www.instagram.com/p/CgO2b07MUp-/

Lucky Tortoise

Location: Aungier Street Lucky Tortoise is where it all began for me. Myself and friends ordered their one meat all in platter and and one veggie, both of which came with bao buns. Having no idea what I was in for, I was instantly obsessed with the texture and flavours. If you're looking for a bao bun awakening in Dublin, check out Lucky Tortoise. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1JxmBQCnEL/

Urbanity

Location: Smithfield These bao buns are available on the weekday lunch menu at Urbanity, and if you're local to the area, we highly recommend trying them out. You can have them with or without meat. https://www.instagram.com/p/CWVf4GFsAIM/

Bao Bun Street Food

Location: Aungier Street As somewhere that has Bao Bun in the name, it's no surprise that they do some of the best buns in Dublin. At Bao Bun Street Food you can build your own with a choice of popcorn cauliflower, popcorn chicken, pork, walnut mushroom, jack fruit, beef, or tofu. https://www.instagram.com/p/ChTyEOnj7He/

Mak at D6

Location: Ranelagh Fried. Chicken. Bao. That's all you need to know before going to Mak at D6, who was voted as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Dublin. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcnoBPDspcq/

Bao House

Location: Aungier Street Bao House serves up some incredible freshly handmade bao buns in their Aungier Street location (I told you Aungier Street is where you need to be if you're looking for bao). https://www.instagram.com/p/CPknspan5zL/

Opium

Location: Wexford Street Opium does some of the best Pan Asian food in Dublin, and this includes bao buns. You can try Opium's bao buns with the option of roast pork belly, five spice duck, or seabass. https://www.instagram.com/p/BxkUldilyG2/

Bites By Kwanghi

Locations: Camden Street & Docklands If you're a spice bag fanatic, then you need to add these spice bag bao buns from Bites by Kwanghi - truly this is what Lizzie Maguire must've been singing about when she said "this is what dreams are made of". https://www.instagram.com/p/Cge-5puspLA/

Rustic Stone

Location: South Great George's Street Led by chef Dylan McGrath, Rustic Stone is a restaurant that explores the flavours and tastes of Asian cuisine, which includes pillowy bao buns (including a bao beef burger). https://www.instagram.com/p/CgwzjfEo2p0/ Well how bao that now. You've got plenty of spots to choose from if it's bao you're after. Header image via Instagram/juanitos_dublin READ ON: DASH café sets up semi-permanent home outside St. James hospital