Gold Bao

Self Service Restaurant

68 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003, United States

22 Rating

Overview

Gold Bao, located at 68 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003, United States, presents a modern bao-focused dining spot with an attractive interior, comfortable seating, and a noticeably clean, spacious environment. The restaurant’s decor gives the space a polished and relaxed appearance, making it suitable for sitting down with a drink or a small selection of dishes. The menu includes bao, noodles, soup dumplings, popcorn chicken, and specialty beverages, with some items offering contemporary twists on familiar flavors. One example is the wagyu black truffle buns, which pair a rich-sounding filling with a soft steamed exterior, although the buns can feel quite doughy and the truffle character may come across more subtly than expected. The pork soup dumplings provide another traditional-style option, delivering the recognizable elements of the dish but with a relatively restrained filling and broth experience. Popcorn chicken appears to be one of the more appealing choices for texture, arriving crunchy on the outside with a pleasantly chewy bite. Its seasoning is fairly mild on its own, so sauce can add an important layer of flavor. Portions across several dishes tend to be modest, particularly the popcorn chicken and some of the bao offerings, which may make the pricing feel comparatively high depending on how much food is ordered. Drinks such as the Hawthorne beverage add something different to the menu, incorporating fruit pieces for extra character, though the texture of those pieces can make the drink slightly less convenient through a standard straw. Some freshly prepared items may also require a longer wait, particularly the buns, so the experience can move at a slower pace when these are ordered. With plenty of open seating, decorative surroundings, small plates, steamed specialties, fried snacks, and creative beverages, Gold Bao combines a contemporary café-like atmosphere with a menu centered on Asian-inspired comfort foods and individually portioned dishes.

Amenities

Curbside pickup
Delivery
Takeout
Dine-in
Vegan options
Vegetarian options
Breakfast
Brunch
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Seating
Credit cards
Debit cards

Highlights

Popcorn Chicken 雞米花
Iced Tea

Pricing

Location

Customer feedback

out of 5.0

Self Service Restaurant Rating

22 Reviews

gunsbound

Jul 12, 2026

First of all, the place looks nice and has a clean bathroom. While the portion on the popcorn chicken is small. It's what I think of when I think of popcorn chicken. It was crunchy and chewy. I liked it. The pork soup dumpling was okay. While it hits all the notes of one, it was quite lacking.

Pinar Ozcan

Jul 07, 2026

Must try!! I loved the bao’s here. Especially the Chicken one. Price is reasonable. Will be baock!!

K H

Aug 13, 2026

When did the Alley get replaced?! Luckily, the restroom was not replaced, so I was able to use it after ordering. It was very clean and spacious. It did feel a bit awkward that I was the only customer on a beautiful Saturday evening. The decor is pretty, and there were many open seats for relaxing. I decided to get the Hawthorne drink and wagyu black truffle buns. For 4 buns to be only $9 seemed like a steal, but I should have lowered my expectations. Although the name was fancy, it wasn't good. It seemed like the filling was the usual pork and a hint of truffle oil. Combined with thick dough skin and virtually no soup juice, I didn't enjoy it. Perhaps I should have just stuck to original traditional flavors. The staff also didn't inform me that the buns took a while to make it, so I was waiting for a while for them. My drink was mediocre as well. The bits of Hawthorne at the bottom were outputting and impossible to suck through the straw provided. I hope Gold Bao incorporates hot drinks in the future!

K He

May 21, 2026

I was sad when the alley closed but I’m not anymore. The buns were good and the staff were so nice! Reasonable price for the city. I’ll come back ^_^

yu yu

May 07, 2026

Nice atmosphere and great bao, very crispy bao!! Strong truffle flavor if you get that one! . Recommend eat dipped in soy sauce! :) There a small bit of sitting room in the back too, altho the packaging is perfect for walking around and eating!! I ordered all the juices to try. I would not recommend the sea buckthorn berry flavor to first timers unless it is a flavor you know you like, which is kinda citrusy but with a Chinese dried fruit taste to it (if you know you know). The hawthorn juice was very good and I think most people would like it! White gourd is also a safe option it kinda tastes like a sweet tea but less sugary!

chibimei

Jun 01, 2026

My husband ordered pork as well as pork and shrimp bao. I order the kimchi, mapo tofu bao and the duck rolls. I don't usually like duck but I would definitely order them again from here. The mapo tofu was really good and wasn't too saucy but was flavored very well. My husband enjoy his bao. I usually enjoy kimchi but it was the only thing in my order that I didn't like and that is just up to preference. I will order again because the food didn't need sauces, flavors were created and worth the money spent.

Jeff Flora

May 20, 2026

Everything was great! I got the chicken bao and seafood stir fry noodles and both were fresh and delicious. Great addition to the neighborhood.

Madison Mo

Aug 01, 2026

Food was expensive for the small portions, and baos and noodles were not that good. Popcorn chicken was crunchy and tasty but bland without sauce. Nice atmosphere though