88 Baobao, a California Dim Sum Chain, Lands in Frisco

Family-owned dim sum spot 88 Baobao is a reference to 88th Street in Dublin, California, where the concept was born in 2018. It's also a reference to the lucky number 88, which translates to prosperity and longevity in Chinese. The chain created by Kevin Chen has had some fast-growing success in California, where it now has five locations scattered across the state.

The new location in Frisco marks the brand’s first expansion across state lines. And from the bustling weekday crowd during the Frisco location’s soft opening, we’re sure the prosperity will follow 88 Baobao to Texas.

The sheer amount of people in the dining room during the dinner rush is telling. Grab a seat at one of the family-style tables and order a nice spread at the self-service counter. Portions are shareable and prices are low. Nothing on the menu exceeds $15; for a California-based brand, we were pleasantly surprised.
The cucumber salad dressed in a pool of sesame-peanut oil or popcorn chicken served crispy with a green onion topping are both good openers, along with other traditional Chinese appetizers like vegetable spring rolls or marinated pig ears. Each will set you back between $5 and $8 and are designed for sharing.

Seven different varieties of pan-fried dumplings come stuffed with pork, vegetables, shrimp, chicken and other protein options, served in generously sized platters of eight. However, for a more authentic dim sum experience, you might choose to order your dumplings steamed. These are crafted with a chewy, glutinous wrapper that breaks into hot fillings of ground vegetables, meat or even steaming hot soup.
The menu isn’t limited to dumplings. Order from eight different types of bao buns, coated with a fluffy dough and served in sets of two, or huge plates of fried rice, which come dotted with egg, shrimp or chicken protein. A standout on the menu is the scallion pancake, which is flakier than most and comes thinly layered with chopped scallion. The delicacy, which compares roughly to the size of a small pizza, is split into eight pieces for easy sharing. Order it studded with white sesame seeds for an extra $2 or folded into a juicy beef roll for $4.

If the food wasn’t testament enough to homemade food and recipes, the clear-glass window that looks into the kitchen surely is. Dough is rolled, pulled and shaped from scratch by chefs Tom and Lisa Chen, who are uncoincidentally the parents of 88 Baobao's owner, Kevin Chen.

“The chefs had originally come to Texas for the purpose of retiring,” manager Hoang Tran tells us. “They left their retirement to come cook again at the Frisco location.”
It's definitely a bold expansion from the chain's roots in California. We’d argue that  the ultra-flaky pancakes, fluffy bao buns and chewy soup dumplings make the couple's coming out of retirement a great idea. And the full dining room of customers seems to agree.

88 Baobao, 4800 Eldorado Parkway, Frisco. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.