Another bao hack from Chef Hunter: Taking a bao out of the steamer and giving it a quick sear on the flattop, especially when he’s going the sweet bao route. “Getting them on the flattop gets a bit of color and gets the sugars caramelizing for a better textured bite for sure.”

“Personally, I like to use bao as a way to showcase different sandwich variations from around the world,” says Morrison Living’s Chef Brad Sanford. “The texture of these buns is excellent. I like the versatility in using these as a vessel for other cuisines. Mexican food is huge in San Antonio and I use bao as a replacement for a tortilla (al pastor bao). Bao has become a trendy food item as of late and enables me to showcase various proteins that we don’t use often like duck breast and pork belly.”

Morrison Living’s Chef Matthew Juarez uses familiar Texas ingredients in the bao format. “To me, the bao bun is an empty canvas that can elevate the simplest of ingredients and turn them into an amazing dish that expands the resident’s palate.”

Served with green papaya and fresh herb salad plus Sunomono-style quick pickles, this bao was created by Morrison Living’s Chef Elvin Sanchez for a vegan, heart-healthy pop-up.

American Dining Creations, a management company that’s been on the bao train for some time now, just dropped new bao buns: A Buffalo chicken-inspired bao and a vegan Chinese Five Spice-pumpkin-jackfruit bao. Any plant-based protein you can use in a wrap, you can do it in a bao, too. Plus, great serving idea: brothy, spicy soup and simple green salad on the side!

Have a good sustainable seafood connection and customers that like the finer things? The simple elegance of a barely seared piece of tuna is perfect with crisp cucumbers as a counterpoint to the soft bao.

The Aramark Bama Dining team at the University of Alabama have an exceptionally varied bao selection, one that’s not afraid of a little fusion. This student is trying a spicy shrimp bao.

A pan of bao buns proofed and ready to be placed in the steamer.

The same bao buns ready to be prepared and served.

Bama Dining starts the day with this offbeat bao: A kosher hotdog, fried egg and fresh avocado slices hugged inside a warm bao bun with sriracha-mayo spread. Good morning? Make that great morning!

This bao features shrimp that’s seared in the wok till it pops, dressed with sweet ‘n sour slaw, sweet chili sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

The bao masters at Bama did some fascinating fusion with this one: a warm bao bun stuffed with spinach, cucumber and garlicky Greek yogurt.