The Chairman Bao: Eddie Huang’s Baohaus Copycat Recipe

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The Chairman Bao from Eddie Huang’s Baohaus was one of New York City’s beloved cheap bites. A soft steamed bun filled with tender red-braised pork belly, tangy pickled mustard greens, sweet crushed peanuts, and fresh cilantro.

Baohaus may have closed in 2020, but with this copycat recipe, you can bring those same flavors to your own kitchen. It’s inspired by Eddie’s take on the traditional Taiwanese gua bao, a dish that’s been enjoyed for generations.

📖 What Is the Chairman Bao?

The Chairman Bao was the signature item at Baohaus, a small shop on the Lower East Side that made Taiwanese street food accessible to a wider audience.

Gua bao is a classic Taiwanese pork bun made with slow-braised pork, pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts, and fresh herbs in a soft, folded steamed bun. Eddie Huang’s version used red-braised Berkshire pork for deeper flavor, a sweet-and-savory mustard green relish, and crushed peanuts with Taiwanese red sugar for extra sweetness and texture.

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🧠 My First Baohaus Experience

I first tried the Chairman Bao in the summer of 2016 after reading Fresh Off the Boat. I was sweaty and broke, but for just $4, I got a Chairman bao and a core memory.

A thick slab of red-braised berkshire pork belly, tender beyond belief. Each bite infused with the deep richness of Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese roots. The Haus relish brought the balance. Pickled mustard greens cooked down with sugar, garlic, and chillies. Crushed peanuts with Taiwanese red sugar added sweetness and crunch.
And that steamed bao?
Pillowy. Warm. The perfect vessel.

It was simple, but the balance of flavors made it unforgettable — rich, tangy, sweet, and fresh all in one bite.

🔪 How to Make The Chairman Bao

Red Braised Pork Belly

1 recipe red braised pork belly

Haus Relish

• 250 g pickled mustard greens, finely chopped
• 20 g rock sugar, crushed
• 2 g salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Bird’s eye chilies, minced (to taste)

Crushed Peanuts

• 100 g roasted peanuts
• 20 g Taiwanese red sugar (or white sugar)
• 1 g salt

Steamed Bao (makes 8)

• 350 g all-purpose flour
• 5 g active dry yeast
• 4 g baking powder
• 4 g salt
• 24 g sugar
• 210 g whole milk

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🥢 How to Make the Chairman Bao

Steamed Baos

1. Warm the milk to about 30°C (86°F) and stir in yeast and sugar.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir until a rough dough forms (~4 mins).
3. Knead until mostly smooth (~4 mins).
4. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and proof for 1 hour or until doubled.
5. Punch down, divide into 8 pieces (~70 g each), and shape into balls. Rest 10 mins.

6. Roll into ovals (10 cm x 8 cm), brush one side with oil, fold in half, and place on parchment.

7. Proof 20–30 mins until puffed.

8. Steam 10-12 mins.

Storage: Keep in the fridge 4–5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

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Haus Relish

1. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté mustard greens, rock sugar, salt, garlic, and chilies.
2. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Adjust seasoning.

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Crushed Peanuts

1. In a food processor, pulse peanuts, sugar, and salt until crumbly.

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Assembly

1. Open a steamed bao.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of Haus relish.
3. Add a slab of red-braised pork belly (~10 cm / 4 in).
4. Top with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

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🪦 The Legacy of BaoHaus

Baohaus closed in 2020, but the Chairman Bao remains a great example of how a traditional Taiwanese dish can be adapted without losing its roots. This recipe stays true to those flavors while being doable at home.