BaoBao Kitchen

 

Located at 2403 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, BaoBao Kitchen serves Vietnamese cuisine from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except for Sunday. Online ordering and catering are available as is (limited) outdoor seating.

Tiny hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese and Thai places are often among the best of their kind, and so I had reason to be hopeful for BaoBao Kitchen despite its limited dimensions. While BaoBao is small (a few tables with limited space between them), the menu is not. Buns, rolls, curries, pho, rice dishes, banh mi, and more are yours for the taking. BaoBao even offers all-day breakfast, a rarity among Vietnamese eateries in the area.

Dining solo, I went with pork bao buns, shrimp fresh rolls, and a hibiscus tea. Though BaoBao was busy, the crew here seems adept at getting food out quickly. I enjoyed most of what I had. The tea was sweet with a tangy note and especially refreshing on a warm day. They definitely didn't skimp on the bao bun toppings, and while their sheer sauciness led to some structural integrity challenges, that also made for a very tasty bite. Unlike other establishments, BaoBao serves three rolls to an order rather than two. However, they are short and smaller. As they were also chewier, this is probably not something I'd opt for again.

Provided that you aren't coming in with a large group, BaoBao seems like a reliable option for modestly priced Vietnamese eats. I've yet to try the banh mi or the pho to see how they stack up, but I'll know to keep this place in mind the next time I'm in the area and want a quick bite.

Shinjuku Station

 

Located at 5835 Samet Drive in High Point’s Palladium Shopping Center, Shinjuku Station offers conveyor belt sushi and Japanese cuisine. It is open from 11 a.m. -9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11-10:30 Friday and Saturday. Sake is available.

The Triad’s first conveyor belt sushi establishment, Shinjuku Station offers a unique dining experience. That experience won’t appeal to everyone, but for those not alienated by the drawbacks, this place has quite a bit to offer.

From the faux turnstiles at the entrance to the subway map on the ceiling to the conveyor belt “tracks,” Shinjuku Station leans heavily into a train theme. Add robot waiters (fear not: there are human servers as well) and vending machines, and you’ll feel temporarily transported to another world.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the emphasis on aesthetics masks mediocre, overpriced food, but many of Shinjuku Station’s offerings hold up better than you think. While the flat fee for all-you-can-eat isn’t cheap ($28 for dinner/$18 for lunch for adults and less for kids), even if you come hungry, you can very easily get your money’s worth here. The menu boasts apps, sides, hibachi entrees, nigiri sushi, and classic and specialty rolls. You can grab whatever passes by off of the conveyer belt or use your table’s tablet to order up to five items at a time from the kitchen. My wife and I tried a variety of items and were satisfied with most. The salmon and snapper nigiri tasted fresh and the Yip Yip, Green River, and Lady Shinjuki rolls all offered a nice balance of flavors. Only the spicy salmon (not spicy) and crab rangoon (oily) were disappointing.

 

While Cha(?) provided excellent service (and gave us an assortment of sauces), the kitchen was rather slow getting our first order out. The second, thankfully, came quite a bit more quickly. As you can imagine from the ambiance, this is a lively place, and while the energy skewed toward “fun” during our visit, I can imagine it gets quite noisy here during busier times.

If you like trying new things and are willing to abide a few quirks and delays, Shinjuku Station can offer a meal you will not easily forget. It may not be the best sushi around, but it’s more than just a gimmick.