This article is written by and all photos were taken by Marilyn Johnson. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.
A new family-owned spot for handmade bao, dumplings, and noodles has opened on Cherry Hill’s Magnificent Mile (Haddonfield Road).
Bao Mama is now open at 926 Haddonfield Road, Unit D (next to UPS).
Proprietor Anna Lu comes from a family with a 30+ year history of making fresh dough for steamed bao buns and noodles at the revered Chinese Noodle Factory, their previous manufacturing business in Philadelphia. The idea behind this new venture is deeply rooted in family, which is why it’s called Bao Mama.
Anna’s mother, who also co-owned their previous noodle business, is a skilled bao maker, and some of Anna’s fondest memories revolve around enjoying those delicious treats. As a mother, Anna carries on the tradition by making dumplings for her young daughter, who adores them.
The matriarchal bond inspires the name, food products, and branding elements, Anna told South Jersey Food Scene. The restaurant is a love letter to Chinese cuisine, her family, and their legacy. Authentic technique and quality ingredients go into their dough-making. It had become so popular, especially with the Asian population, that when they closed the business in Philadelphia, folks would beg them to keep making the noodles. Which also prompted this new restaurant.
Anna, however, wanted to avoid reopening a manufacturing facility, which was not her passion. She always dreamed of opening a retail business. She felt opening a restaurant would be better so she could see folks enjoying their food.
Another thing Anna is passionate about is tea. While Bao Mama won’t be a tea house or a bubble/boba tea shop, it will offer a variety of hot and cold tea drinks using organic loose teas directly from a farm in China. Furthermore, all the fruit that will go into the tea drinks will be hand-crushed for natural fruit flavor. That’s right, no blenders or mixers! Anna wants the focus to be on high-quality tea flavor instead of additives.
I also tried some bao buns. I forgot to take photos – but I assure you they are spectacular. So fluffy and pillowy! If you’re a fan of soft bao with flavorful fillings, you will love these!
Bao Mama is a welcome addition to the Cherry Hill food scene.
Bao Mama
926 Haddonfield Road
Unit D (next to UPS)
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Follow Bao Mama on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_bao_mama/
You can keep this website going by making a donation below:
SJFS is dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, and drinking in South Jersey. Got a news tip? Email southjerseyfoodscene@gmail.com.