Bao's Chinese Cuisine

Located on a wide street at a prime location only 2 blocks from the White Plains train station is a low rise tan and white box taking up a full square block of Hamilton and Barker Avenues. Still unspoiled by the congestion and crowding on Main Street, the building I'm describing in the White Plains Mall. Inside this mall which is one of the first indoor malls in our county, (New Rochelle Mall, long since demolished, was the first), the White Plains Mall, is a rough treasure within a basic box. The White Plains Mall, a gift of alternative shopping will please even those who judge a gift by the packaging.

Let's start with Bao's Chinese Cuisine, a restaurant with delicious food and prices fair to the wage earners' pocket. Chinese characters painted on walls of tangerine appear as artworks to my eyes, which are trained to only, recognize western writing.

With lunch specials starting at $5.95, one can fill up with an entrée, soup, rice, unlimited tea, and the basic fortune cookie. What makes a meal at Baos an excellent value is the freshness of the food, and efficient service. At a recent lunch there, my lunch special at $5.95, chicken with Chinese eggplant was fresh and crisp. Water glasses are refilled before one could ask for more, and the brisk lunch service is appreciated when one has only a short time to dine for lunch before heading back to the office. My dining partner was exhuming his Garlic chicken also $5.95, and repeatedly stated between bites his amazement of how delicious and fresh the vegetables tasted. Other tasty lunch specials such as Curried Shrimp, and Sweet and Sour Red Snapper both for $8.95 were also among the chef's specials that day.

Having dined at Baos for dinner, I am appreciative of the time they leave for diners to eat at a reasonable pace before coming around to clear the table. Tofu Szechwan Style is a favorite of mine. Dumplings and warm sesame noodle appetizers are delicious, as well as the quality of the beef in the dinners. Some foods can be quite spicy at Baos, and they are labeled on the menu as such. You can ask for less spicy. I have found that taming the spices may add salivation value to other people's tastes, but not to mine. I'll take Baos any time, as it is.

Bao's is best reached by entering on Martin Luther King Blvd, if you are not using the mall parking lot around the block. Hour are Mon-Th 11am-10pm. Fri-Sat 11am-11pm. Sundays are 12noon -10pm. Parking is free after 9pm on the streets of downtown White Plains.

Next door to Bao's, is the Subway chain sub shop. Lunch at the Subway is about the same price as a Bao's lunch. I can't figure out why someone would eat at Subway when a freshly cooked meal is only a doorstop away. Hey, we all have separate taste buds, and that's what makes the world go round. I happen to like that at Subway shops, I can choose the extras on my sub. After all, too much onion for you is not enough for me.

Keep you eyes posted on this page. I will be scoping the mall and reporting in due time on every shop there. So if you find yourself needing to register your car, bike or camper at the Department of Motor Vehicles, check out this site for what to do when seated at the White Plains Mall, while waiting your turn to drive.