Steaming soup dumplings and pillowy bao have made their way to the Capital Region at a new spot on Siegen Lane.  

Opened earlier this month, Dumpling & Bao has brought its own flavor and self-proclaimed “100% authentic Asian food” to the Baton Rouge scene, featuring a wide menu of staples that are handmade in house.

“Authentic Chinese food—you barely see it in Louisiana,” owner X Chen says.  

The dumpling spot’s decor includes rich red walls speckled with bamboo dumpling steamers and lantern-style lighting that gives the space a warm glow. The bold color choice and design hold significance in Asian culture, Chen says. “In China, we like red so much because we think red can bring true love, so red is more like happiness,” Chen says.  

Each dumpling, from the ones filled with shrimp or chicken to the soup dumplings also known as xiao long baos, is handmade in real time. Patrons can check out the work being done at the counter behind glass as workers roll out the dough and fill each dumpling by hand. The walls and menu even feature step-by-step pictures on how to correctly eat your soup dumplings. 

“Most of the dumplings you get over here, you get from the supermarket or whatever kind of restaurant. It’s frozen, not handmade, and we wanted to bring something like xiao long bao,” Chen says. 

As the eatery’s name indicates, bao buns are also a staple. The buns can be filled with veggies, pork, crawfish or custard and are served steamed or pan fried. Both the dumplings and baos come in different colors depending on what’s inside, making it easier for patrons to know what their next bite will be. Pink is for shrimp. Red is for crawfish. Green is for veggies. Yellow is for chicken, and white is for pork.

Other menu highlights include noodle soup, chow mein, scallion pancakes, cucumber salad, wontons and more. The flavors come directly from China. When Chen and his family spent time in the country, they tried big dumpling restaurants to decide what to bring back to their own menu.

As a second-generation immigrant, Chen wants to bring authentic Chinese food to the locals, he says. “We love this country,” Chen says.  

The concept has been in the works for around a year, and while Chen is part-owner, he gives full credit to his wife Jona Chen and cousin Kat Zhao, saying that the concept was their idea and he just brought it to life.  

“My wife always wanted to start her own business. She always wanted to prove that a female can do the same type of job or even do a better job than a male, and I agree,” Chen says.  

Dumpling & Bao is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It’s located at 6212 Siegen Lane.  

This article originally appeared in 225 Magazine’s 225 Daily newsletter.