Tom's Bao Bao Will Debut in Harvard Square Soon

A new restaurant moving into Harvard Square will bring with it years of expertise in its namesake: the steamed bun. Tom's Bao Bao is set to open at 84 Winthrop St. in the Crimson Galeria where it will serve authentic bao — a dumpling-like stuffed bun with centuries of history.

Tom's Bao Bao creator Tom Tong is the founder of Ganqishi, a Chinese bao company with more than 200 restaurant locations, as previously reported. A post on the forthcoming restaurant's Facebook page suggests it could open in early June.

Tong and the rest of the bao team have spent the last year learning the history of the bao and perfecting the process of making this doughy treat. Now, the restaurant is looking to add to the team, per a post on Craigslist. Tom's has plans to open two restaurants and a food truck in the Boston area, along with a larger five-year expansion plan for the Northeast.

Update 4/20 11:30 p.m.: Tong has worked for 10 years perfecting the art of bao with his company in China; the last year has been spent with the Tom's Bao Bao team working on preparing the concept for the U.S. market.