Gu Long Bao: Artisan handmade Teochew buns
Bangkok’s Chinatown is home to many legendary food stalls, but few can boast 100 years of living up to the high standards of hungry Thais. Gu Long Bao has been serving artisan handmade Teochew-style buns for over four generations.
Here’s what makes these buns special.
Teochew-style sweet potato flavoured dough
Image credit: gulongbaosalapao
Gu Long Bao’s owners are descendants of Chinese migrants who made buns in China. After immigrating to Thailand, they settled down and continued to hone their craftsmanship.Â
The family has been maintaining their inherited Teochew recipes and techniques for over four generations, which has resulted in unique tasting buns, commonly called salapao in Thai.Â
Image credit: malaysiayam_
The buns made by Gu Long Bao have a yellow tinge. This is because they mix sweet potato into the dough to give it a smoother and softer texture, as well as imparts the potato’s natural sweetness into the dough.
Image credit: gulongbaosalapao
The shop only sells three types of fillings for their buns: a sweet sesame filling, a taro filling, and a minced pork filling. Each of these fillings are meticulously prepared entirely by hand, with no machines used, which gives the buns that handmade taste.
Cooking techniques inherited from Grandpa
Image credit: gulongbaosalapao
In the same way that Gu Long Bao’s owners have preserved their family’s recipes, they have also preserved their cooking techniques.Â
Image credit: gulongbaosalapao
They make and cook their buns in the exact same way that their parents and their parents before them did. They even use the same steamer.Â
Image credit: gulongbaosalapao
However, Gu Long Bao transformed their original steamer from being wood powered to being gas powered.Â
Get handmade Teochew buns for ฿22 each
As the shop enters its fourth generation of owners, it has introduced new baked buns as well as an online delivery service. You can check out how to order online here.
What hasn’t changed is that Gu Long Bao still delivers some of the best buns in Thailand.
You can get one in Chinatown for only ฿22 (US$0.63) per piece.
Gu Long Bao
Address: 660, 662 Charoen Krung Rd, Khwaeng Samphanthawong, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, closed Sundays
Nearest train station:Â MRT Wat Mangkon
Contact: +66 9 5797 5747 | Gu Long Bao’s Facebook | Instagram | Google Maps
Other street food worth checking out in Bangkok’s Chinatown:
- Kanom Jeb Paexia: 100-year-old shumai food cart
- Jek Pui: “Musical Chairs” Thai curry rice
- Jok’s Kitchen: small Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant
Cover image adapted from: gulongbaosalapao, malaysiayam_