The Long Beach Peninsula’s dining scene continues to expand with unique culinary offerings, and few restaurants are as distinctive as Formosa Bao, a restaurant specializing in traditional Taiwanese steamed buns, potstickers, soups, and street-food favorites.

Formosa Bao is located at 810 Pacific Ave. S, Long Beach, WA 98631. For more information or to place an order, call (360) 642-8888.

For many visitors, Formosa Bao provides an introduction to one of Taiwan’s most beloved foods: the bao, a soft steamed bun filled with savory or sweet ingredients. The menu features a variety of bao choices, including BBQ pork, curry chicken, pork sausage, beef, spicy chicken, and sweet red bean. Vegetarian and vegan diners also have several options, including veggie bao and curry tofu bao. One of the more unusual selections is the Nutella bao, offering a sweet twist on a traditional favorite.

A standout feature of the restaurant is its gluten-free sticky rice bao menu. Instead of the traditional steamed bun, fillings are wrapped in sticky rice, creating a unique texture and flavor. Customers can choose from lemon chicken, pork sausage, beef, sweet red bean, or vegetable varieties.

Beyond bao, Formosa Bao serves an impressive selection of baked potstickers. These handcrafted dumplings are available with pork, beef, spicy chicken, vegetables, or shrimp. The vegetable potstickers combine sesame oil, shallot oil, tofu, glass noodles, and multiple vegetables, while the shrimp version is packed with large pieces of shrimp and fresh pea shoots.

For those seeking additional Taiwanese-inspired dishes, the menu includes beef and pork meatball skewers, tofu skewers, green onion bread, garlic flat bread, and traditional tea eggs. Tea eggs are a popular Taiwanese snack made by cracking hard-boiled eggs and simmering them in tea, spices, and sauce, creating a marbled appearance and rich flavor.

The soup menu offers comforting options, including Traditional Taiwanese Beef Soup, one of Taiwan’s signature dishes known for its rich broth and tender beef. Other choices include Ginger Sesame Chicken Soup, Hot and Sour Soup, and a unique Tom Yum Clam Chowder that blends Asian flavors with coastal influences.

For lighter meals or side dishes, guests can enjoy steamed rice or vegan yakisoba noodles. The restaurant also offers daily meal specials featuring meat served with rice or noodles.

What makes Formosa Bao stand out is its focus on authentic Taiwanese flavors rarely found in smaller coastal communities. While many restaurants offer Chinese or Asian-inspired dishes, Taiwanese cuisine has its own identity, combining influences from Chinese, Japanese, and local island traditions.

Whether visitors are looking for a quick snack, a warm bowl of soup, handcrafted potstickers, or an authentic Taiwanese bao, Formosa Bao offers something different from the typical coastal dining experience. Its combination of traditional recipes, gluten-free options, vegan selections, and Taiwanese street-food favorites makes it one of the more unique restaurants on the Long Beach Peninsula.