Bite Bao opens in Huntington Station

Bite Bao in Huntington Station fits the mold of a neighborhood Chinese-American restaurant, serving a mix of Sichuan, Hunan and Cantonese dishes, plus excellent soup dumplings and bao buns that taste fresh off the streets of Shanghai. Owners Kexin You and Kent Zhao are a Plainview couple who spent the last decade living in Queens.

All of the dumplings are made in-house daily by the kitchen staff hailing from Flushing, where the couple previously resided. They’re following in the footsteps of Kent’s parents — Hong Zhao and Wei Zhang — who own Syosset’s Yim’s Taste on Robbins Lane. The bao are making some beautiful noise for the family’s second outing.

"We wanted to bring the soup dumplings to Long Island because we didn't see much soup dumplings here," You said. They found the location, originally an office building, about two years ago and the couple gutted and transformed it into a pristine, white-walled, high-ceilinged dining space.

The juicy, pan-fried pork buns, or sheng jian bao, are seared to a rich, caramelized brown; the Shanghai specialty seems destined to become a staple here. But also don’t miss traditional xiao long bao, or more delicate steamed soup dumplings that come in pork, pork and crab, chicken, and shrimp options. Prices range from $7.95 to $9.95 for six.

"There's different understanding between the Chinese culture and American culture, I believe. The bun people are used to thinking of are the sandwiches," You said about the Taiwanese pork belly bun, steamed and served as an open sandwich, rather than the Chinese bao bun, which is closed, pan-served and fried. She wants to be clear that these bao buns, Chinese dumplings, are just as worthy of the same attention.

Past the dumplings, the rest of the menu is rounded out by dim sum and starters, from scallion pancakes to spring rolls ($5); egg drop, wonton and sweet and sour soup ($3.49). Classic sesame chicken ($16.95) or beef with broccoli ($14.95) can be had alongside shrimp or scallops with black bean sauce ($15.95), tofu, and of course, every kind of lo mein noodle and fried rice. But trust us: You’re here for the bao.

Bite Bao, 1080 New York Ave., Huntington Station, 631-470-2255, bitebao.fronteats.com; Open Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 12 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday.

By Marie Elena Martinez

marieelena.martinez@newsday.com@mariesworlds

A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.