Xiao Bao Bao
“I have always believed that taste has the power to transport us back to special times in our lives. When I lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong, I became deeply attached to the food, especially dumplings, and that craving stayed with me.” When Romina Rasmussen, along with friends Derrick and Dwight Yee, opened Xiao Bao Bao, the three brought their shared nostalgia for authentic Asian cuisine to Salt Lake City. The twin brothers had grown up making dumplings with their grandmother, and their grandparents had once owned a Chinese restaurant in Salt Lake. Those memories, layered with Romina’s years in Taiwan and Hong Kong, inspired a place rooted in comfort and authenticity. “We missed the food,” Romina said. “Not the overly sweet takeout that is everywhere, but the authentic, comforting meals we used to enjoy.”
Xiao Bao Bao began as a series of pop-ups in early 2023 before opening their first brick-and-mortar shop downtown that September. The small, casual space - with only a few seats - quickly became known for its thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Romina is insistent on organic, free-range chicken and heritage pork, not as a marketing flourish but because of the depth of flavor they bring. Nearly forty percent of the menu is vegan, a shift that surprised many given Romina’s pastry background (see our story on Chez Nibs). “All of the food is based on our nostalgia.”
The restaurant is also tip-free, a choice the partners made intentionally. “We wanted the price to be the price,” Romina said. “There is no tip screen at the end, and it is more equitable for both our staff and customers.”
From the beginning, the founders dreamed of opening a second shop, one that would allow them to expand the menu, host programming, and simply have more space to breathe. When developer Kathia Dang, who created the Milk Block and owns several buildings along the street, approached Romina, it felt like the right moment. “She has impeccable taste. She is a fabulous human,” Romina shared. The opportunity aligned perfectly with the team’s original vision.
The second Xiao Bao Bao opened softly in late October 2025. The larger space allows for dishes they could never produce downtown: scallion pancakes, weekend Chinese breakfast items like yóutiáo and, soup dumplings - the beloved xiaolongbao that inspired the restaurant’s name. “We want to do things like Mahjong night over here, which would be really fun,” Romina said. Dinner service has already begun on Friday and Saturday, with additional evenings planned. Unlike the downtown shop, the new location is also open on Sundays.
The expansion has brought balance to the team as well. Terrence, now the operator for both shops, oversees daily operations, and supports the staff at each location. The goal is to give Romina space to focus more on Chez Nibs and, as she put it gently, “have some time to be a human.” She reflected, “Sometimes one must take a step back in order to take a step forward.”
The Milk Block location also brings a different rhythm. With ample parking, increasing foot traffic, the soon-to-open Wasatch Food Co-op, and the steady flow of people along the 9 Line, the area has become one of the most active stretches of 900 South. “It has a very nice feel to it over here,” Romina said. “We are excited to be a part of that.” The corridor is almost entirely filled with local businesses, something she deeply appreciates.
Even with two locations, the heart of Xiao Bao Bao remains unchanged. The menu features a small collection of carefully crafted items. Favorites include the organic chicken curry created by Dwight, seasonal rotating specials, and crisp, flavorful salads - gluten-free sides that pair perfectly with the mains. The shops attract a wide range of guests: neighborhood regulars, university students, visitors who have lived in Asia, and people who grew up eating dishes similar to those served here. For many, the flavors stir personal memories of family tables, street markets abroad, or home kitchens filled with steam.
Running two spaces has not erased the challenges facing restaurants in recent years, but Romina remains steadfast. “It has been tough, no doubt, but we are hanging in there. And seeing people enjoy what we create, that is what makes it all worth it.” The work itself has also been healthier for her than the one-hundred-hour weeks she once spent running Les Madeleines. Xiao Bao Bao, even multiplied, has allowed her a different pace.
At both locations, what ties everything together is Romina’s relationship with memory. She often talks about taste as a sensory anchor, a portal to earlier moments. “My food in general is always about memories, taste memories,” she said. “Some people have smells or music. For me, it is the flavors. Those are the things that really trigger memories, and it pleases me to be able to share that.”
