Check out our NEW campaign to help furnish & equip Gongfu's new restaurant in Centretown! https://igg.me/at/gongfubao


 

*HEADS-UP!*
Below is our 2013 Gongfu bao cart campaign. While it is of historical/entertainment value, make sure to visit our NEW campaign here first!!!

##########################################################







 

"Gōngfu"?

gōngfu (功夫): accomplishment or skill cultivated through effort & hard work

After years of hard work under some of Ottawa's best chefs, Tarek Hassan is bringing his own gōngfu to Ottawa's exciting new street food scene!

bao?

Also known as 'steamed buns', bao are, essentially, large dumplings, made with yeast-raised dough, stuffed with savoury fillings, & steamed to pillowy perfection! We make our bao by hand & steam them fresh daily!

Bao have been around for millennia & are still rocking Asian night markets & food stalls to this day! One style of bao has been gaining popularity in North America in recent years, gua bao. We want to step it up & explore a variety of styles & regional variants!

"steamed bread + tasty meat = good eats!" Dave Chang (Momofuku, NYC). We couldn't agree more!

cart?

We'll be setting up at our amazing location at the west entrance to Confederation Park, on Elgin near Slater.

We're getting our cart from one of the top food cart manufacturers in North America, Apollo Carts! They're a Canadian company & build their carts customised to the vendor's needs.

Our Menu!...

We'll be offering 3 distinct styles of bao:

• traditional filled bao
• folded gua-bao
• seared 'jian-bao

Every day we'll be offering a selection of three blow-your-mind fillings (one in each of the above styles) that will vary with the seasons. Here are some examples:

• maple Berkshire char siu bao
• 4-pepper short rib & onion bao
• kaoye tofu & yam gua-bao
• BLT (bacon, lettuce & toban-djan) gua-bao
• duck confit & Shaoxing shallot 'jian-bao
• "Shanghai grilled cheese" 'jian bao

Don't forget the sides! These again will vary with seasonal availability:

• root veg chips
• fresh slaws
• seasonal salads
• cup o' soup
• house pickles & sauces

Gōngfu for ALL; vegetarian, vegan & gluten-free options will be available!

What are we all about?

Hardcore restaurant cookery meets street food accessibility! We want to bring food that is tasty, sustainably sourced, nutritious, fast, & affordable to Ottawa's streets!

Traditional food wisdom & skill meet modern food knowledge & technique! We want to be creative while still aknowledging & respecting the food traditions that brought us to where we are.

We are intimately involved with Ottawa's farming community! Our seasonally inspired & dynamic menu will celebrate the locally sourced & sustainably produced bounty that these amazing people make possible!

Gōngfu bao cart needs YOUR help!

We're ecstatic to have earned one of the coveted new street food vending permits from the city of Ottawa. Our innovative menu, featuring sustainable local produce, has earned us our favourite cart location: Confederation Park on Elgin!

This is where YOU come in! We need you to help us raise $15,000 to get our cart on the road for the beginning of the season. In return, you get delicious exclusive rewards!

We've designed our rewards so that you get excellent value for your investment in our project. At the end of the day, everybody wins!

We opted for the "flex" campaign, because we are committed to & capable of fulfilling our reward commitments, regardless of whether or not we reach our target.

If you're excited about our street food venture, please tell your friends! Your help promoting this campaign is just as valuable as your contributions.

See you all in May!!!

 * discount card fine-print:

• valid for 1 year
• available in May, regardless of perk selected
• discounts are not cumulative
• if extra discount cards are earned from multiple perks, they will be activated in following year(s)

** Dragon Master perk fine-print:

• 1 bao & one side-dish every day that the cart is open
• only the holder of the Dragon Master perk may use it
• missed days do not accumulate