| The Chairman | |
 | |
| Location | San Francisco, CA |
| Cuisine | Chinese |
| Official page | |
| @chairmantruck | |
Traditional and flavorful Chinese steamed and baked buns that use the freshest ingredients - savory and addictive.
Menu[]
Menu is small but delicious. Buns can be ordered steamed or baked. Items available often include red sesame chicken with scallion and bok choy, crispy garlic tofu with miso greens, tender pork belly with pickled daikon, or the pulled pork with savory cabbage and preserved mustard seed bun.
In October, 2011, owner Mobi Munch announced the unveiling of an expanded menu beyond bao to coincide with a name change from the original "Chairman Bao Bun Truck" to "The Chairman."
Steamed buns are priced from $3.25 to $3.75 each while the baked buns are priced from $6 to $6.75.
The steamed buns are served taco-style (steamed buns tacos!) and 3 or 4 will make a decent meal. The baked buns are about the size of hamburger buns.
Ownership[]
The Chairman Bao Bun Truck is owned by Mobi Munch, a Los Angeles-based ownership group founded by Josh Tang. The company also owns the LudoBites truck in Los Angeles. The concept and menu are the brainchild of Hiroo Nagahara, former executive chef at Charlie Trotter's Bar Charlie in Las Vegas.
The company hires operators to run the Chairman Bao truck. Previous operators have started their own food trucks, including Eric Rud (Eat Curbside, Brunch Box ) and Caroline Hummer (Brunch Box ). The current operators are Curtis Lam and Kevin Kiwata.
Controversy[]
Mobi Munch has been accused by Eddie Huang, from New York's Baohaus, of taking the original name of the truck (Chairman Bao) and inspiration from his restaurant's best-selling dish, a pork-belly bun named the "Chairman Bao." In 2010, Huang announced that he had secured the trademark to the name "Chairman Bao," though the scope of that mark is not known.
In October, 2011, Mobi Munch announced that the truck would change names to "The Chairman," as part of an expansion of the menu and reimagining of the concept around the personality of Nagahara. It is unknown if this move was related to the actions of Mr. Huang. No legal motions have been filed between the two parties.
