Panda Dim Sum serves bao with charm

Instagram has been full of imagery of Yum Cha Hawaii’s pig-shaped, custard-filled bao, but over at the Chinatown Market Place at City Square is the mother lode of kawaii buns.

Head toward the back of the market, make a left, and you’ll find Panda Dim Sum, where Yan Huang works her magic.

Describing her work as the “art of dim sum,” she can create more than 100 different bao made to look like little piggies, hedgehogs, dogs, pandas, and characters such as “Despicable Me” Minions and Doraemon. The buns are filled with a range of ingredients, such as sweet potato, red bean paste or cream, and sell for $2 per piece, or $3 for two. Where color is called for, Huang said she uses only vegetable-derived food coloring.

Originally from Canton, Yan moved here three years ago. While she said it’s much more difficult to make a living here than in China, I’m hoping she’ll find the right audience to keep her cute creations coming.

Beyond bao, she also offers a variety of other hand-held treats such as sweet rice cakes and jin dui.

Panda Dim Sum opens at 7:30 a.m. daily and early birds get the best selections. Items can sell out well before closing time at 2 p.m.