Bao Workshop at Take Five Edinburgh - Hands-on Dumpling Making in Quartermile
There’s something wonderfully grounding about spending a Saturday morning with your hands in dough, and Take Five’s bao workshop delivers that rare mix of calm, creativity, and pure, doughy joy. Tucked into the sleek Quartermile development, the café feels like a pocket of warmth amid the glass and greenery, the kind of place where you instantly slow down.
The session opens with an easy, welcoming introduction. No cheffy ego, no pressure just genuine enthusiasm from the team of one, Chef May Ling. She breaks down the bao‑making process into simple, confidence‑building steps, and demonstrations to keep you on track. And before long you’re elbow‑deep in dough, chatting, laughing, and comparing techniques.
Choosing Your Design and Getting Started
Within minutes you’ve picked your design, been handed your dough (enough for four bao), and you’re off - colouring, kneading, and bringing your creation to life. The design sheet is just a friendly guide; you can follow it, ignore it, or go completely rogue with shapes and colours.
There’s plenty of kneading, folding in the colour, stretching the dough, and rolling it into neat little balls, a surprisingly satisfying process. If you’ve ever made bread or even played with air‑dry clay, you’ll slip right into it. It’s tactile, a bit messy, and honestly great fun.
The table quickly fills with dough in an array of colours which will soon be moulded in every shape imaginable: neat crescents, plump buns, and a few wonderfully wonky creations that earn a proud grin from us, their makers!
From Oranges to Dinosaurs: Getting Creative
Once the dough has had its little rest, it’s time to roll, shape, and bring your creations to life. The filling is a sweet red bean paste, and you wrap your dough around it like a tiny dumpling hug. Once that’s sealed, the real creativity kicks in; this is where the “fun and fluffy” magic happens.
We went all out: bright oranges complete with tiny pock marks, dinosaurs sporting red and green spikes, squishy lemons, and even a jelly‑cat that was almost too cute to steam. It’s hands‑on, imaginative, and honestly impossible not to enjoy
A Tasty Break: Enjoying Two Bao of Your Choice
In between the dough resting and the creative chaos, there’s a wee break where you’re treated to two bao of your choice (you pick them at the start of the workshop). We went for the pork and minced beef options, plus a little juice on the side. It’s the perfect pause, chance to taste how bao should be before you dive back in to make your own.
Steaming, Finishing and the Big Reveal
The moment the steamers open is pure delight. Your bao puff up beautifully, glossy and soft, and the room fills with that warm, sweet scent of fresh dough. The bao all turn out so beautifully that it’s impossible to want to eat them. Luckily you get to take them away and save for later.
What makes the workshop shine is the café’s personality. Quartermile can feel polished and modern, but inside Take Five there’s a relaxed, creative hum. Chef Ling strikes the perfect balance between teaching and letting you play, and the whole experience feels more like being welcomed into someone’s kitchen than attending a formal class.
Take Five’s bao workshop is a joyful, hands‑on escape in the heart of the city. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or someone who’s never touched yeast before, you’ll leave with new skills and that lovely sense of having made something from scratch. It’s community, craft, and comfort food wrapped up in one soft, steamy bun.
THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE BAO WORKSHOP AT TAKE FIVE
Maximum workshop size is 8 people
The cafe is small and compact but you dont feel squished in
It is disabled accessible but I would inform them on booking
There are no W/C’s in the cafe but they do have access in another building
The workshop costs £35pp and lasts approx 3 hours
Limited parking
Take Five, 5 Porters Walk, Edinburgh, EH3 9GJ https://www.instagram.com/takefiveedi/
My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10
TartanSpoon is an award‑winning blog dedicated to uncovering the very best places to eat, drink and stay in Edinburgh, across Scotland, and beyond.
With a strong focus on food tourism, food destinations, and discovering the most exciting culinary experiences countries have to offer, TartanSpoon brings readers honest reviews, curated recommendations, and stories that celebrate the vibrant food and drink scene.
Adele is a writer and reviewer based in Edinburgh, passionate about showcasing the people, places and plates that make Scotland and other countries such standout destinations for food lovers.
If you’d like to work with, invite, or collaborate with TartanSpoon, please email tartanspoon@yahoo.co.uk.
