Bao
31 Windmill Street
Fitzrovia
London W1T 2JN
Nearest Tube: Goodge Street
4.2 Yummy Stars
Price £ Small eats £5.75-£12.50; Mains £12.75-£16; Bao £4.50-£5.75 each (at time of writing)
Pork bun at Bao Fitzrovia
Buzz factor 4.3/5 stars
Food 4.1/5 stars
Value for money 4.3/5 stars
This is the second branch of the Bao family, following the huge success of the original site in Soho. The 2 Bao restaurants may have started Londoners’ love affair with Taiwanese steamed buns. You used to have to stand in a long queue for both Bao restaurants but now, Bao in Fitzrovia accepts bookings.
The family trio, comprising of sister and brother, Wai Ting Chung and Shing Tat Chung and sister-in-law, Erchen Chang, the founders of the restaurants, seem to go from strength to strength and have opened yet another – much more refined and formal restaurant, Xu in Soho. “Xu” is apparently named after Erchen Chang’s father.
Bao Fitz is an informal but delightful affair. You are greeted by a U-shaped communal table on the ground floor, with more dining space downstairs - a long communal table, counter seating right by the kitchen and a few small tables. We sat downstairs. The kitchen took up more than half of the space in the basement. Activity was pretty frenetic in the kitchen, focused and efficient cooking. Calm but serious look on the chefs’ faces and there were lots of them in the small kitchen. Poor things. Made you wonder if you should offer to help. Also, not a dull moment for the busy waitresses, as the restaurant was packed. Tap water was constantly supplied without having to ask for it.
You order by ticking items on a paper copy of the tiny menu with the recent additions of sharing dishes. You help yourselves to the chopsticks, napkins and pencils (to order from the menu or scribble on the napkins, if you like) sitting in tubs on the tables.
The bun, which you can order with different fillings, was terrific - pillowy soft and still moist. These are Taiwanese buns – open ones with masses of fillings. A bit like a burger but with a much softer bun and a different texture altogether. We had the Classic Bao, the one with the beef short rib, but the one with Black Cod really stood out. The Tiger salad – kale actually – with a sesame based dressing – was still crunchy but delicious. The Fried Mushroom, with a very light batter, was perfectly fried, while still retaining its texture. Delicious with the chilli onion dipping sauce. Their aubergine, minced tofu (ie beancurd) and Mapo sauce, was full of flavour and seriously spicy. Their Taiwanese Fried Chicken Chop with soya cured (raw) egg was crispy on the outside with well marinated and tender chicken on the inside. Dip it in the raw egg gave it a different dimension.
Go on – fall for the bao.
