Bun House
24 Greek Street
London W1D 4DZ
Nearest Tube: Leicester Square
3.8 Yummy Stars
Price £ £2.50 per bun; Small eats £2.80-£4.80 (at time of writing)
☏ 020 8017 9888
Pork and fish buns at Bao in Soho
Buzz Factor 3.8/5 stars
Food 3.8/5 stars
Value for money 3.9/5 stars
London is continuing with its love affair with bao (steamed bun). This latest eatery offers Cantonese style buns. These ones are closed, unlike the Taiwanese versions. It is in a tiny space in the corner of Greek Street in Soho. The space is split into 2 parts – the Bun House on the ground floor and the Tea Room in the basement.
The menu in Bun House is quite small, offering a choice of Chinese style steamed buns with some not so traditional fillings eg lamb together with a choice of pickles and sides. The Tea House offers quite a different and much more substantial menu. The menu is pretty limited and includes some snacks and skewers.
At Bun House, the star is obviously in the bun, which is pillowy soft. The savoury fillings are pleasant enough but do not particularly stand out. However, the fish one (cod and prawn) was for me by far the best one. The lamb one was rather overpowering with lots of cumin. Their signature buns are in fact the dessert ones – the chocolate one with pig’s blood and the custard bun with runny duck egg yolk. The glass noodles with peanuts as well as the lotus root crisps are well worth a try.
The formula is to order your dishes at the counter and scrounge for one of the few small round tables with pretty Chinese style stools. This is a quick inexpensive snacky place with a functional décor, conveniently located in the hussle and bussle of Soho – perhaps to line your stomach before a night out on the town. Also a great people-watching place. Might be an idea to take a break at gawping at passers by while eating the runny duck egg custard….
