After a winning pop-up stint in London's Haymarket, Brighton-born Taiwanese bun concept, Baby Bao is here to stay, but now there’s plenty more on offer.
New brand, new logo and new name, BAO + BURGER + BEER, offers a number of new Asian inspired plates along with a strong selection of craft beers from UK-based breweries plus a fantastic and diverse cocktail list.
The Asian-centric menu still features their signature baos including the staple Roast Pork Belly Bao (hoisin, peanuts, cucumber and scallion), and Fried Tofu Bao (daikon, herb mayo and spring on-ion).
Indulgent sides take centre stage and range from loaded fries - think chips topped with smoked bacon, crispy onions, Sriracha mayo, and lettuce to the crowd pleasing miso roasted au-bergine with herb mayo, and chicken wings doused in gochujang sweet and sour sauce.
In an ode to the new restaurant name, burgers play a big part in the relaunched menu. Like all the dishes, the burgers feature bold and playful Asian flavours including the all-new beef burger (in a sesame and nori bun, no less) and the veggie-friendly panko mushroom burger (tomato, red on-ion, lettuce and house-made burger sauce).
Other new additions include the noodle section: din-ers can choose wheat or rice noodles, served with either pork, chicken or kimchi.
On a sweeter note, the dessert offering has expanded and includes matcha doughnuts (coming soon), and the weirdly wonderful sweet potato brownie served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and peanuts.
The new cocktail list encompasses a wide range of distinctive Japanese influenced libations such as the Hot Tînh Yêu (vodka, passionfruit, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, vanilla, Peychauds bitters), the fiery Biru Zatoichi (vodka, cucumber, wasabi, elderflower liqueur, orange bitters and house herb infusions), and the Sour Zhenzi (gin, Frangelico, sour build, cardamon bitters, orange blossom water, and nutmeg).
Lastly, the vast craft beer selection ranges from pilsners and pale ales to low alcoholic serves and IPAs, along with limited edition specials available too.
