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Little Bao

3.5

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衛生

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12525

中環

$101-200

多國菜漢堡包

Szechuan Fried Chicken Bao

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$78

$88

$78

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Another one ticked off in my ongoing burger quest! While baos aren't exactly burgers, they fit the category well enough.The FoodSo, I legitimately went in there promising myself "One savoury bao and one sweet bao - that's it." I started with the pork belly bao and it was amazing! The bao bun was beautiful and soft (but structurally sound). The filling of slow braised pork belly, leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing and hoisin ketchup had all the right flavour elements (savoury, sweet,

Another one ticked off in my ongoing burger quest! While baos aren't exactly burgers, they fit the category well enough.

The Food
So, I legitimately went in there promising myself "One savoury bao and one sweet bao - that's it." I started with the pork belly bao and it was amazing! The bao bun was beautiful and soft (but structurally sound). The filling of slow braised pork belly, leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing and hoisin ketchup had all the right flavour elements (savoury, sweet, salty, sour) and texture elements (soft, crisp, tender). Seriously delicious.

Because it was so delicious, I broke my promise to myself and ordered a second bao - the Szechuan Fried Chicken bao, which has a piece of fried chicken, Chinese black vinegar glaze, coleslaw and Szechuan mayo. This was also delicious and had the same great combination of flavours and textures as the Pork Belly Bao. I was particularly impressed with the fried chicken - super juicy on the inside, not over-breaded and fried perfectly (no oily taste or texture, just crisp deliciousness!). The only reason I didn't love this as much as the Pork Belly Bao is that I'm not a huge fan of the Szechuan pepper sensation, but that's a personal preference.

Szechuan Fried Chicken Bao

Finally, dessert. The ice cream baos are made of mini baos that are deep fried (and possibly have some kind of sugar glaze?) and then have a pat of ice cream sandwiched between them. When it come out, the bao is still hot and so the ice cream starts melting, but the contrast in temperatures really works - just like a hot dessert with ice cream on the side, but all in one tiny handful. Gets a bit tricky to eat towards the end with the melting and running out of bao handholds, but really good.

Ice Cream Bao (Green Tea Ice Cream and Condensed Milk)

The Experience
Little Bao doesn't take reservations, so I rocked up at 5:55pm and was one of about half a dozen people waiting when they opened at 6pm. I was seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen and enjoyed watching the staff work. It's a small space but doesn't feel cramped and the decor is light and clean. Staff were responsive and food came out pretty quickly. I love being able to just add to my order as I go.

Would I come back?
Yes! I really want to try some of the non-bao dishes like the Hot Chicken and Truffle Fries. I'd also definitely eat the pork belly bao and green tea ice cream bao again.

(以上食評乃用戶個人意見 , 並不代表OpenRice之觀點。)

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Little Bao is taking the world by storm as of late, especially with the chef, May Chow, being awarded Asia's Female Chef of 2017. A seat is hard to come by, even on weekday evenings. I was told by the friendly staff at the door that a 45 minute wait was in store for me, so I was pleasantly surprised when after 15 minutes and a few unanswered phonecalls to prospective customers, I was ushered in.

Fine dining restaurant it is not. Expect diners bumping your shoulders and waiters brushing your back as they squeeze past. However I never felt claustrophobic. A spotless environment together with warm attitudes of the servers elicited the vibe of a mix between a gastropub and a cha chaan teng.

The menu is short but comprehensive, and easy to understand. There are three Baos, probably inspired by the traditional Chinese 刈包, which are essentially burgers. There is one vegetarian option. On the left of the menu are 'Sharing plates', including salads, meats and other side orders. I went alone but ordered one sharing plate, Sesame Caesar (HKD78), and a Szechuan Fried Chicken Bao (HKD88). I also asked for a Chrysanthemum lemonade (HKD58), whichturned out to be a bad decision.

Chrysanthemum Lemonade

There were some positives. The lemonade was adequately fizzy with just the right amount of sweetening. However, chrysanthemum, being a delicate taste, was totally drowned by the barrage of other flavours. Alas, it did the job of refreshing one from the strenuous hike up from Central, and I was ready to dig into the Caesar that was to come.

It was quite a large portion by Central standards. It was to be eaten with chopsticks. Green lettuce leaves were tossed with Japanese style sesame sauce, topped up by probably fried onions. That was all, I thought, until I took the first bite. A familiar flavour greeted me...

Close up of the ingredients

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FRIED DACE?! One of the staples of canned food, almost as popular as luncheon meat in Hong Kong, made it into the offerings of a chic eatery! I let out a big smile. For those who don't know, fried dace is a served in oval cans. It is oily, chewy and served with a ton of black beans. Other than being eaten alone, it is often used as a condiment, especially when cooking vegetables. Little Bao basically juxtaposed a Hong Kong trademark onto modern dining. I marvelled at their creativity. Tastewise, it was quite nice and the ingredients blended quite well. The lettuce was chopped into perfect sizes to fit into one bite. However, towards the end I felt that the fried dace was a bit too heavy, and the mildly acidic sesame sauce could not balance it out. I would suggest using a little less of this beloved snack.

My Bao arrived just as I was finishing off the last morsels of the salad.

Szechuan Fried Chicken Bao

The bun was white in colour. It was soft. It was, for lack of a better word, absorbent, which was a big plus as the sauce was literally oozing out. It was basically a Taiwanese 刈包. I dove in head first (my parents gifted me with a big mouth so I could sample everything in a gobble). I was pleasantly surprised, again.
There were pickles, mayo, sauce and chcken. The mayo was mayo. The sauce was probably a mix of black vinegar and barbecue sauce. The pickles were the kind of appetizer you would find in a Chinese restaurant serving Shanghainese or Northen cuisine, not the ones sold in a jar. It was crunchy and tangy, which wonderfully complemented the chicken, which was fantastic.

It was fried crisp, much better than the faux Korean eateries popping up like mushrooms lately. The flesh, a chicken thigh probably, was tender and succulent. More importantly, there was the precious yellow fat 黃油 attached to it. Scrumptuous.

Little Bao describes their menu as 'spanning Asian influences'. That is an understatement. It is Chinese cuisine from top to bottom, served to you by a waiter who speaks English. I like it. To serve excellent quality food in a modern environment is the best way to pay respect to ones roots. People complain about portions, but I had a filling meal for just under 250hkd, which is, by Soho standards, normal. Just don't order the lemonade.

(以上食評乃用戶個人意見 , 並不代表OpenRice之觀點。)

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用餐日期

2017-03-27

等候時間

15 分鐘 (堂食)

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$235 (晚餐)

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