Food & Drinks tasting at Mr. Bao
I had the pleasure of attending the newly refurbished Mr. Bao restaurant in Peckham, sister to well-known Daddy Bao in Tooting.
This cosy and intimate space caters to all Taiwanese food-lovers, including but not limited to meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. The casual and simplistic layout of the menu’s ironically makes it hard to choose between the recommended 2-4 dishes per person, especially if your eyes are bigger than your belly, and you know the prices won’t break the bank. The bar is stocked up with exciting alcohol and liquors and the lovely mixologists are capable of rustling up delicious cocktails suited to your individual taste. As a lover of the fruitier type, I was surprised with a Madame Ping cocktail – otherwise best described as an apricot and apple heaven. We also tried their signature cocktails; the Plum Wine Negroni (barrel aged gin, Campari, takkara plum wine and chocolate bitters) and Lychee Daiquiri (white rum, lychee liquor, lime and simple syrup), which came highly recommended and did not disappoint. To begin with, my partner and I shared the Golden Kimchi (a must have), the ginger & garlic edamame, pork dumplings, tenderstem broccoli with Ponzu mayonnaise, the succulent fried chicken with smoky miso mayonnaise (a real explosion of flavours) and last but not least the Taiwanese sausage, which features predominantly in their new Brunch menu. Prices for these sharing dishes vary from just £2! We then followed up with the stars of the show, the Bao buns. To start with, Mr. Bao Pork Belly, which was slightly too peanutty for our taste, but nonetheless tasty. We also tried the Beef Brisket, the Salmon Bao (on the special’s menu) and our favourite – the Shiitake Mushroom Bao, a concoction of flavours which blew us both away (Teriyaki shiitake mushrooms, pickled onions, yellow bean sauce, tofu, bao ginger braised tofu, house kimchi and crispy onions) To finish off the evening, we had their delicious and unique twist on an ice cream sandwich. Prices for the Bao’s vary from £4.20! As a night cap, the staff kindly presented us with plum and apricot sake – something I would highly recommend everyone tries when they visit. Overall, we had an incredibly tasteful and fun evening topped by the friendly, approachable and attentive staff, who take great pride in their casual table service, making it a holistically enjoyable experience. The restaurant décor is minimalistic yet romantic, and I am hard-pressed to think of a better independent Taiwanese restaurant to recommend!
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