"Bao in Soho doesn’t attract the same queue it used to when it opened a decade ago, but Google Map-ticking tourists and confident paper-menu-ticking regulars still pack the tiny Taiwanese spot. You should too, but go solo for the best time. Snag a counter stool and make just the right amount of small talk with the bartender about the excellent umeshu Negroni. It also means you can take advantage of the ‘Long Day’ solo diner menu, which is a highlight reel of, in our opinion, Bao’s best bits. It includes a classic bao with braised pork, plus a piece of their excellent, jaggedy fried chicken, and hearty guinea fowl rice. Adding on a Horlicks ice cream-stuffed deep-fried dessert bao is well worth it, too. photo credit: Rob Greig photo credit: Rob Greig photo credit: Rob Greig photo credit: Rob Greig Food Rundown photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Classic Bao One of London’s iconic dishes, the doughy, sweet steamed bun is stuffed with fall-apart braised pork belly and topped with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts. It’s a satisfying three-biter. photo credit: Stan Lee Taiwanese Fried Chicken, Hot Sauce Inconsistency is a perennial problem when it comes to fried chicken in London, but not when it comes to Bao’s. The batter is light but significant, more rain jacket than parka, and the ratio of juicy meat to crunch is good. Hot sauce-wise, we’re talking a sharp vinegary number drizzled on top. photo credit: Rob Greig Guinea Fowl Chi Shang Rice We think the best bits at Bao aren’t actually the bao, but the bigger plates. Here, tender ballotine guinea fowl sit atop gorgeously cooked rice with bite, waiting for the glowing confit yolk to be burst and mixed in. photo credit: Daisy Meager Plum Umeshu Negroni Purists will argue that ume plum sake doesn’t belong in a Negroni. We say it’s a smooth remix that everyone should try once." - Daisy Meager
