BAO Soho

"Bao doesn’t attract the same queue it used to when it opened a decade ago, but 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 take advantage of the ‘Long Day’ solo diner menu, which is a highlight reel of, in our opinion, Bao’s best bits, including a bao with braised pork and a piece of their excellent, jaggedy fried chicken. Adding on a Horlicks ice cream-stuffed deep-fried dessert bao is worth it, too." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager

"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

"A Taiwanese restaurant contributing to Soho's culinary melting pot." - Andrew Young

"Bao have launched Rice Error. A delivery service specialising in rice boxes filled with confit pork belly, prawn and kimchi, roasted chilli chicken, or 40-day aged black pepper beef. They’re also doing Taiwanese fried chicken, and a bunch of ice cream tubs. Order here." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak

"A few questions will cross your mind as you wait in line for a seat at Bao’s tiny original Soho restaurant. The first is whether it’s worth it, and the answer is yes. Yes, yes, and one more confit pork belly bao, please, yes. The second is how much Taiwanese fried chicken is too much fried chicken? Here the answer is never enough. Finally, you’ll wonder, dessert? No prizes for guessing what we think about the deep-fried bao with Horlicks ice cream. Come alone, come with a friend and, most importantly, come hungry." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak