Helping to feed London’s obsession with bao one bun at a time, the hotly anticipated Daddy Bao, brought to you from the team behind popular Taiwanese joint Mr Bao, will open in Tooting in Ferbruary 2018.
Serving signature pillowy bao buns, crunchy fried chicken and Taiwanese snacks-a-plenty the Daddy Bao menu will be filled with original favourites. You’ll find Mr Bao – slow braised Flock & Herd pork, pickles and peanut powder packed into a milky white bun, and the Drunken Prawn Bao – a classic bun stuffed with beer-marinated prawns, pickled mooli and spiced spring onion. Daddy Bao also looks set to become a popular hot-spot amongst vegans, being one of the few restaurants to serve milk-free bao buns in London. The special vegan buns are filled with either Teriyaki Shitake Mushroom, miso mayo and crispy shallots or Braised Tofu, roast butternut squash, golden kimchi and coriander.
As well as the firm favourites, Daddy Bao will also have a selection of brand new dishes on offer, such as crispy Taiwanese Fried Chicken with a sweet and spicy sauce, Snow Peas with a spicy soy glaze and Shen Jiang Bao – similar to the Shanghai-style soup dumpling, xiao long bao.
Despite being best known for their namesake, the drinks list and cocktails at Daddy Bao are sure to give the food a run for its money. There will be a short list of permanent staples on offer, including the Barrel Aged Plum Wine Negroni, Lychee Daiquiri and Szechuan Old Fashioned, as well as a selection of specials.
Mr Bao was started by Frank Yeung in 2016 with the help of his father – Joe, who came to England from Hong Kong 32 years ago. Literally fresh off the boat, Joe worked multiple jobs for years to save up enough money to eventually open his own restaurant, which he ran extremely successfully for nearly 30 years until retiring in 2017. Daddy Bao is a way for Frank to pay homage to his father who was so instrumental in the success of Mr Bao.
Interior-wise, Frank has used the original Mr Bao as inspiration, just with a slightly more grown-up, Daddy Bao twist. Think beautiful hand drawn Mandarin characters on the walls painted by Joe himself, a shopfront made of reclaimed Asian timber and solid dark wood furniture. There will also be a large open kitchen, perfect for sitting back with a beer in hand and watching the chefs at work.
For a true taste of Taiwan in Tooting, look no further than Daddy Bao.
