The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

Photography by TonyWellington Amongst the graffiti and artwork inWaterloo’s Leake Street, Jada Brookes experiences delicious dishes at Vietnamese restaurant Banh Bao Brothers. VIETNAMESE BUN ERS bitecuisine Mushroom Bao U nder Waterloo’s graffiti-slathered railway arch on Leake Street, you’ll discover a Vietnamese restaurant unlike oth- ers you may have come across before. First of all, there are door murals of two warriors on either side of the entrance that look like they belong in a modern version of Street Fighter or Shin- obi and a cherry blossom tree spread across the ceiling. Inside, you will notice a neon sign with an Asian script and several colourful lanterns. Further inside, there are two more cherry blossom trees with large rocks to secure them and light underneath the roots to illuminate the restaurant’s dark interior. Other decorative details include a mural of a man and woman, an intriguing dragon with a sword graffiti drawing, and collage strips of green stems on the wall. I liked how they maintained the original brickwork on one side while the other side is painted black. The restaurant was mysteri- ously dark with a few lights to keep it dim. Banh Bao Brothers was founded by long-time friends Chris Ev- ernden and Raymond Ly, who have known each other since they were children and grew up as ‘brothers’. “Ray’s grandma was known as Madame Bay and famed for her cooking,” Chris ex- Pulled Beef Bao Prawn Patty Bao