The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

bitecuisine plained. “She had 13 children who she had to cook for every day, so each day was a banquet with various dishes. Her children and grand- children inherited her strong passion for cook- ing, and Ray is the last of her students.” The manager, Kim, seated us at one of the wooden tables and gave an overview of the cocktails and dishes on the menu. Firstly, we had Mushroom Bao, a Taiwanese sandwich bun (similar to the Japanese Hirata) with shi- itake and oyster mushrooms, miso sauce and daikon. I loved the softness of the bao bun, which complemented the ingredients of this sandwich. However, my favourite was the Karaage Chicken Bao with delicious crispy meat and sriracha aioli. It truly tantalised my taste buds. Following this, we had two cocktails - Blue Hadouken with Tequila, Blue Curacao, coco- nut cream and sugar syrup and Asian Porn Star with vodka, lychee liquor, Midori, Triple Sec and lime juice. Kim revealed the first cocktail is their take on the Margarita, and the second is a twist on the classic Porn Star Martini. Both were enjoyable, tasty and an interesting com- bination of ingredients. I later discovered that Hadouken is a special attack used in the Street Fighter game by Ryu and Ken (my favourite characters). The Popcorn Chicken, also made in Karaage style with sriracha mayo, was divine. It was de- liciously battered and the sauce added to the flavour. Next, we had Mango Salad with green mango, daikon, spring onion, Thai basil, co- riander, lime, tamarind dressing and peanuts. This dish had a kick and a half that would send you to the moon. It was delicious but also spicy. Despite this, I loved the combination of the flavours. Try this salad if you ever need something to put some life into you. When Seonyoung, our server, placed the Ko- rean Buffalo Wings with buffalo sauce on the table, I expected it to be spicy, but it was mild. Fried in a crispier batter than the Popcorn Chicken, it had a different texture but was de- licious nonetheless. For those who dislike veg- etables, the grilled Lady’s Fingers served with a fermented tofu dip may change your mind. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the okra since it appeared to have been curried slightly, but perhaps the fermented tofu dip flavour is similar. Aubergine Curry with ginger and coriander galangal had a distinctive kick that was pleas- ant and interesting. The Pulled Beef Bao made with bone marrow and onion and Prawn Patty Bao with black tiger prawns in panko bread- crumbs, yuzu garlic sauce, coriander, fresh chilli and cucumber were my least favourites. Although this was the case, I liked the ac- companying ingredients in the Prawn Patty Bao and will be coming back for the Popcorn Chicken and Karaage Chicken Bao. Banh Bao Brothers is open Tuesday to Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm and on the weekends from 12 pm to 4 pm and 5 pm to 10.30 pm. Banh Bao Brothers Unit 6 20 Leake Street London SE1 7NN www.banhbaobrothers.com Aubergine Curry Lady's Fingers Korean Buffalo Wings Asian Porn Star