Eat Here: Daddy Bao, TootingBy Alicia Grimshaw
There’s no stopping bao powerhouse, Frank Yeung. After opening Mr Bao in Peckham (and notably dishing up the best buns in SE15), Frank has added to his brood with the opening of Daddy Bao in Tooting – a restaurant in honour of his dad, Joe Yeung, a former restauranteur of 31 years.
This delicious new arrival follows the same tried and tested formula of the sister site in Peckham, and has already proved a hit with the South London lot.
Daddy Bao: The Lowdown
Daddy Bao is a cutie. And shows all the cuteness of a new born bambino. There’s red lanterns hanging in the window, bar seating for a quick grab and go dinner, and a blackboard scribbled with the daily specials. Even on a Tuesday when we swung by, there was a constant conveyer belt of hungry punters ready to warm their hands with Daddy Bao’s heavenly buns.
Daddy Bao: The Food
Daddy Bao has three power moves; fluffy bao, Taiwanese snacks and heady cocktails. We kicked off our meal with the sesame aubergine – slivers of roasted aubergine, doused in a sweet, sticky miso sesame dressing which really made each bite sing. The chicken poppers were knock out; crispy, crunchy skin and top quality meat – all served with a punchy, aromatic sauce.
The bao though. The fluffy, perfect formed pockets of greatness that were being banged out the kitchen were supersonic. Serious life affirming stuff. The Mr Bao is a classic – slow braised Flock and Herd pork, topped with pickles and peanut powder. It’s one of those dishes that has such a limited amount of ingredients, but all come together perfectly to deliver flavours of a much more complicated preparation.
The beef brisket bao was an AT team favourite – and was unspeakably delicious. This pillowy bun was all about the flavours; rich, slow cooked beef brisket, spiced spring onions, a comforting warming buzz from the wasabi slaw, and a nice hit of coriander. A cacophony of tastes. And a bun we will travel across The Thames for.
A special shout out to the shiitake mushroom bao which delivered all the gusto of the meaty bao, and then some. Did we mention they sell a godly white poultry bao? Slow braised chicken with red cabbage pickle, spicy honey sauce and spring onions. Get some.
And for some liquid delectation, give the Barrel Aged Plum Wine Negroni a whirl. The cocktail is simultaneously smoky, sweet, and bitter – and one of Daddy Bao’s secret weapons.
Daddy Bao: The Verdict
One bite of the warm, steamed homemade bao at Daddy Bao, and like us, you’ll be jolly well hooked. For such a bite-sized morsel, these buns were packed with well choreographed flavours and divine fillings. We can’t wait to see what these guys do next.
For more information on Daddy Bao, visit the website here.
113 Mitcham Rd, London SW17 9PE
