Bao Are Unveiling Fifteen Delicious New Buns This January

I’m going to go ahead and call this the most delicious ‘New Year, New Me’ plan that’s yet been unveiled. In a neat attempt to liven up January, BAO have crowdsourced ideas for their new bao buns from everyone from their head chef to the wait staff – an initiative which has resulted in some truly spectacular creations. They’ll be going on sale throughout the month, and you’re invited to vote with your mouths – much in the manner of an unstoppably hungry ballot box – to crown the winner of the Battle of the Bao.

Fifteen baos are being showcased in the Battle of the Bao, one every weekday from now until the end of January. This is what you’ll be scoffing if you head down to Soho this month:

Monday 13^th – Jerk Chicken
Tuesday 14^th – Chip Butty
Wednesday 15^th – Egg Sando
Thursday 16^th – Taro Creamy Salted Egg
Friday 17^th – Sweet Wedding
Monday 20^th – Philly Cheesesteak
Tuesday 21^st – Bloodcake
Wednesday 22^nd – The Cod Dog
Thursday 23^rd – Banoffee
Friday 24^th – Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
Monday 27^th – Crisp Sandwich
Tuesday 28^th – Fondue
Wednesday 29^th– Luxury Scallop
Thursday 30^th – Baonana Fritter
Friday 31^st – Smores & Banana

The bao buns range from the obvious crowdpleasers (Smores & Banana 🤤) to the niche (I for one will be steering clear of the Bloodcake Bao) to the frankly genius ideas that somehow we’ve never thought of before (the Crisp Sandwich Bao, a certified gamechanger). I’m also really intrigued to see how a Fondue Bao works, to be honest.

Each bao is available for one day only, at one location – you’ll find them at BAO Soho, and only on the lunch menu. Members of the public are invited to give feedback on taste and presentation, with the overall champion bestowed the title of The Big BAO People’s Winner 2020. Further glory awaits; a panel of industry experts will come together to anoint The Overall Big BAO of 2020, which will then be featured as a special across all of BAO’s restaurants (it also nets its creator a big case of beer, which is a nice touch). Who will you bao down to? Only one way to find out…

Featured image: @bao_london