It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a Secret London employee should be in want of a bao bun. As Jane Austen wrote it, once a week, I treat myself to an office lunch. Usually, this is Bun House‘s three for £11 bao bun offer.
Given my lunch of choice, you can imagine my delight when I heard that the Soho spot had launched a new menu that not only highlights their signature buns, but also offers a selection of playful twists on Hong Kong dishes. How would a dinner at Bun House compare to lunch? I went to find out.
An introduction to Bun House, Soho
Bun House is a triple threat – essentially, it is three eateries in one. You’ll find a casual cafe, serving a plethora of buns and other dishes; a tea room, where there is the addition of tea and cocktails; plus the Pleasant Lady Jian Bing Trading Stall, where you can get a savoury Chinese crepe, stuffed with meats, and vegetables (hailed as one of China’s most popular street breakfast).
On my visit, I sat upstairs in the casual, light-filled space. I was surrounded by indoor plants and had a view of the Chinatown lanterns from my corner seat. As I’d only ever stepped mere metres into the entrance way, when collecting my takeout buns for lunch, it was nice to see the rest of the eatery. I felt very at ease here.
The review of my meal
Alongside its signature buns, the menu at Bun House is made up of playful twists on Hong Kong dishes that the restaurant’s founder enjoyed as a child. The menu is succinct, and presented on a small clipboard for quick and easy ordering.
I cannot fault my meal at Bun House: the flavours were sensational, comforting, and moreish, while the service was quick. I, of course, started with the signature buns. I went with my usual pork and lamb orders, but this time, I added chicken too. As per usual, the buns were pillowy soft, slightly sweet, and encased a good amount of filling. I may add chicken to my roster now; the curry flavour had a nice spice to it that married well with the sweetness of the bun.
As for the mains… wow. Simple, tasty, hearty food. The Hoisin Sesame Cheung Fun rice noodles were thick, soft, comforting, and nutty; while the Prawn Wontons in Hot and Sour Chilli Sauce were just as good for the soul as they were for the stomach. Like the bao buns, the wontons didn’t scrimp on filling at all. My favourite dish of all was the Chargrilled Char Siu Pork – it was so nice, I had to order it twice! Not only did it smell fantastic, but it was succulent, saucy, and melted in my mouth. It was served with a super sweet caramelised pineapple and a tiny fried quail egg. Both added something tasty to the pork, but it was equally fantastic on its own.
I must admit, on delivery to the table, the servings looked small, but this was deceiving: the meal was very filling. The drinks menu is limited in this part of Bun House – soft drinks, beer, and tea – but the food more than makes up for it.
In conclusion, dinner at Bun House further added to the love I have for this Soho spot. I echo what I said above: it’s tasty, hearty food, well priced for central London, and served quickly. The bao buns here will always have my heart, but there are now other dishes from this eatery that I hold dear too. See you next Thursday, Bun House!