Phaidon BAO, by Erchen Chang Best

The very first cookbook from the hugely popular Taiwanese-inspired restaurant and cult brand, BAO.

BAO presents an exciting and unique interpretation of Taiwanese culture through food and design and has established a passionate and devoted following for its restaurants situated across London. Named after the traditional steamed bun, BAO creates dishes and designs restaurants inspired by Taiwanese street food, the late-night grill culture of Taipei and Tokyo and xiao chi houses in Taiwan. The book tells the story behind each of the five BAO restaurants Soho, Fitzrovia, Borough, King’s Cross, and Shoreditch and explores their individual style of eating and how they are inspired by the team’s travels and Asian culture.

It takes readers deep into the BAOverse, revealing the inner workings of the brand, the ideas behind the restaurants and also introducing the concepts of the School of BAO, the Lonely Man, and embracing solitude. This playful cookbook-cum-manifesto features 100 recipes, from the traditional steamed buns of its name to noodles, xiao chi, dumplings and drinks, and takes readers to the very heart of the BAO world, telling the fascinating story of the food, heritage, artistry and mastery of BAO’s cult restaurants.