Belly Bao

Ippudo really set the trend after almost perfecting the delicious Pork Bun... since then it's been a rat race of wanna-bes trying to replicate their success. Well until now... stepping up to the plate is Belly Bao's genius concept.

They have taken the traditional Pork Bun from its traditional Japanese association and gave it a modern spin in respects to their choice of fillings and the ambience which they serve it in. Now a Bao is merely a smaller and tastier hotdog, enjoyed in another Sydney underground premise washed down with a side of alcohol.

On offer in their Bao menu is a Panko Crumbed Chicken Breast Bao, Slow Braised Pork Belly Bao, Crackling Roast Pork Belly Bao, Crispy Tofu Bao, Slow Braised Beef Short Rib Bao and Shoft Shell Crab Bao.... which all sounded amazing.... well except for the Slow Braised Beef Short Rib... which was surprising as that was the only Bao sold out for the night.  

Pricing wise is quite fair.. the Baos are substantially larger than Ipuddo which meant sharing five between the wife and I was more than enough to keep the stomach growls at bay.

My biggest concern was for the Panko Crumbed Chicken Breasts as this can usually come out quite dry... but the chicken was cooked to perfection... with a slight crispy crunch on the outer, the pairing of a fresh salad and that deliciously-good chilli aioli... it was definitely one of my favourites of the night.

Another worthy mention is their Cripsy Tofu... made silky smooth with a light crispy bite to it. That's just tofu at it's finest form. The garnishes brings out an Asian influence of flavours which complimented well. A clever vegetarian bao that deserves a round of applause. 

The Slow Braised Pork Belly was a beautiful juxtaposition of meat and fat.  The flavours soaked into the Pork was full and heavy bodied which only enhanced the experience after my first bite.

The downfall of the buns has to be their Soft Shell Crab... the batter was too heavy which made it oily and masked the delicate taste of the crab. After one bite, my wife just handed the bun to me and after my first bite... I concurred... though I still finished it off... I hate wasting food.

The bun itself was obviously the same across all Baos... all of which was fantastic.. soft and fluffy... just like they should be.

We went a bit crazy with the over-ordering that night and sampled two cooking styles of their Belly Bao Chicken.... sticky and spicy... both of which was just sticky... but we did get a pre-warning from the guy at the counter saying that the spice level was considered "white-spicy".. his words not mine.

The chicken lacked the necessary crunch and worst of all was dry on the inside. The crumbing on the outside wasn't consistently coated which meant it probably wasn't able to retain the moisture properly. The sauce coating was average at best as well. I'd personally give these a miss unless you've never eaten good Korean Fried Chicken before... 

The other highlight was their Sweet Potato Fries smothered in chilli aioli... The spice kick on this was shockingly amazingly... it kept burning but you couldn't stop eating as it was addictively moreish...

By dessert, we were already over indulged... so we decided to share between the four of us their Baonana Split. I have to admit I wasn't really looking forward to this but the fried bun really set it off for me... that and the addition of Nutella. We all agreed the banana factor was too subpar and would have preferred something like a banana fritter element. 

The place has it's own bar section which serves large jugs of drinks at reasonable prices.... the bar is also a good place to hang around especially if you're waiting for seats as this place is consistently occupied with customers. The best way is to find people that are about to finish and hover like unwanted flies... it's annoying but what else am I to do when there's a couple hogging a booth big enough for six...

Good God was the previous location of The Dip... and when Belly Bao took it's place not much has changed except the menu....

The place still has music pumping throughout the premises... the layout remained the same... and the service was top notch... quick, efficient service with a smile and great attitude.

I can't wait for another eating adventure at this place... now that I know what I like there's no need to make any mistakes ordering... A definite two thumbs up on the concept and great food.