DAVE Griffin's first experience with a bao bun is one he has never forgotten.
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"I first tried it in London. I love Asian food and anything Asian-inspired, and for me, it was a cross between having a burger or a taco, but on this super soft bun," says Griffin, who is one of the co-owners of Bao Brothers.
"You can be really, really creative with the fillings too. I knew I had to do something with it."
That first taste of bao led Griffin to establish Bao Brothers in Newcastle as a food market stall alongside business partner Nathan Martin in 2015, which eventually expanded as a food truck.
The steamed bao buns are soft, fluffy and packed with more-ish fillings that are big on flavour and texture.
The pair now operate Bao Brothers After Dark on Hunter Street in Newcastle (a more refined version of their contemporary take on Asian food) and casual eatery Bao Brothers, which opened at Charlestown Square's new food precinct, The Corner, this week.
There are four bao buns on the menu at Bao Brothers, including a monthly special and their classic trio: Notorious PIG with braised pork, pickled cucumber, hoisin, kewpie mayo, peanut praline and coriander; Tupac Chickur with Southern fried chicken, chilli mayo, lettuce and sesame; and M.W.A with panko-crumbed mushroom, pickled ginger, soy mayo, crispy and fresh shallots.
There is also a bao burger special each month (the bao bun is shaped with a burger bun) and, for those wondering, they still serve bao at After Dark (which is open five days a week for dinner during December).
"We have a honey prawn bao on the After Dark menu at the moment, which is beer-battered prawns in honey and sesame oil, so it's a little bit nostalgic like the idea of getting honey prawns as a kid at the local Chinese restaurant.
"We are also doing a take on a Japanese katsu, with crumbed chicken that also has Japanese curried egg mayonnaise and lettuce.
"Then we have the share bao where the whole lamb shoulder comes out to the table with all of the condiments and the bao buns, and you can build it at the table. If you're with a big group, it's a lot of fun."
Here's five other places to get your hands on bao buns:
New Beijing at Wests
88 Hobart Road, New Lambton The menu offers five tasty baos inspired with Thai, Chinese and Japanese flavours, depending on which you choose: prawn with sticky Thai sauce; tempura tofu with sweet chilli and apple sauce; Peking duck with hoisin sauce; pork belly with sriracha aioli; and Karaage chicken with satay peanut crunch. The fluffy bao buns are each served with a fresh salad and herb mix of carrot, beetroot, red onion, cucumber, coriander, mint, Thai basil and shallots.
Xtraction Espresso
36 Bolton Street, Newcastle The inner-city coffee shop has bao buns on their street food-inspired menu, combining flavours that aren't restricted to Asian cuisine. If you've ever considered a Mexican-style bao, this is the place to find it. There are three per serve, with a choice of three creations: Mexican chicken with avocado, fresh tomato salsa, Mexican cheese mix and house-made chipotle mayo; Korean-infused beef with leek and fresh herbs; or mushroom medley with house-made dukkah and sesame sauce. All priced at $16.50 (three baos per order), the buns are available all day dine-in or takeaway.
Ginger Meg's
212 King Street, Newcastle The Pan Asian bar and restaurant has four varieties of bao bun: roast pork belly with fennel and coriander slaw, maple sriracha mayo and fried onion; fried chicken with herb salad, pickled cucumber, kaffir lime mayo and peanuts; vegan spiced jackfruit with slaw and cashew vegan smoked aioli; and braised beef with coconut brisket, pickled daikon and carrot, fried onion and ponzu mayo. All cost $12, which include two buns per serve, and are available on the bar menu upstairs in Gingertown from 5pm until late. Half-price baos are available every Wednesday from 5pm.
Keep an eye out for pork baos on the restaurant's new bottomless yum cha menu, which launched last week. As well as baos, the yum cha menu includes unlimited espresso martinis, cocktails, cider and lager for $50 per person every Sunday.
Rick Stein at Bannisters
147 Soldiers Point Road, Soldiers Point If a poolside bao is your thing, Rick Stein at Bannisters menu at the Terrace Bar can hook you up. Situated next to the hotel's spectacular infinity pool, chow down on their steamed bao bun which is available with a choice of crispy fried Japanese chicken katsu or sweet and sour crispy tofu for a vegetarian option, topped with tonkatsu sauce, spring onion and coriander. Match it with a cocktail from the extensive list and you've got yourself a perfect pool-side snack.
Vincent Street Kitchen and Bar
201 Vincent Street, Cessnock Vincent Street Kitchen and Bar is redefining club food at Cessnock Leagues Club, with award-winning chefs Jonathan Heath and Tom Harris dishing out some pretty impressive-looking food, including their bao bun range. There are four baos to choose from on the menu: pork belly with pickles, frosted peanuts, fried shallots and black bean aioli; crispy Korean chicken with kimchi and crispy garlic; marinated exotic mushrooms with pickled garlic, oyster sauce and chilli; and soft shell crab with black garlic aioli and avocado. Prices range from $18 to $20 and each is served with bean shoot and herb slaw.