Housed in a century-old Peranakan shophouse in Jiak Chuan Street is Bao Makers. Amongst other high-profile concepts along that eclectic stretch, you will hardly miss out on the beautiful emerald green tiles that adorn the shop front while you step inside to an airy space with minimalist decor and a relaxed ambience.
Hopping on the popular rice bun trend that swept across Hong Kong, New York and London back in 2015, Bao Makers has since made a few tweaks to hone their craft. Now offering eight different flavours that are also available in an aesthetically pleasing tasting platter where diners can now relish in trying all combinations at one sitting and flex on the gram. For the cerebral weight-watcher, we’ve sacrificed our waistlines and tried it all in search of what’s truly worth ordering. For saving you calories, you can thank us later.
Our unanimous favourites were the Blackened Chicken Bao and the Chilli Crab Bao. The former was smoky charcoal battered juicy chicken fried to a crisp, topped with garlicky mayo and stuffed in between a fluffy steamed sesame bun for an overall moreish bite. While the latter saw the iconic dish interpreted with sweet crab in silky tangy spiced sauce hugged by a crunchy yet fluffy fried mantou bun to deliver a reminiscent bite.
Other worthy mentions include the Veggie Bao; Kakiage Tempura-esque delivering clean vegetal flavours and a light crunch, and the Belly of Pork bun; Inspired by the Kong-Ba Bao with its sweet, garlicky yet spiced notes. Our only gripe with the latter was that the selected cut of meat was too lean for our liking but in light of going more health-conscious, it’s a commendable attempt.
Aside from the Baos, you’d find an ambitious menu that includes artisan sushi rolls, beef Sandos, pasta medleys, curated mains and seasonal seafood – even lobsters. While that could be a tad overwhelming for first-timers, the silver-lining remains that there’s something for everyone, especially larger groups.
The Kecap Manis Chicken ($13) was touted to be a fan favourite and rightfully so. Expect succulent fried chicken thigh cubes with just the right amount of kecap manis glaze to deliver a sweet and slight tang to finish. For a touch of novelty, we ventured into the seasonal seafood selection and found ourselves with a Grilled Yellowtail Collar (priced seasonally).
Best known to be a Japanese izakaya staple, we can’t help but feel sceptical in the beginning. But our doubts were quickly dispelled when it arrived. We were treated to crisp skin sporting smoky chargrill marks, moist delicate yet juicy meat and rounded off with a touch of salt and freshly grated daikon to balance. Seafood lovers, this is worth ordering if you’re in the mood to splurge a little.
Coffee snobs may also be pleased to know that Bao Maker’s beans are from Common Man Coffee Roasters, so there’s good reason to take that much needed hit, post-meal.