Steamed buns
Folded and closed buns, steamed in batches through the morning.
12 items Steamed in batches all morning
Steamed buns were the first thing we ever sold, off a folding table, out of a borrowed steamer. The dough is leaner than the baked one, with no egg and only a little milk, and it is steamed rather than baked, so it stays white and pulls apart in soft sheets.
Folded buns are filled to order at the counter so the bread does not go damp. Closed buns are filled and pleated before they are steamed, which is slower but travels better. Both are on the counter from about half past eight.
If you steam at home and do not own a stacking basket, we wrote up steaming without a bamboo basket, which is how most of us managed for the first year.
Steamed buns
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Pork belly bao
£4.60
Belly braised in soy and star anise, with pickled carrot, crushed peanuts and coriander. Folded at the counter, not closed.
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Five spice chicken bao
£4.40
Thigh marinated overnight, with cucumber, spring onion and a spoon of the braising liquor.
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Crispy tofu bao
£4.20
Firm tofu in cornflour, fried to order, with pickle and chilli oil. Made without anything from an animal.
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Mushroom and ginger bun
£3.80
A closed bun. Shiitake and chestnut mushrooms, ginger and a lot of spring onion.
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Char siu pork bun
£4.20
Closed and steamed. Shoulder cooked in a sweet soy glaze, chopped rather than shredded so it holds together.
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Custard steamed bun
£3.20
Loose custard inside a plain steamed bun. It will run down your wrist if you leave it more than a few minutes.
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Sesame and peanut bun
£3.20
Black sesame paste with crushed peanuts. Sweet and slightly bitter at the same time.
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Prawn and chive bun
£4.80
Chopped prawn, garlic chives and white pepper. Steamed to order, so allow about ten minutes.
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Plain mantou, three
£2.80
No filling at all. Good beside anything, and the thing to buy if you are feeding a table.
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Spring onion roll
£2.90
Rolled with oil and spring onion so it pulls apart in layers rather than tearing.
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Sweet potato and coconut
£3.60
Roasted sweet potato mashed with coconut milk. Naturally the orange one on the tray.
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Lamb and cumin bun
£4.80
Shoulder with cumin, dried chilli and plenty of onion. Saturdays only, because it takes a whole morning to do properly.
What goes first
Pork belly is usually gone by half past one on a Saturday. Lamb and cumin is a Saturday only bun and often finished before noon. Plain mantou we can nearly always steam more of if you ask and can wait ten minutes.
The rest of the counter
Allergens and dietary options
What we declare, what we cannot promise, and why there is no gluten free.
Read onMake them yourself
Four classes, small groups, and a box of what you made to carry home.
Read onNotes on baking at home
Proofing, folding, flour, steaming and freezing, written out properly.
Read on