Food: A bao-tiful affair in South Mumbai

Close on the heels of a new restaurant in the western suburbs thats drawing rave reviews for its baos SoBos discerning foodies can rejoice too as starting tomorrow they can indulge in baos that will be delivered to their doorstep courtesy The Bao Haus CoWe walked into their central kitchen located in Colaba where sixseven employees were busy whipping up various Baos for us to sample One of the members who had donned the chefs hat was owner Siddharth Somaiya Having finished his culinary schooling from New York and working at restaurants in Manhattan Somaiya returned to India to start his venture inspired by New Yorks BaohausThe Chocolate BaoWe looked at our options in terms of boxed food in Mumbai and realised it wasnt goodquality foodWe were keen to change this shares Somaiya In New York we would visit Baohaus small eatery serving street food often as students These places always had long queues In Hong Kong too the Bao is popular So we have added our own twist by experimenting with flavours from across the globe he informsThe Sous Vide Goat BaoBao and beholdThe menu includes 17 dishes We began our culinary adventure with the Watermelon Hibiscus Soda Rs 80 which was a refreshing mix of watermelon hibiscus tea and soda The Prawn Crackers Rs 180 unlike those available in the market were mildly flavoured and crunchy The Hickory Smoked Wings Rs 250 was streets ahead than options served at most fast food outlets Its slightly tangy flavour mixed with the inhouse mayonnaise was perfectly balanced The Nasi Goreng Arancini Rs 200 is a vegetarian option that was stuffed with flavourful Asian sticky rice peanut sauce and fried on the outside This was different in a good way The Sous Vide Goat Bao Rs 350 won our heart It came with pickled pair and a hot sauce Bahn Mi Rs 300 made of chicken pate Char Siu Pork pickled watermelon rind and jalapeno has an unusual flavour Somaiya informed us that the watermelon is used in the Watermelon Hibiscus Soda and hence instead of wasting the rind it is added here to give an additional flavourThe Prawn Cracker with Sriracha hot sauce and Hickory Smoked Wings PicsTushar Satam When we were almost ready to roll out of the door the Chocolate Bao Rs 300 was placed in front of us and we just couldnt resist it Stuffed with Banana marshmallow and hazelnut this sweet bao is an interesting option You get two baos in each order Vegetarians can try the Tofu Mushroom Bao Rs 200 and the Lentil Flatbread Rs 200 Its hot All their breads sauces fries and marshmallows are made in house with the Sriracha hot sauce being their specialty Do not miss this as it is one of the highlights of a bao meal The key philosophy behind this is to have everything made and served fresh informs Somaiya as we tuck into the juicy Belgian Pork Belly Burger Rs 300 We have a small menu because we make everything from scratch and have a twoday policy If in two days the food is not utilised it is disposed he addsAlso readPopular takeaway and delivery eateries in MumbaiPack it all inThe packaging is designed such that the food isnt displaced within the container The container for baos has sections where each bao is placed so that the contents dont get mixed inside the container The insulated containers are made from 400 GFM EcoStar paper to ensure that the food remains hot Each dish is served with a portion of hot sauceThe Bao Haus Co has partnered with Grab for their deliveries and will be delivering in South Mumbai from Colaba to Girgaum Chowpatty We dont wish to deliver beyond South Mumbai for the moment because we need to find another kitchen in a different suburb as only this approach can ensure the food stays hot and fresh concludes SomaiyaTime 12 pm to 3 pm and 5 pm to 11 pmCall 9222264287 22043446 Orders can also be placed on Zomato Foodpanda and ScootsyThis was a preview and hence not anonymous