[Vegetarian, London] On top of the Taiwanese Fried Chicken with Hot Sauce that I had, I also tried their Shiitake Mushroom Bao. The bao that enveloped the filling was incredibly moist and delicate. The filling itself – chopped carrots and mushrooms smothered in teriyaki-soy sauce and mayonnaise, and then rained on with fried shallots and spring onions. 👅

Everything paved the way for a flavourful grub that has successfully encapsulated ingredients that are found in Asian cuisine. Yet, because of that, to a jot of an extent, I couldn’t help but think that this somehow felt quasi-oriental. That’s not to say that I think it’s terrible. No. Heck, even if I think it were, my opinions would be far from being heavyweight. You can only take my words with a pinch of salt, because if anything, my opinions take shape from a lifetime experience as a Southeast-Asian Malay. It’s definitely not the same as that from a Southeast-Asian Chinese, a PRC, an ROC or even an Asian diaspora, all of whom have presumably had enough baos in their life to be equipped with a seasoned enough tastebud. 🧐

Regardless of that complex problem which I will leave tackling it to another time, I guess I can still bring myself to appreciate a tasty meal when I’ve eaten one - and this? It was definitely one of them. 🙏🏽(7.6/10)