Traditionally, char siu bao is a steamed staple in dim sum restaurants. There are tons of variations out there. Some are made using premium pork, some are baked with a sugar crust, and some resemble pineapple buns.
Let us SPOT a few of the baos in Hong Kong!
Tim Ho Wan 添好運
This Michelin star dim sum specialist has been ranked at the top list for awhile. Given that they only serve a limited number of Cantonese dim sums at the restaurant, there must be a good reason why they are so popular. Their popularity is because of their signature baked barbecue pork buns.
Baked bun with BBQ pork
脆皮焗叉燒包
Source: Spot The Food – Dim Sum Specialist
Yat Tung Heen 逸東軒
Parent to their branch located at the Eaton Hotel, Yat Tung Heen is easily accessible in Wan Chai, as it’s close to the convention centre. It has a great ambience for a business lunch or a family gathering, and certainly serves good-quality dim sum. The pastry is perfectly made with a golden brown sweet crust and honey-glazed char siu filling, which is what they are renowned for.
Baked barbecued pork buns
焗酥皮叉燒餐包
Source: Spot The Food – Lovely Mango Mochi
Mott 32 卅二公館
Inspired by the Mott Street all the way from New York to Hong Kong, Mott 32 is situated in the basement of the Standard Chartered Bank Building. With a concept of collaborating Cantonese cuisine with signature Sichuan and Pekinese dishes, it provides an exclusive, divey and artsy ambience to enjoy their homey dim sum, especially their signature sugar-coated bun stuffed with Spanish Teruel barbecue pork.
Signature crispy sugar-coated BBQ Spanish Teruel pork bun
脆皮西班牙黑毛豬叉燒包
Source: Spot The Food – Spanish Pork Bun
Shang Palace 香宮
Heading to a Michelin two-star restaurant, this luxuriously decorated interior is fully inspired by the Chinese with a feast of oriental glamour. The antique setting, also meaning an artsy combination of red and golden yellow colour, has indeed transported us back to Imperial China. Located in the basement of the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, it offers a very lovely looking criss-cross crust with a fluffy bun that is again stuffed with sweet honey-glazed char siu pork.
Baked barbecue pork buns
菠蘿叉燒包
Source: Spot The Food – An Elegant Eatery
Dragon King Restaurant 龍皇
This nice restaurant is situated on the top floor of the World Trade Center, complete with a beautiful view of Victoria Harbour. Led by a Hong Kong celebrity chef, it offers decent staple dim sum and everyone’s favourite, the pineapple sweet pastry bun, that is expertly baked to be extra soft and fluffy.
BBQ pork buns with sweet pastry
菠蘿叉燒餐包
Source: Spot The Food – The Best Staple
Man Mo Cafe
Ending with a twist, Man Mo is found amongst the antique shops on Cat Street. It has a dynamic contrast of European and Chinese culture for the setting along with simple wooden furniture and a trace of some traditional Chinese elements. They serve delicious Cantonese fusion dim sum. A popular item – the “Burgerbun”, is a replication of a traditional baked barbecue pork bun, stuffed with beef burger, honey glaze and a mini bottle of ketchup mayonnaise.
Burgerbun
Source: Spot The Food – Bon Appetit Dim Sum
So, what is your favourite version? Tell me on Instagram! 🙂
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