London Marylebone location chosen for “cult” Taiwanese restaurant

A “cult” Taiwanese restaurant business has chosen London Marylebone as the location of its new restaurant, BAO Mary.

BAO Mary on James Street is a Taiwanese dumpling house, with a focus on dumplings, as well as serving quick cold dishes for diners in a hurry. Set over two floors, it will also be the first BAO to be open for all day dining, opening its doors at noon and serving throughout the afternoon and evening seven days a week.

Founded by Shing Tat Chung, Erchen Chang and Wai Ting Chung, the first permanent BAO restaurant opened in Soho. Following critical acclaim for its cult Taiwanese steamed buns and ‘xiao chi’ small plates from the likes of A.A Gill and Lisa Markwell, BAO have also opened BAO Borough, BAO King’s Cross and BAO Noodle Shop in Shoreditch.

Shing Tat Chung, co-founder of BAO, said: “Dumplings are a dish I could eat endlessly, so bringing our interpretation of a Taiwanese dumpling house into our world is hugely exciting. Sometimes I think we should open restaurants just to serve the food I always want to eat, which is why you’ll regularly find me at BAO Mary.”

Diners can begin with cold dishes that come quick and fast: Soy Braised Lu Wei Assorted Vegetables, inspired by the Taiwanese carts, in a soy-heavy broth; street food-style Majiang Noodles, flavoured with sesame paste; and Ox Tongue, Chilli Oil.

The menu then centres around dumplings including BAO’s classic, Boiled Cull Yaw Dumplings, filled with tender mutton sourced from farmer Matt Chatfield in Cornwall, ready to be dunked into spicy hong you red chilli oil.

A selection of BAO will also feature on the menu, while hot xiao chi small plates include hits such as the Bone Marrow, Cured Egg, Mi Gao Rice, with chestnut and glutinous rice; and Taiwanese Fried Chicken Chop.