Happiness in a steamed bun – Baos at Bao Bang Bang

Chatelain is one of my favourite areas in Brussels. An area with a lot of nice restaurants and bars, cute cafes, delis and little shops that sell some individual clothing pieces. On Saturdays, I sometimes go to Les Petits Riens to look for some unique, artsy furniture and dishware that is above all, more than affordable. Afterwards, I love to drop by Belga & Co for a nice cup of flat white and a piece of their mind-blowing, creamy, rich cheesecake.

But sometimes it’s the hunger for something savoury that overcomes me. I tried Knees to Chin once and liked it a lot, I’ve been to Dam Sum and couldn’t forget their steamed pork buns, so just recently it was time to try Bao Bang Bang, a place I’ve seen on plenty of Instagram photos.

The interior is very modern, with attention to details, like fresh flowers, vases with dried flowers, art on the walls, wooden chairs with metal details, low hanging industrial lamps, white brick walls, but everything kept rather simple.

Their buns look tempting and so do their side dishes and starters. They offer a menu where you get their soup of the day, which for us was a delicious pumpkin soup, and either two or three buns. I decided to order the black Bao with caramelised pork, Kimchi Humus, pear salad and wakame as well as the pork belly Bao with – surprise – cripsy pork belly, hoisin sauce, a salad from carrots and cabbage as well as peanuts and cilantro. Unfortunately, the meat in the black bun could’ve been slightly tenderer, but overall I really liked the combination of the tastes, the bun and the look of it. The pork belly Bao was delicious, crispy and tasty, something I would order again. Overall, their Baos are delicious, perfectly steamed, a bit sticky once they’re in your mouth and filled with a lot of flavourful ingredients. Oh, also: their plates are lovely!

The waiters are nice and food arrives quickly. For me it’s the perfect spot for a hangover Saturday lunch with friends, a spot to chill out at. I’m sure it’s a cool place during evenings too, for an after work beer along with a delicious steamed bun.

Good to know:

• Price: A soup and 2 Baos 12.5E, a soup and 3 Baos 16E.
• Rue de l’Aqueduc 155, 1050 Ixelles,
• Website