"Bao Noodle Shop is in Shoreditch, in the belly of the beast on the corner of Redchurch Street. Familiar or not with the other restaurants in the mini empire, you’ll more than likely settle into this sleek Taiwanese noodle spot quickly. The room—all white tiles and pine wood angles—is busy with diners on stools high and low hunched over bowls. It marries Bao’s minimalist aesthetic with a frenetic kind of energy—a trademark of their restaurants. That said, everyone knows what’s going on. From diners crossing off orders on their menus, to legions of t-shirt-clad staff ferrying bowls of this and baos of that. It’s functional while feeling a little cool, and the food fits that to a tee. Of the small plates, a standout is the crispy tripe, seasoned with a dancing 16-spice mix and made for dipping in spring onion mayo. It hits all the savoury spots and goes at a few more while it’s at it. The noodle soups are best enjoyed on one of the high counters for maximum head-bowing slurpability. Though they aren’t the most flavourful broths in town, both of the beef options are thoroughly heartwarming bowls when the optional addition of beef butter is swirl in. You can also get their namesake bao and fried chicken, making this place as good for sharing as it is for the solo diner. But you might have already known that. Bao’s restaurants always tend to add up to one predictable thing: a restaurant that’s one of the most surefire decisions you can make whatever the area is. " - Jake Missing
