Today we were on the Barbican in Plymouth looking for a cup of tea from one of the vans around the harbourside when we chanced upon Barbican Bao and their little fluffy buns of fun

I love a Bao bun and I love finding one when least expected.

Unsurprisingly the menu is mostly Bao Buns, but they also offer Rice Bowls and Gyoza as well. We went for Bao and some dumplings.

Bao options were BBQ Pulled Pork, Teriyaki Mushroom, Sweet & Spicy Chicken, and Katsu Chicken, options to swap in Seitan for Chicken was also on the menu

For me it was a straight choice between the Katsu chicken and the BBQ Pulled Pork. Katsu won this time, but it was a close call

KATSU CHICKEN BAO

Despite the crowded look in the box these two Bao buns were remarkably tasty. The bun itself pillowy and soft and the filling quite decent.

The curry sauce that enveloped the chicken was the star of the Bao. It was more Chinese chicken curry style than katsu curry style

The Katsu chicken could have perhaps had a crunchier coating but was good enough for the job and you got plenty of crispness and crunchy from the chopped carrots and the crispy onions.

I liked the thick drizzle of kew pie like mayo across the top of each Bao as well, I didn’t see the actual bottle but it had that lustrous feel to it as it hits your mouth after each bite.

All in all some jolly tasting little Bao Bun sandwiches, perhaps a little pricey at £8 for two, I am not sure one was worth £4.

Having said that I guess that street food costs more these days and certainly not the cheap grab and go snack that it was or was intended to be

GYOZA

I do love a dumpling so I had to get a side order of Gyoza as well to go with the buns. I wasn’t really expecting too much if I am honest so I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the nice little dish I was served.

They have managed to fry the gyoza gently enough so that they were both crispy in places and yet still soft and chewy to the bite in other places. Perfect potsticker style.

Despite the fact that they were vegetable dumplings they were still interesting enough to enjoy alongside the rather tasty and tangy dipping sauce that they were served with

Barbican Bao was a good find for a snack down on the Barbican in Plymouth. Later in the day we found them again over at the Royal William Yard where they were at the Monthly food market.

You can check them out on their Facebook Page and their Instagram Feed