Bottomless cocktails and bao buns? Try and stop me.
I've done my fair share of brunch.
I've done my fair share of bao.
And I've done my fair share of Peckham.
But Mr Bao? Continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Steered by Frank Yeung, and notorious for its neighbourhood vibe, Mr Bao is a Taiwanese spot that has perfected the art of steamed buns, branching out in to the brunch world to show diners that it's not just a bit of benny that should be enticing you out of bed.
A menu made up of traditional bao, boosted with more savoury Taiwanese side plates, Mr Bao isn't expecting you to ditch your pancakes and fry ups, it's attempting to one up them.
While the smacked cucumber literally smacked of flavour, the shiitake mushroom bao had a piece of my heart, merging shiitake mushrooms, pickled onions and miso into 2 (dare I say 3) bites that rang with umami.
The kimchi pancake, onsen egg and shisho was unlike anything I'd ever had before and a stand out of our whole dining experience. Almost Spanish-tortilla like in texture, with a firm but friendly poached egg on top, the subtle spice of the kimchi danced around my mouth as we sat on the edge of ordering a second.
And as for the value for money? When bottomless cocktails (including a fun take on a bloody mary) come in at £18 per person, and dishes range from £2.50 to £5.50, it's a world away from some of London's £60 brunches with far less gain, and overall, my brunch experience of the year.
Still not convinced? Check out our guide to London's bao restaurants and sign up for our London newsletter here.
