We Try A Tiny Bao Restaurant Hidden in Brixton

Watch the Brixton Village Market bustle with a bao in hand. 

There are few things greater than discovering a hidden gem... other than bao of course, so what if we've dug up a doozy for both?

Tempted out this winter after six days of arguments over Articulate and a Christmas day dinner courtesy of yours truly, my husband and I were in need of an afternoon all our own. Taiwanese bao spots are pretty few and far between in Clapham/Brixton, and while irked by the fact that our favourite Peckham bao restaurant was closed for the season, I was determined to find something closer to home.

Gear up for great value buns in Brixton.

 

Doubling up on buns with both a mushroom bao and tofu bao each, the mushroom stood out as clear winner with a yuzu sauce delicately stacked over shiitake for the ultimate umami treat, while the tofu bao's kimchi innards sadly lacked depth, but still made for a clean bite. With the bao coming in at a more than reasonable £4.50 each, we knew we could take this lunch to the next level with a selection of sides. I gushed over a lime-licked chilli sprinkle on the edamame, as a portion of tenderstem broccoli with a side of yuzu mayonnaise gave for a heightened, yet delicate crunch. Wash it all down with a small glass of Akashi-Tai Honjozo sake and you've got an all-rounder of an experience.

The DesignMyNight Digest

While I'd do some un-bao-leviable things to get great bao in London, i'm chuffed that for now I know where to pluck up fluffy, moreish buns on my doorstep. I also understand that while £58 for a meal complete with sake, two buns each, wine and sides might not seem cheap to some, Tiger & Pig were worth every penny.

Tiger & Pig can be found at Brixton Village Market 19 Granville Arcade, SW9 8PR. For more bao ideas? Check out our guide to the best of London's buns.