Bite-size Burgers: Little Bao
Set on a quiet corner of Staunton Street, far from the usual haunts, Sheung Wan newbie Little Bao is done up like a 1950s diner, complete with turquoise pastel walls, pink neon, and counter seating. Originally a stall at the regular Island East Markets, where its trademark “burger” baos (fluffy steamed Chinese buns) proved addictive, Little Bao provides a platform for chef May Chow, formerly of TBLS and Yardbird, to strut her stuff to a greater audience.
The lean menu is divided into two columns, one for dishes you can share, and one for the bao burgers (chef Chow apparently frowns on bao-cutting). The former include innovations like short-rib dumplings and fried orange chicken with salty egg yolk, while the baos—the main reason people visit—are modern renditions of a local street-food staple, filled with the likes of pork belly with leeks, red cabbage, and hoi-sin sauce; or braised mushrooms with truffle mayo and pickled daikon. To remind you that you’re in Sheung Wan, each bao, smaller than a softball, is priced at US$10, so savor them slowly. Also, be sure to get in early; the fun ambiance of the tiny eatery is lost if you’re forced to take one of the seats facing the wall; with a full house, sealed French doors, a stereo turned to full volume, and one waiter who can’t stop pacing the five-meter space, the magic of Chow’s cooking can quickly be replaced with claustrophobia and angst.
G/F, 66 Staunton St.; Central; little-bao.com
Japanese comfort food: Ronin
Created by the couple behind the sensationally popular Yardbird, Matt Abergel and Lindsay Jang, Ronin is small, inconspicuous, and subtle. Hidden behind a nondescript door in the Noho area, it has none of the rock-and-roll vibe of its sister restaurant; instead, expect a space catering to just 20, where the focus is on innovative, ocean-centric Japanese cooking amid muted, organic interiors.
Ronin hasn’t achieved the instant success that Yardbird did when it opened two and a half years ago, perhaps because there has been a bit of a backlash against restaurants perceived to be American Psycho–esque pretentious (think snarky hostesses and elaborate booking rigmarole). But those who do venture here will at least be able to hear themselves contemplate the beautifully presented dishes before them.
Reservations are accepted by e-mail, so book a seat near the chef’s station to watch Abergel and his team in action. The menu evolves with the seasons and changes daily, so sit back with a glass of Yardbird-branded sake or a tipple from the extensive whisky collection, and wait for the likes of battered tigerfish with honey and chestnut chips, made-to- order sushi and sashimi, fried quail, and even Kagoshima beef, all of which are super fresh and perfectly executed—with a hefty price tag to match.
8 On Wo Ln., Central; no telephone; roninhk.com
This article originally appeared in the December 2013/January 2014 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Eastern Promise”)
