Curry! Bao! Bliss!

When people think of British food they think of bland scones, bangers and mash, meat pies, and tea. But to my surprise there is also a robust Asian food scene. There is absolutely no way to document all the different kinds of restaurants I could have gone to in just one week. But my top two restaurants on my trip to London were called Thai Square and Yuu. 

Now I absolutely love Thai food and I get it whenever I can. Before our visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum we were able to pick our own stop for lunch. And low and behold was a Thai restaurant called Thai Square on the corner. I ordered my usual, a Thai iced tea, duck curry, and rice. I know what your thinking. “Why would you order the same thing you always order? Don’t you want to try something new?” Well first off, every restaurant makes their curry different so I was trying something new-ish. And second, it’s my favorite so get off my case. The Thai iced tea was pretty average but there is just something about Rooibos tea, with its sweet earthiness mixed with rich sweetened condensed milk that makes my mouth happy, regardless of how many times I’ve had it. After the waitress brought drinks she soon brought the food. First it was a steaming heap of sticky white jasmine rice. It had a mineral-y wet smell that was absolutely delectable. The next was the curry itself. Fuck! Yeah! Did it smell freaking fantastic, or what? Rich red curry broth mixed with coconut milk washed over fresh green bell pepper, pineapple, lychee fruit, tomatoes, and fatty fall-apart melt-in-your-mouth slices of roasted duck breast. I was in curry heaven! If I could eat it every day I would. 

But were all my cravings satisfied? Hell no! The next victim of my menstrual cycle fueled craving rampage was Yuu restaurant. Behind the bar was a huge mural of a white and orange punk rocker spraying a beer into his gapping mouth and on his wife beater. Definitely my kind of weird! Yuu is an Asian fusion style tapas restaurant. They recommended ordering three or four small plates each. I ordered spiked bubble tea (10/10 HIGHLY recommend), edamame, fried baby squid, and braised pork belly bao. The bao is what I was there for! Who doesn’t want a soft, fluffy, chewy stemmed bao bun stuffed with savory, sticky 7-UP braised pork belly, lightly spicy pickled cucumber, and crushed roasty toasty peanuts. (And now I want more and can’t get any *single tear*)I think I died right then and there. I was so sad because as soon as I tasted it, it seemed to have disappeared. In reality, I practically inhaled it. What I do remember is biting into that soft and chewy bun that was slightly sticky, textually it is so strange. I love chewy food so I was heaven. I thought the meal couldn’t get better. I was so wrong, because next was dessert. If I thought bao was good savory it was Pure Fucking NIRVANAsweet. I ordered bao ice-cream, which I came to learn was a bao bun deep fried and then filled like an ice-cream sandwich with the flavor of your choice. I got the Dulce de Leche ice-cream, which is very similar to caramel. This decadent, creamy, hot and cold treat took me to paradise on earth. I’m not sure if I will ever get to experience that like of dessert masterpiece ever again but I pray that one day I will.

So, take it from me. When in London definitely try the classically British food, but don’t be scared to experience new food and get funky with it. You won’t be disappointed!