Called Cafe Bao, it will be inspired by Yōshoku cuisine, a nostalgic take on western style cooking commonly found throughout Asian cafes.
It will be open all day - Bao restaurants typially closed between 3pm and 5.30pm - from Monday to Sunday.
News of the plans for a fourth Bao emerged late last year when owner JKS submitted a licensing application for unit 2 and 3, 4 Pancras Square to Camden council. It will open later this year in Pancras Square in Kings Cross, close to Granary Square.
Cafe Bao’s all-day menu will take inspiration from Taiwan’s oldest, most iconic restaurant, Bolero, as well as old kissatens of Japan.
It will mark the first time a Bao restaurant will open for breakfast. Served until midday, the breakfast menu will include Bao loaf, syrup and butter; baked ham hock congee pie; and a bacon, egg, cheese spring onion pancake.
The restaurant will also offer a range of handmade baked goods, including a pork pie baozi; a salted egg ‘muffin’ bao and a Bao cookie using Pump Street chocolate that can be eaten in the restaurant or taken away via a ‘to-go’ counter. The bakery will feature a bespoke bao making service as well as a series of workshops.
“The inspiration for Cafe Bao stemmed from Yōshoku cuisine, an interpretation of western food, seen through an Asian lens,” says founder and food art director Erchen Chang.
“This style of cooking is something that’s always resonated with us and made us feel quite nostalgic. After a recent trip to Taipei, Hong Kong and Osaka we realised we wanted to bring it to life.”
The Bao team currently operates Bao Soho, Bao Fitzrovia, and most recently Bao Borough, as well as older sibling, XU, the Taiwanese Teahouse & Restaurant in Chinatown.
It is backed by restaurant group JKS, which recently opened a third outpost of its Sri Lankan and Tamil Nadu restaurant concept Hoppers in Pancras Square.
