BAO Launches Mid-Autumn Festival Menu With Guest Chefs

BAO is extending its Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations with a dedicated Moon Festival Set Menu, available from September 29 through October 25, 2023. This culinary event follows the restaurant's one-day Moon Market held at BAO Borough on September 24. The new menu is designed to embody the festival's traditions of gathering, abundance, and communal dining, and will be offered at BAO King’s Cross, City, Borough, and Marylebone locations. The set menu is priced at £35 GBP (approximately $46 USD) per person and emphasizes generous sharing platters intended for the entire table to enjoy. This seasonal offering builds upon BAO's established Taiwanese-inspired approach to buns and small plates, a culinary philosophy that has guided the London restaurant group since its founders, Shing Tat Chung, Erchen Chang, and Wai Ting Chung, opened their first permanent location in Soho in 2015. The meal commences with an individual Westholme x BAO Grilled Sacha Wagyu BAO, which features North Australian wagyu striploin marinated in an umami-rich shacha sauce, complemented by braised shallots and daikon pickle. Following this starter, the dining experience transitions to a communal platter featuring guest-chef BBQ skewers. These skewers are creations from several of BAO's industry friends. Abby Lee from Mambow contributes Malay Chipirones, a dish that pairs grilled baby squid with a curry sauce made from squid ink and kaffir lime. Culinary artist Nil Mutluer, also known as Heal Goblin, presents Xinjiang Lamb, a skewer seasoned with cumin, coriander, and chili. Mr Ko from Miga offers a Korean BBQ Ribeye skewer, enhanced with sake and pickled celery. Sirichai Kularbwong of Singburi draws inspiration from a childhood favorite for his Khao Jee Sticky Rice, which involves coating egg-washed sticky rice cakes with Maggi sauce and finishing them with pork floss. The shared spread is further enhanced with accompaniments such as smacked cucumbers, kimchi, and lard soy rice. The dessert course continues the lunar theme with BAO’s Moon Face BAO, a specially designed bun filled with a sweet filling, reflecting the festival's symbolic motifs. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional East Asian harvest festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunisolar calendar, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. It is a time for family reunions and giving thanks for the harvest.