BaoHaus

Wow, it's been a long hiatus! Too bad, there's been a little something called "residency application" that got in the way. But I am now back in action, and determined to try as many places as possible before graduation, just in case I will be doing my internship outside of the Big Apple.

Recently, I tried BaoHaus, a causal LES spot by a young Taiwanese American chef, who decided on a career change after graduating from law school. (Should I be doing the same thing? Hm...)

All in all, it was a pretty good experience. I didn't get to try Baohaus' signature Chairman Bao: braised all natural Berkshire pork belly, served with crushed peanut, cilantro, Haus Relish, and Taiwanese red sugar. I suspect I didn't miss much though--- David Chang has perfected the art of pork belly bun just down the street @ Momofuku Noodle Bar. BaoHaus will be a great place to stop by for a quick bite (if you happen to be in the area) and will quench your late night craving for munchies (open till 4am on the weekends), but it's not good enough for me to make another trip just to revisit.

 

The menu was short, straightforward and consisted mostly of baos--- soft, pillowy, open-faced, Chinese buns--- with a variety of ingredients sandwiched in between. (Left) Uncle Jesse: organic fried tofu, served with crushed peanut, cilantro, Haus Sauce, and Taiwanese red sugar.

Haus Bao: braised all natural Creekstone beef cheek, served with crushed peanut, cilantro, Haus Relish, and Taiwanese red sugar.The flavor of the beef cheek was rich and deep, but the texture was a bit disappointing--- I was expecting a slightly gelatinous texture from the connective tissues and a silky, fatty mouth-feel. Instead, the beef cheek struck me as a bit dry.

 

(Left) Birdhaus Bao: all natural fried chicken, brined overnight and served with spicy seasoning salt, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and Taiwanese red sugar. Surprisingly, this was the best bao of the whole night. The batter was light and well-seasoned (though a bit too salty for my taste), and the chicken meat was tender and moist. The crunchiness of the fried chicken was a nice textural contrast to the softness of the bao.

(Right) Oyster Po Bao: fresh fried oyster, served with: lemon aioli, pate, pickled radish, cilantro, and jalapeno. The tanginess of the lemon aioli cut through the grease and the jalapeno provided a nice kick. 

Sweet Bao Fries: steamed then fried bao bread served with a black sesame sauce. Interesting concept. It reminded me of fried Chinese "man tao" (bun) with sweet, condensed milk.

Minced Pork on Rice: stewed Pat LaFrieda ground Duroc pork, served over white rice with bok choy, taquan pickle, cilantro, and Haus Relish.

BaoHaus
238 East 14th St  New York, NY 10002
646-669-8889