[Ad- gifted experience] Dann and I are really big fans of Japanese food, especially bao buns. Dann actually has tried his hand at creating homemade baos, which turned out delicious. When we were invited to Flesh & Buns, we were instantly excited to try out the boas they had on offer. Flesh & Buns has a few different locations in London, each with a signature dish. We went to Oxford Circus, but ended up splitting a platter so didn’t try the specific items for that location.
Drink
Dann ordered a Blood Orange Martini, which had gin, triple sec, lemon and blue orange. It was intensely orange, with a sweet flavor. I am not the biggest fan of martinis, but I would have easily drank this! I ordered the Lucky Cat cocktail, which is what this location does seem to be known for. There is a giant Lucky Cat wall and a button on our table that delivers you a Lucky Cat drink to your table if you press it. This drink has vodka, peach, cranberry and prosecco. It comes in a sort of cat vase, complete with a sparkler. It’s a real show stopper!
Padron Yaki & Korean Fried Wings
We got two small plates to go with our food, starting with Padron Yaki. Padron Yaki came as two, four pepper each skewers which have been grilled to perfection. They are coated in a yuzu miso sauce, that is slightly thick. I really enjoy padron peppers and this sauce really complimented them greatly, making them refreshing and quite light. We also got a small plate of Korean Fried Wings, which are listed as “spicy sour sauce”, which tasted to us like a bit of a gochujang sauce, but not at all too spicy. The portion was four big wings (we are talking the full wing) which was presented in a leaf plate. These small plates are all a very good size, especially for food in London!
The Big B- for two
Dann and I both wanted to try quite a few of the meats that you can fill your bao buns with, so we went for a big sharing platter with a little bit of everything. This platter had brisket, crispy duck leg, JFC, beef short ribs, smoked pork bris, and a bunch of pickles, rice and sauces. Our server explained all of the different meats to us, along with each sauce, as several of the sauces paired perfectly with the meat. They also came with two bao buns, but we ended up ordered an additional two, as these baos were so light and fluffy, and well worth filling.
This platter is enough to really fill you up. Flesh & Buns have a smoker, where they cook this meat, which is fantastic. Each one felt really high quality and the sauces paired so well with them. We really enjoyed the pickles, especially the pickled cucumber and mushrooms. You could really tell the difference between the flavors of these pickles. You could basically create your own perfect bao! Sharing, tasting and creating our own bao buns was fantastic and made for a very cute date night!
After we had polished off our platter, we were absolutely stuffed, but there are very interesting desserts on the menu that we’d totally go for when we return! Flesh & Buns has a great atmosphere and fantastic food.
I love baos and had them fried and they were delicious….I would love to try flesh and buns, I am drooling….Everything looks delicious.
I can’t say that I’ve ever had food like this before. It looks absolutely amazing, though. I love the meal for two!
This is unlike any Japanese food I’ve ever eaten. I would LOVE to have a date night there. I love the food and the vibe.
Your blog post is a delightful read! It’s wonderful to hear about your enthusiasm for Japanese cuisine and your homemade bao adventures. Your excitement for visiting Flesh & Buns in Oxford Circus is contagious, and your decision to sample a platter sounds like a great way to experience a variety of their offerings. Looking forward to hearing more about your culinary explorations in the future!
I’ve never been to a bao restaurant, but I have had some of these food items. It is awesome that you were able to experience this.
I stepped into the cozy Japanese Bao Restaurant, where the delicate fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors danced on my taste buds, leaving me craving for more. The honest cuisine, with unique textures and flavors, transported me to a culinary haven where Nikkei’s innovative Peruvian-Japanese dishes delighted my senses.
The bao buns and cocktails sound absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself.
This looks absolutely amazing and a must-try place! I love that their portion sizes met expectations and love the food variety the platter offered! Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves.