Do we still need to introduce the Bao Family? Already at the helm of the delicious Petit Bao and Gros Bao, Céline Chung and Billy Pham have just opened their third restaurant in Paris, Bleu Bao. This time, it's in the capital's 9th arrondissement, in a 250m2 space.
After revisiting the style of Shanghai's boui-boui in a micro-shop dedicated to homemade bao at Petit Bao, then interpreting the codes of Hong Kong kitsch in a large popular canteen where Peking duck is king at Gros Bao, the Bao Family continues to rewrite Chinese cuisine in its own way, while paying homage to tradition.
At Bleu Bao, it's the old-school style of old Chinese bourgeois houses that comes to the fore - lovers of the film In The Mood For Love will have stars in their eyes - with a particular focus on the beautiful blue porcelain services , from which the restaurant takes its name, that take pride of place on the tables.
Stepping through the door at Bleu Bao is like stepping into a period film, especially on the first floor where, at the top of the stairs, a charming, deep-blue lounge awaits you, cosy and discreet, quieter than the first floor, which is bathed in the noisy atmosphere of traditional Chinese canteens where it's good to go with a large group of friends.
On the plates, Bleu Bao features the Bao Family's must-try dishes, such as the famous baozi, including the very good vegetarian baozi with seasonal vegetables (7€); the delicious, melt-in-the-mouth eggplant hong shao (10€); the shanghai noodles; or the xiaolongbao (10€), filled with hot broth.
Of course, Bleu Bao also offers a host of mouth-watering new dishes that will change with the seasons, including sweet & sour chicken (13€); and dongpo pork (19€), an incredible braised pork belly that's so tasty and melt-in-your-mouth that you (almost) slice it with a spoon.
Chefs Amandine Sepulcre-Huang and Leslie Chirino, along with the Bao Family, also wanted to give pride of place to dim sum, the traditional steamed ravioli, prepared here according to the rules of the art. At Bleu Bao, you'll find har gow (7€) with shrimp and water chestnuts, siu mai (7€) with pork and shrimp, and luo buo gao (7€), small cakes of fried daikon radish; dim sum you won't find anywhere else! And don't miss the sweet lava bao (5€) for dessert, with its warm, runny heart of salted egg yolk; a little marvel of deliciousness.
Another great idea is the cocktail menu, inspired by the eight regions of China and created by Nicolas Goradesky. The mixologist has chosen a flagship product from each region, and around this flavor, imagined a unique and frankly creative cocktail, such as the Shenzhen cocktail and its roasted black sesame, the Nanjing cocktail, similar to gin and tonic, with purple shiso and umeshu, or our favorite, the Fujian cocktail (13€), similar in every way to a bubble tea, with tapioca pearls and oolong tea infused in milk, but in an alcoholic version with bourbon; a delight!
Location
Bao Blue
8 Rue Saint-Lazare
75009 Paris 9
Official website
www.baofamily.co
