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What's the deal?
London’s Chinatown is a constantly-morphing beast of a district. From its beginnings in the 1950s, when the district was made of just a few restaurants hoping to lure hungry British soldiers who had developed a taste for Eastern food on their deployment, to the juggernaut it is today: a labyrinth of bakeries, dim sum parlours, bubble tea shops, and old and new vendors completing for the fickle attentions of tourists and TikTokers.
It’s sometimes hard to cut through the noise. It helps if you have a specialty that can lure bloggers looking for the “best X in London”. Luckily, Bun House does: as its name suggests, the restaurant coalesces around Cantonese steamed buns, or nai wong bao – fluffy, orb-shaped buns usually filled with custard. The restaurant was opened by husband-wife duo Z He and Alex Peffly in 2017, quickly followed by sister site, Wun’s Tea Room and Bar, across the road, which closed last year. They also run a Design Studio called Five Line Projects, which explains the decor at Bun House: stylish and transportive, meant to evoke the classic cha chan tang (diners) of 1960s Hong Kong. The snug ground-floor space fits a handful of tables and a counter that feeds queuing takeaway diners. The bare-bones space upstairs houses a few more tables, and feels secretive in the same way as Hong Kong’s clandestine alleys do.
Alongside a selection of buns, the full menu has always included a few Hong Kong specialties inspired by Z’s childhood, like hoisin sesame cheung fun or kaya french toast with clotted cream for dessert. But a recent revamp means they’ve widened their arsenal with dishes like beef short rib and satay gravy rice, hot and sour wontons, or wok fried macaroni with beef. Bun House have in the past been accused of putting style – both in terms of their restaurant’s interiors and their seasonally-decorated buns, dressed up as pumpkins for Halloween or chicks for Easter – over substance. And no, this isn’t the best Cantonese, or even the best nai wong bao, you’re going to get in the city. But a meal here is pleasant – the food is above average, and the designed space gives it a fun, throwback atmosphere that sets it apart from the paper-tablecloth restaurants in the area.
What should I eat?
It nearly goes without saying, but the buns should be top of your list here. They’re known primarily for their custard buns, which drip with a sweet, yolky filling when you bite into them. But don’t sleep on the savoury varieties – the fragrant, lemongrass-laced chicken, or the soft barbecued pork belly. There’s also veggie, beef, and lamb versions.
Eating slippery, springy cheung fun is a particular kind of joy. Bun House’s version is doused in hoisin and peanut sauce, pooled together like a syrupy Rorschach test and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
New to the menu, the kaya french toast is a Bun House’s take on the Hong Kong favourite – two slices of deep fried bread doused in butter and syrup. Sweet pastry is where Bun House can really flex its muscle, and this version comes slathered in kaya spread, a sweet coconut jam made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar. Sounds a bit sickly, but it works.
Why should I go?
For a time-travelling taste of Hong Kong.