By Anya Levykh, Westender
Bao Down Gastropub & Raw Bar
115 West 2nd | 604-620-5226 | BaoDown.net
Open for lunch and dinner daily, 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm
Open late Friday-Sunday.
When the original Bao Down opened over a year ago in Gastown, I fell for their oversized and flavour-stuffed twists on the traditional bao. Crispy chicken, pillowy bread, lush pork belly, and great-quality ingredients—this tiny closet of a space (albeit with a bit of upstairs room) was a hit. Pacific Rim street food has turned out to be a hit and it’s been doing well since.
A couple months ago, owners Matthew Adolfo and Greg Edwards expanded to southeast False Creek with a new, bigger location and menu. The new spot seats almost 70, although takeaway is still an option. Even better, the rather large bar features a series of taps squirting out everything from craft beer to prosecco.
Lest you think it’s all about the bottles, there is a handful of mixed beverages on the list as well, and they’re as eclectic as you might expect. A classic caesar ($15) is punched up with kimchi, bacon, tuna and a jumbo prawn, while the Highlander ($15) blends Drambuie and blended Scotch with Aperol and Fernet-Branca. Highballs are only six dollars and there’s even Thai iced tea for teetotallers and designated drivers.
The room itself is as punchy as the menu. Wood top tables, including a massive communal, painted reclaimed panels along the walls, and some eye-startling triptychs and murals that feature rainbow-bright water buffalos and cows, as well as what looks like the Buddha and Lucky Mao, dominate the interior. There’s even space for a patio out front that should start seeing action soon.
The biggest change is the food. You won’t find the Bao Chicka Bao Bao here that rules the roost in Gastown, but you will find Bang Bang prawns ($18), breaded in rice, garlic, coconut and green onion, served with deep-fried shrimp chips, sweet chili and a crunchy peanut sauce. Green papaya salad ($12) comes with a surprising but tasty chunk of deep-fried bok choy sitting on top. Khao soi with braised oxtail ($20) is meaty and a bit of a burn thanks to a rather liberal hand with the bird’s eye chilies, but sinus-clearing properties aside, it’s aromatic and the “12 egg” noodles are delicious and texturally pleasing.
Dessert of the house bao beignets ($5) was a total flop. The chopped pieces of bao are carelessly deep-fried in oil that’s not hot or plentiful enough, and the bread obviously hasn’t been allowed enough time to soak in any of the cinnamon or coconut sugar (your choice) or even given a bath in some coconut milk. The result is a dry chunk of bread faintly tossed in sugar with a definite oil slick left on the tongue and fingers.
Infinitely better is anything off the grill menu. The restaurant uses special charcoal from Thailand called pokpok that gives off an impressive depth of flavour. Huli Huli Chicken ($18) is marinated in a Thai vinaigrette, lemongrass and assorted spices and glazed with cane vinegar and shoyu. The chicken has incredible flavour, beautiful moisture and lovely charring on the skin. A mushroom version in togarashi ($16) was equally impressive.
At the moment, it’s not very clear what’s meant by the “raw bar” portion of the moniker, but it’s still early days, and hints of Hawaiian poke and oysters are in the wind.
Food: ★★★
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Value: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
All ratings out of five stars.
*: Okay, nothing memorable.
**: Good, shows promise.
***: Very good, occasionally excellent.
****: Excellent, consistently above average.
*****: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. In addition to obsessively collecting cookbooks, she is a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
