HYDERABAD: Bao is the latest Chinese delicacy to hit the town, and thanks to Abaotime in Madhapur, you can choose from a wide range of these fluffy bun variations.
“It had been a childhood dream for my brother and me to open a food venture. We had eaten bao in other cities, especially Bengaluru, and thought that it must be made widely available in Hyderabad. Before we opened Abaotime, it was available mostly in high-end restaurants,” says Manish S Kumar, co-founder of the restaurant.
The baos might look like your regular bread with a filling, but the fact that the buns are steamed, and not baked, makes all the difference. They are made from all-purpose flour, yeast, baking powder, oil and sugar. “It took us some time to get the bread right. It takes two hours to make them. We then trained our chef, who hails from Darjeeling, to make them,” adds Manish.
The baos come with various vegetarian and non-vegetarian fillings, and there are sweet baos too! Some of the options are Chicken Teriyaki Bao, Chicken Shawarma Bao, Mutton Kheema Bao, Mushroom Bao and Egg Bhurji Bao. Though not mentioned in the menu, one can have Pork Bao on special order. Among the desserts, which are pan-fried, you can choose from Chocolate Bao, Banana Nutella Bao and others. Each Bao is served with Mint Mayo sauce and sprinkled with fried onions.
Says Manish: "Bao makes for a good snack-on-the-go or even a meal. Right now, we offer 16 savoury baos, and plan to introduce Crispy Butter Fried Veggies Bao soon." They deliver through food delivery apps too.
Price for two: Rs 500