COCKTAILS, BAOS - AND A SIDE OF ADELE.

COCKTAILS, BAOS - AND A SIDE OF ADELE.

Is there a better way of switching off than literally singing your heart out? We do it in the shower. We do it in the car. Even if you are tone deaf, there is something about cleansing out those lungs that seems to wash away stress too. Singing does actually release endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, which are known to improve your mood and which make you feel happy. Singing also decreases cortisol, a stress hormone that resides in your bloodstream.

All well and good but you can hardly start singing in the middle of the office when it’s all getting too much.

Or can you?

BAO City is not just a super stylish and stunning place to eat (and located in the Bloomberg Arcade, a stone’s throw from so many law firms) but it’s also precisely the place to sing away your stress.

If the thought of karaoke clubs and bars is something that actually fills you with stress rather than dissipating it (I put myself firmly in that camp) then this is the place that will make you rethink all of those prejudices.

Amy and I love baos. We love spicy. And we love cocktails. So when we heard about BAO City, it seemed like the perfect place for us to go.

If you’ve never heard of BAO, you are most definitely missing out on some extremely good food. City is the 7th - and the flagship - in a group that spans Soho, Borough, Kings Cross, Shoreditch, Marylebone and Battersea. The baos themselves (Taiwanese dumpling like buns that are made from soft, pillowy, feather light dough for the uninitiated) are some of the best you can get in London; all baked by hand daily in the BAO bakery.

Amy and I had one caveat about visiting the City restaurant - it is also a karaoke place but assuring ourselves the karaoke was in two very separate (and sound proofed) rooms and really had nothing to do with the restaurant, we decided to go.

Firstly, let me tell you the space is BEAUTIFUL. It oozes style. Minimal. Chic. Stunning lighting. Just sink into one of the divine leather banquettes and you will immediately start to feel the stresses of the day melt away.

We started with a cocktail. Of course. We both chose the Hot Man Margarita which was a delicious mix of Olmeca Tequila, Del Maguey Mezcal, Hot Man Sauce and Lime. Honestly, just delicious. Amy (who is the complete guru on both food and wine) was impressed.

“I love the precision with which they have cut the lime,” she said approvingly.

Obviously a well cut lime says a lot! And, indeed, the attention that was paid to that piece of garnish was reflected in the perfectionism exhibited in the place itself and the food and drinks.

We then ordered lots of dishes from the menu (more of these later) but while we were waiting for our food, Alex Radmore, the restaurant manager, introduced himself to us and asked if we would like to look at the karaoke rooms.

Firstly, let me tell you the space is BEAUTIFUL. It oozes style. Minimal. Chic. Stunning lighting.

Let me be honest, we were not too enthusiastic but being polite, well mannered souls, we nodded in agreement.

There are two rooms, named and styled after two iconic films; Taipei Story and Wall Street. And, they were exquisite. Private, luxurious, fun. Taipei Story can accommodate up to 25 people. Wall Street up to 12. Alex told us 2 ladies come in once a week in the middle of the day and hire Wall Street for an hour. They sing their hearts out, eat some amazing food and go back to work. (I wonder if they are lawyers?)

And suddenly, out of nowhere, I was a karaoke convert. I was totally won over. Nobody comes into the room unless you call for service for food and drinks to be delivered to you. And if you think a call button is too much of an intrusion, you can use a QR code instead and literally speak to no one while placing your order. These rooms were as private as your shower or car but way more stylish and luxurious. I was already planning when I could come here and bellow out “Make You Feel My Love.”

I nervously asked Alex the hire price and he said it was just a guaranteed spend of £35 per person (yes you did read that correctly) and either room is yours for two hours. You can go a la carte, of course, but there is also a set menu for £29.50 and one including drinks for £45.

In the end, Alex had to drag us out of the rooms before we got too comfortable as they were both booked for the evening.

Back at our table, the food was beginning to arrive and so my heartbreak at not becoming Adele for the next few hours quickly evaporated when my eyes saw the feast that lay on our table.

We started with the Smacked Chilli Cucumber - utterly yum and refreshing - although we both (being a bit spice addicted) felt it could be hotter. We also had the Pao Tsai Pickles which satisfied our yen for heat.

Next came Iberico Pork Skewers with Daikon, Mutton Dumplings, Taiwanese Fried Chicken and King Prawns. All of them were cooked to perfection; each one bursting with flavour yet still maintaining a delicacy.

These were followed by the stars of the show; the baos. We shared two (everything here is for sharing so you get to try so much) the classic pork and the fish. They lived up to their reputations. I had a glass of Weeping Sake (gorgeous) with my food and Amy opted for a glass of Bao Red which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Somehow we found room for desserts - and we most certainly did not regret it. We shared the Sad Faced Bao which had a salted egg custard

filling which was utterly moreish and the Horlicks Bao (yes, really) which was a deep fried bao stuffed - literally - with Horlicks ice cream and blew our little socks off.

It was a fabulous, relaxed, delicious evening. It felt a million miles away from the pressures of life in a City firm and it was the perfect way to unwind after a long day in the office. And that was without any singing even! I genuinely cannot wait to go back, hire out that Wall Street room - probably just by myself - and let loose! You have to be grateful the rooms are sound proofed. ■

BAO City 2-8 Bloomberg Arcade London EC4N 8AR

Mon – Sat 11:30 – 11

Sunday 11:30 – 6