Bao Buns in Malta: Inside Saigon's Bao Bar

If Malta has a bao capital, we would like a word. The bao bar is the heart of the Saigon menu — fluffy, cloud-soft buns steamed to order and stuffed with big flavour, starting at €4. Here is the full line-up, and how to choose.

The classics, €4 each

• ✦Satay Pulled Pork Bao — slow-cooked pulled pork, crushed peanuts, pickled carrot and cabbage. The signature.
• ✦Bang Bang Chicken Bao — crispy chicken, sweet chilli, peanut butter and bang bang mayo.
• ✦Belly Bao — tender pork belly with pickled vegetables and crispy onions.
• ✦Satay Tofu Bao — the vegan one, and nobody's consolation prize.

The big ones

Beyond the classics sit the baozi — bigger, rounder, steamed Chinese-style buns with the filling sealed inside, served as a pair for €8.50. The BBQ Pork Baozi hides tender pork in a rich, smoky-sweet glaze; the Steak & Onion Baozi — steak and caramelised onions under a savoury glaze — is the one to hand anyone who claims steamed buns can't be hearty.

Why steamed to order matters

A bao's whole personality is its texture — pillowy, warm, slightly springy. That lasts about as long as a Maltese summer breeze, which is why ours go into the steamer when you order, not before. It is also why, if you get yours delivered on a cool evening, we will cheerfully tell you the trick: thirty seconds in the microwave, closed container, good as new.

You will find the full bao bar at our Gżira flagship and on the express menus in Birkirkara and at Malta International Airport — dine in, take away, or order online. Fair warning: one each is a starting point, not a plan.