Baozi Inn (Romilly Street)
Chinese Street Food 24 Romilly Street, W1D 5AH £
Two December’s ago I was keen to branch out of my family tradition of ‘Gerrards Corner’ in Chinatown and try something new (and slightly cheaper). After a bit of research I came across BaoziInn in Newport Court, which was famed for its cheap street-style Chinese food and epic dumplings. Almost two years later, whilst walking to Ceviche in Soho to meet some friends for dinner, I spotted a second branch of this well-known dumpling house. One Wednesday evening, after some incredible reflexology at Rupert Jade, mum and I decided we would get some Chinese, however, before we auto-piloted over to Gerrard’s, I made the suggestion of the new BaoziInn I had spotted last month.
What I remember from my first visit was the communist decor, the quick service and the unpretentious food. I don’t remember it being a show-stopper but given the small bill I left feeling satisfied. The Romilly street branch, on the other hand, feels infinitely more upmarket. With dark red and black interiors, Chinese art on the walls, and a prime Soho location. What still remained were the small wooden tables and benches: mum and I were sat on one which meant both our chairs face outward, which I presume was the optimise the small space for the largest number of customers.
My initial impression was incorrect, as this branch has enough space for 80 diners! We were on the ground floor, which was nice as we could see onto the street outside. There are, however, two more floors: a tucked away upstairs with a few more tables (no more than 5/6) and a much larger downstairs dining area, with potentially up to 20 tables, inclusive of a private tucked away 6-seater booth, which looked cool, if not a tad claustrophobic.
Due to the speedy service in the sister venue, I was expecting more of the same. However, the venue was super busy, and we eventually had to call someone over after over 10 minutes of being ignored. Once we got some attention we ordered two large glasses of Merlot (£5.50), some Sesame Prawn Brioche (2 - £4.80), Salt & Pepper Squid (£6.80), Sichuan Pepper Pork and Prawn ‘Shao Mai’ in Chilli Juice Pastry (3 - £4.80), Prawn and Chive Dumplings in Spinach Juice Pastry (3 - £4.80) and some Classic Pork Wonton’s (5 - £5.90). We then ordered some Pork Belly Skewer in Caramelized Sauce (2 - £4.80) and Chicken & Prawn ‘Shao Mai’ in Turmeric Pastry (3- £4.80), as there were only 3 dumplings per portion, and if you hadnt't already gathered, I like to EAT.
The nice thing about dumplings, is that they are all steamed and therefore you don’t get the sluggish guilt which sets in after a sweet and sour, deep-fried binge. The Prawn and chive had to be my favourite, as they were fresh, tender and came in fun green parcels. The Pork in chilli pastry and the Chicken dumplings, however, weren’t anything special, being a kind of mash up of all ingredients which made a rubbery and unidentifiable filling. None of the dumplings came with any dipping sauce either (apart from super-hot chilli flakes). The pork wontons, however, were a success, and probably the most enjoyable of the whole meal, as they were flavoursome and dripping in a delicious brown oily sauce which I haven’t had before.
We still got our fix of crunch and naughtiness with the Prawn Brioche, Squid and Pork skewers though. The Brioche, I have to say, wasn’t comparative to your traditional prawn toast, and was a tad too sweet for my liking. The pork and squid, however, were very tasty and some of the best I’ve had from a Chinese, with the squid covered in onion and chilli, and the pork marinated in a subtly sweet and rich sauce which didn’t drench it, or remove the natural flavours of the meat.
Overall, I think the dumplings here are good, but nothing to rave about. I think may be biased, as I’m much more partial to a Gyoza these days, however, better Chinese dumplings are appreciated – such as the beautiful prawn dumplings at Paddington spot, Pearl Liang. BaoziInn puts on a good show of other dishes, with the Salt & Pepper Squid shining, and grilled flaming skewers being brilliantly marinated. In a pickle over which venue to go for? Come here for much more leisurely, upmarket style dining to the other, but the food is of the same standard.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://baoziinn.com/
