Little Bao – a modern Chinese diner in Hong Kong – shot to fame with its signature mini sliders, sharing plates and cocktails since its opening in Hong Kong three years ago.

Chef and owner May Chow is now bringing Little Bao to Bangkok – its first overseas outpost. Like the original Little Bao in Hong Kong, the new Little Bao in Bangkok follows the same formula by dishing out familiar and sexy renditions of our Asian favourites over the counter and in many unpredictable and refreshing manners.

Little Bao in Bangkok will sit in Thonglor, and it features an identical menu as its original in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. You can find the famous Baos (THB240) such as Pork Belly, Sichuan Chicken and Fish Tempura.

Sharing dishes include Scallop & Chips (THB240), Fried Cauliflower (THB240), Orange Chicken (THB240) with Salted Egg Yolk, and Truffle Fries (THB290).

And of course, nobody leaves Little Bao without having its Ice Cream Bao (THB120). It is so iconic that it is now synonymous with the hippie brand.

Fans of Little Bao can also have their cocktail fix in Bangkok with the Yuzu Leaf and Punch Sai Gua cocktails. There is also a range of Japanese craft beers, sakes and wines from Little Bao Bar.

Little Bao is a place that is full of energy, and is the kind of swanky spot which will easily fit into the linear of New York or London. And we are sure it will soon become one of the hottest dining destinations in Bangkok.

Now, May, can you bring Little Bao to Singapore too? We are jealous.

Little Bao
72 Courtyard – FL G
72 Sukhumvit 55 Thonglor Klongton-Nua Wattana
Bangkok 10110
Tue to Sun: 6pm till late
Tel: +66 2 392 6922

Gone are the days where Hong Kongers are limited to their traditional desserts of egg waffles and glutinous rice balls. It is fair to say that the multifaceted global city has progressively embraced the influences of the West and its other Asian neighbours over the past decades. Today, modern civilians of Hong Kong are spoilt for choice when it comes to desserts.

From Little Bao’s ice cream burgers to Oddies Foodie’s Egg Waffle Soft Serve, we are excited to share with you 6 Most Delicious and Instagram-Worthy Ice Creams In Hong Kong. These head-turner lovely ice creams will thrill all enthusiastic foodies and instagram addicts alike.

#1 ATUM DESSERANT – IMPROVISATION (HK$328+)

Get ready to be blown away by Atum Desserant’s Improvisation. The massive edible sweet masterpiece is a far cry from the traditional gelato – and that is what makes it even all the more exciting!

While ice cream is not the sole ingredient in Atum Desserant’s Improvisation (HK $328+ / S$60.25+), liquid nitrogen ice cream is still included in this jaw-dropping dessert. Do bear in mind that the price is meant for two diners and includes juices and coffee/tea.

16/F, The L. Square,
No. 459-461 Lockhart Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2956 1411
Tue to Thu: 2.45pm – 12am
Fri to Sun: 1pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Causeway Bay

#2 LITTLE BAO – ICE CREAM BURGER (HK$48)

Available in either green tea or salted caramel flavours, the ice cream is sandwiched between two deep fried buns and drizzled with sweet condensed milk.

Each of these palm-size ice cream burgers are sold at HK$48 / S$7.90 each and are available for dine-in and takeouts. Don’t say we didn’t warn you – the ice cream melts rapidly so do snap your shot quickly!

G/F 66 Staunton Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2194 0202
Mon to Fri: 6pm – 11pm
Sat: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sun: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Central / Sheung Wan

#3 ELEPHANT GROUNDS – ICE CREAM SANDWICH (HK$68)

Tucked away at the back of a retail store called WOAW! is Elephant Grounds, a tiny hipster cafe renowned for their excellent coffees and ice cream sandwiches (the tasty dessert is only served on Fridays to Sundays).

We had the Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies Sandwich (HK$68 / S$12.50) but note that flavours change on a weekly basis. Their new outlet offers ice cream sandwiches during weekdays, so drop by The Factory instead to fix those Monday blues.

11 Gough Street
Tel: +852 2253 1313
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 9pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 7pm
Nearest Station: Sheung Wan

1/F The Factory
1 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang
Tel: +852 2562 9000
Mon to Fri: 9am-6pm

#4 MUNCHIES – ICE CREAM DOUGHNUT (HK$70)

Munchies might be a new kid on the block of hipster district Sheung Wan, but is already a hot favourite amongst the local and expatriate community for its insanely delicious organic sammies (HK$70 / S$12.86).

The sammies comprises a combination of handcrafted ice cream sandwiched between two cookies or donut halves. A myriad of ice cream flavours are available and you can choose from dark chocolate, earl grey, espresso, matcha and salted caramel.

4 Shin Hing Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Mon: Closed
Tue to Sat: 12pm – 10pm
Sun: 12pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Sheung Wan

#5 ODDIES FOODIES – THE NIGHT WOLF (HK$50)

Oddies Foodies has successfully combined Hong Kong’s popular street snack gai daan jai with Western desserts. The owner graduated from reputable Le Cordon Bleu in France and proceeded to create an eclectic variation of East-meets-West ice cream desserts.

The Night Wolf (HK$50 / S$9.18) is a delightful cup of low-fat gelato served with brownie and chocolate chip gai daan jai, buttery crumble, caramelised banana ice cream and passionfruit panna cotta.

Mon: Closed
Tue to Sun: 1pm – 10pm
Shop 1F, G/F, 149 Wan Chai Road
Nearest Station: Wan Chai

#6 SMALL POTATO ICE CREAMERY – PURPLE YAM ICE CREAM WITH YAM PASTE DORAYAKI (HK$48)

Yam fans rejoice! Haven Street has a cutesy little store specialising in purple potato ice cream. The Japanese Purple Yam Ice Cream With Purple Yam Paste Dorayaki (HK $48 / S$8.82) is subtly sweet and perfect for those who have a preference for lighter desserts. You can choose to add toppings (from HK $4 / $0.73) such as popcorn and mochi to your prefixed ice cream.

G/F, 28-30 Haven Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2618 9032
Sun to Thu: 2pm – 11pm
Fri to Sat: 2pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Causeway Bay

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Over the past year, Hong Kong has seen the addition of many new fantastic restaurants, and during my recent trip, I had a hard time trying to fit in as many places as I could in my list of to-eat restaurants. One of the most hyped-about restaurants in Hong Kong right now is Little Bao at Staunton Street in Central. Think an American diner with a modern Asian twist, dishing out familiar and comforting renditions of our Asian favourites over the counter and in many refreshing manners. The place may be tiny, but never dead. If any, it is full of energy, and is the kind of swanky spot which will easily fit into the linear of New York or London.

Dinner was a spread of some of their most popular options, and amongst them were the Pickled Mushroom Salad (HK$78), Eggplant & Shiso Pork Tempura (HK$88), Orange Chicken (HK$98) with a salty egg yolk honey glaze and Short-Rib Pan-Fried Dumpling (HK$128). They were decent, but nothing spectacular.

What blew our minds, however, was the Mac & Cheese (HK$108). Little Bao’s interpretation is not your typical melted cheese atop macaroni. What makes it really special is the usage of steamed rice rolls as the main ingredient, generously covered with a layer of mentaiko cheese sauce. This dish alone has created a new arena of ‘good’ in our dictionaries, and it is almost illegal to leave without having a serving.

Fries are always a crowd-pleaser, but it takes something to elevate from good to oh-my-God-we-need-a-second-portion. The LB Fries (HK$68), accompanied with a roasted tomato sambal and kewpie mayo sauce, is exactly that. We loved that it had an after note of the lime lingering in the mouth, almost like marking its triumph all the way to the back of our throats (and minds). Addictive; very addictive.

The signature Pork Belly Bun (HK$78) also lived up to its billing. The slow-braised pork belly was tender and melt-in-the-mouth, and the humble bun was dressed up with a leek and shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing and a unique hoisin ketchup sauce. It puts the famous Momofuku’s pork bun to shame. This is one of the best pork belly buns I have ever had. The Fish Tempura Bun (HK$78), with tamarind palm sugar glaze and pickled lemongrass fennel salad, was equally good.

The LB Ice Cream Sandwich (HK$48) was a good way to end the meal. It is essentially green tea ice cream sandwiched between two deep-fried bao. In other words, brilliance.

Little Bao has gained a strong following since its opening in October 2013 and it is not just because they serve good food in a lively setting. What makes Little Bao stand out is the passion of and extraordinary management by its owner, May Chow.

Finding the right staff is always one of the key challenges in the F&B industry. Yet, May seems to be juggling it well, and it is probably due to her meticulous understanding of humans’ needs and mentalities.

Little Bao hires mostly young staff without experience. The reason, May explained, is because as long as someone is hospitable and willing to serve, he/she will be able to do a good job. I like the fact that she values every worker, and understands that everyone wants something different. Quite unlike any other, she does not tie them down with boring and predictable contracts. She speaks to them upon hiring them, and she personalises every letter of offer.

For example, one of the staff at Little Bao loves clubbing, and May is able to get her on the guest list at one of the most popular clubs in Hong Kong. Another loves sashimi, and May buys take-outs to reward him every now and then. It is actions like these that go a long way and make staff feel that they are being valued.

It makes me wonder why there aren’t more restaurants in Singapore which go the extra mile to value their staff. Ultimately, if staff feel that they are being valued by the establishment, they are more motivated to work hard and provide good service to customers – all these on top of their genuine passion for service. This will, in return, improve the restaurant’s business, and Singapore’s service industry standards in totality. We do hope that more restaurants will take up May’s lead and do more to value every worker.

May and her team at Little Bao may still be raw in the Hong Kong food scene, but I have no doubt that they will go far. When you are in town, come here for a drink. Get some nibbles to share. Or better still, order everything from the menu. Little Bao has a no-reservation policy, so try to get there before 7pm to get a table.

This message is part of a ladyironchef x Labour Movement project where we seek to share with you insights on the different initiatives by the Labour Movement to give workers in Singapore better jobs, better pay and better work-life balance.

Little Bao
G/F 66 Staunton Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2194 0202
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 12 Midnight
Nearest Station: Central MTR