If we were to describe what ‘Comfort Food’ is, we’d say it’s food blended with stories. Our senses, particularly our sense of smell and taste, are deeply intertwined with emotions and memory. Savoring food puts these senses to work which in turn triggers our brain to look back on previous experiences and also bring back to the surface feelings we’ve once felt.

Little Bao puts this idea into perspective with their delicious offerings that have taken Hong Kong by storm since its establishment in 2013. The humble 20-seater restaurant’s concept was simple: A diner that served up Chinese comfort foods with an American twist.

This concept was inspired by award-winning Chef and Little Bao Owner, May Chow’s bao burgers which became popular at the Farmer’s Market. These Chinese burgers are stuffed with a juicy braised pork belly, chicken, or fish, and sandwiched between steamed white buns (we’re already salivating at the mere thought of it!).

With her quirky and contemporary menu featuring comfort and sharing dishes that entice anyone with a hunger for good and affordable food, Little Bao easily became a hallmark in Hong Kong’s dining scene, and a must-visit for visitors.

Little Bao Goes On Tour

Chef May’s west and east backgrounds are the flavor infused into her signature burgers. Before founding her iconic restaurant, Chef May worked as a private chef for Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron, and as a chef at Alvin Leung’s Bo Innovation. She was also named Best Female Chef by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017 and has since used her platform to not only share amazing food but also promote LGBTQ rights and help women find work in professional kitchens.

Chef May expressed her love for food, which was fostered from a young age, and how she was inspired by its capability to connect people.

“Following Alvin Leung at that time, he showed me what food is able to do with traveling around the world, and storytelling,” May said. “I love that about food. For me it's not a function, it's about being able to communicate with the world.”

Currently on tour this year, Chef May travels around Asia to explore its culinary delights and connect more people through food by bringing her popular dishes to local dining hotspots in the region. These so-called Little Bao Pop-ups provide a fun and unique dining experience for locals by offering them both signature and exclusive dishes through collaborations with chefs in the region.

Last Aug. 22, The Beat Manila caught Chef May’s take over at Your Local, a trendy restaurant in Makati serving up contemporary Asian cuisine, headed by Chef Patrick Go. Here’s what went down!

Little Bao Takes Over Your Local

Your Local has been deemed as one of Makati’s best-kept secrets. We just didn’t realize it was meant to be taken literally, as the bistro at the heart of Legazpi Village is somewhat hard to find at first. With an entrance that had no commercialized signages whatsoever and only the muffled sounds of people’s chatter and lively music coming through the frosted glass doors, we were lost for a quick second.

But once you enter, you’ll be welcomed by a cozy, industrial interior that gives off a chic and artsy vibe. This is the kind of place you go to for a slow lunch with friends or to have drinks with colleagues after work. It has an open kitchen design which allows diners to see cooks in action, which adds to the entertainment aspect of its dining experience.

Your Local is led by Chef Patrick Go who is renowned for his innovative culinary creations that seamlessly blend Asian flavors with global techniques. He’s been in the Philippine culinary scene for over fifteen years and is also the mastermind behind some restaurant favorites such as Gochugang and DRIPP, which are both part of the Grid Food Market in Rockwell.

We believe Chef May chose the perfect venue for her Little Bao pop-up as it wonderfully fuses with Chef Pat’s creations and the restaurant’s vibe which leans towards providing a more casual dining experience for their customers.

“I like her philosophy: to make food fun and delicious at the same time,” praised Chef Pat as he talked about his love for Little Bao and how the collaboration with Chef May has taught him a lot. “It’s the same with Your Local. We’re not so much into fine dining. Flavor first, and then fun.”

With the help of their community partner, the Fine Dining Club of the Philippines, Little Bao fired up the Your Local kitchen for two nights on Aug. 22 and 23 and offered an exclusive set menu that included one’s choice of main dish, a side dish, a special dessert, and a Little Bao signature cocktail or mocktail.

The Little Bao Team flew back to Hong Kong on the 24th but the exclusive menu was available at the restaurant until the 25th. It was priced at P1,950 per head.

Chef May likened her tour to attending a Taylor Swift concert, and how people want to hear her all-time hits at every city she hits up. “We want to bring in our signatures,” she said. “What is the most popular and what represents us the most.”

Foodies who were able to get a reservation last weekend definitely had a taste of Little Bao’s iconic double-flamed Pork Char Siu Bao made with a secret marinade and topped with homemade ginger scallion mayo and cucumber leek salad. The pork was exceptionally tender with the salad adding a refreshing element to each bite. 11/10 lived up to the hype! We wished we could’ve taken home a dozen more!

The other featured main is the Sichuan Fried Chicken, which had a curry flavor from the Szechuan powder. It gives you that “Mala” (numbing and spicy in Chinese) kick and boasts tender meat and extra crunchy skin Fried Chicken lovers will surely approve of!

Some of the stellar drinks available at the event included the refreshing Lychee Yuzu G&T and the herbaceous Shiso Highball.

There were also mocktails that had us slurping with a smile. We especially enjoyed the Guavalada with its hints of passionfruit and grapefruit, and the Yuzu Maple Soda, which is as refreshing as a dip in the pool on a hot summer day.

A twist on a classic Filipino dessert

The star of the show came near the end, which lived up to the phrase: “Save the best for last.” Wrapping up our Little Bao experience was the sweetest dessert collaboration by Little Bao and Your Local’s Chef Pat, which gave a local classic treat a more…well, Bao-like look!

The Filipino Polvoron Ice Cream Bao topped with Calamansi Caramel, Pinipig Crumble, and Tultul Salt was everything you could want in a dessert. It had hot (fried bao bun) and cold (Polvoron ice cream) elements, as well as a blend of textures from the smooth creamy ice cream to the crunchy Pinipig crumble.

The Polvoron ice cream is a signature dessert at Your Local while the ice cream bao’s can be found among Little Bao’s dessert offerings. Chef May explained that they eat the fried buns (mantou) dipped in creamy condensed milk back in Hong Kong.

On the other hand, Polvoron is a powdered milk snack every Filipino knows and loves. Seeing it sandwiched between the bao buns reminded us of how we also love to eat sweet things with bread, like rolls stuffed with sweetened coconut filling (Pan de coco) or with the famed “dirty ice cream (sorbetes)." Chef Pat even admitted enjoying eating their Polvoron ice cream with pandesal (Filipino bread roll)!

This wonderful fusion of cultures brought us a unique ice cream sandwich that looked like the cutest little bao burger!

Chef May also talked about the collaboration as a chance to learn more about the local cuisine, and how the goal of the tour is to bring something new to the table.

“We want it to be authentic and original to the local community,” she explained. “I know like Halo-Halo was our first stop but it’s too obvious and it’s been done before. I want it to be more authentic, and the ingredients to be sourced differently. And so, we present the challenge to the creative chefs we partner with, and we learn from each other.”

As for the best part about being on tour? Chef May added, “I love people, and I love comfort food. The reason why we do this is not for money but for more like to reach out and learn more about every place we go.”

Little Bao will be taking over more kitchens in Asia in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for more exciting menu collaborations!

Follow @littlebaohk and @yourlocalph on Facebook and Instagram for updates and more scrumptious details on the latest eats and treats.