Bao Selecta — Local services in Great Britain

I've avidly followed Bao Selecta since their food got me through the first lockdown way back in 2020 and feel that I ought to show my appreciation in a review.

Their main products are of course the bao buns. Sweet, fluffy steamed buns resembling clouds, stuffed with various fillings, from juicy pork belly to tender Korean pulled chicken. My personal favourite is the crispy "beef" in a sticky ginger glaze. I've recommended this dish to many friends and they are always shocked to find out afterwards that it's actually vegan. The buns aren't huge by any means, but each one is like a hand grenade exploding with flavour. You can tell that everything is freshly homemade, not a smidge of stodge in sight.

They also have a wide range of side dishes that they rotate, like their sweet and zesty Laos slaw, satay noodle salad and 'happy lady' rice. A bao bun with any one of these sides makes a hearty meal.

They also have seasonal specials such as a mince pie bao bun (with BAILEYS CREAM) in the run up to Christmas and summer rolls in, you guessed it, the summertime. Their versatility and adaptability is unlike anything I've seen from a small business.

I'm thrilled to see that they've recently opened a permanent stall in Cardiff Market, not only as its a sign they're doing very well, but also because their rice bowls will keep me fed on my lunch breaks.

I truly believe that they serve up the best food in Cardiff and will continue to follow them everywhere they go, and wax lyrical about them to anyone...

I visited Bao Selecta at Cardiff Market. The staff were warm and welcoming. Unfortunately I had to wait a good 10 mins for my food, which I thought was a little slow.

I ordered the spicy beef rice bowl and once it arrived, overall I thought it was nice but could have delivered a little more. The sticky rice, crispy spicy beef and vegetable toppings were a nice combination of flavours. Although I wasn't too sure on the texture of the spicy beef, it was if I was eating crispy batter bits rather than actual meat, that is probably more of a personal preference more than anything though. I would have prefered a little more sauce, as the dish was a little dry given how crispy the beef was and some fresh herbs to finish.

Overall, the dish had a nice array of flavours, but just lacked that overall punch of flavours and range...

Really, really good stuff. Had the vegan Korean fried chicken and it was on point.

The 'chicken' has been double fried I think, so it has a perfect crunchy texture where the batter seems to shatter as you bite into it. The gochujang sauce is perfectly balanced with a nice subtle sweetness, kimchi was fresh, crunchy and sour and the bao was like eating a cloud.

Finally, the fake chicken used was very good. Savoury and pulled apart in strips like real chicken, so had a close resemblance to texture and absolutely none of that uncanny fake meat taste, just seemed like real chicken.

This is vegan cuisine that eeeasily stands up to meat alternatives and is another example of Cardiff's rapidly improving...