Viva Brighton Issue #48 February 2017

FOOD
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Baby Bao
Steamy buns
I’m walking up Queens Road towards the station, thinking about
what to have for lunch, when my attention drifts toward the gathering
of people around the Brighthelm Centre gardens. I realise
I had completely forgotten about Street Diner. In the summer
months it was packed with daytrippers and lunchbreakers, trying to pick from the array of interesting food on
offer, forming picnic circles on the grass, the sun beaming down… or at least that’s how I remember it. But
then the weather turned and eating al fresco lost its appeal, and we went back to lunching indoors. Has it still
been going on this whole time?
I head towards the stalls, with their owners now wrapped up in scarves and hats, and join the queue for a Baby
Bao steamed bun, a veggie one, stuffed with fried tofu, mushrooms, their own miso mayo, and a sprinkling
of crispy onions. It’s not really sitting-on-the-grass weather, so I tuck my lunch safely into my bag and walk
back to the office. The intriguing little bun attracts some envious attention from the others, not least because
of the noises I’m making while eating it. It is probably the tastiest thing I’ve eaten all January. The fluffy
bun soaks up the delicious juices from the mushrooms and the sauce, and the onions add a satisfying crunch.
I can’t say very many words until I’ve polished the whole thing off, and licked my fingers clean. I definitely
won’t be forgetting about Street Diner again. RC
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