Broadway Market highlights: BanhMi'11 and Yum Bun - Momofoko hits London (nearly..)

I've talked before about the life changing pork buns at Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York. Silkily simple steamed white rice buns filled with softest braised pork belly, spring onions and hoisin sauce. Truly god's own bar snack.

I'd never really entertained the hope of these little pats of goodness arriving in London, much less in a recognisable format or as close to the warmly unctuous soft pocket perfection of the originals. As such I was only mildly interested when I first heard about the Yum Bun stall at Broadway Market on a Saturday. "Hackney copycats" quoth I dismissively, certain that they'd not live up to my memories of the original. Lucky for me they were serving their pork filled pockets at the Actor's Touring Company Gala and I was able to sample one or two (definitely no more than three, and only because I was given a spare..) after a spectacular evening at the Arcola watching The Golden Dragon.

They're almost as good. And that's enough for me. The joy of the originals is somewhat in their surroundings. I mean, if I'm eating them, then I'm in New York, and that makes me very happy in itself. These are lacking somewhat on the fat, the Blythburgh pork is damned tasty, but other than one bun they just lacked a bit of the sweetness that comes with a strip of properly melting fat. Other than that, I can't fault them at all.


And if you need another excuse (or two) to go to Broadway Market...

It's home to another of my favourite snacks, possibly the best banh mi in London, served (with enormous snaking queue) at the otherwise utterly delightful BahnMi'11. Marinaded and freshly cooked pork, beef and chicken (not to mention an amazingly piquant turmeric scented catfish) are prepared over authentic Vietnamese griddles and served in homemade rice flour baguettes with coriander, chilli and veggies. Food. Of. Champions.

If that hasn't done it for you, then stick around till the evening, and get involved with the Argentine grill at Buen Ayre (see here for a recent review). While not as well known as Borough or Spitalfields, for the food alone, I'll be making the trip up to tease the trendies again.