On the vibrant London food scene, Bao has carved out a distinctive niche as it marks its 10th anniversary—a significant milestone not just for the founders, but also for the countless Nigerian and West African expatriates and food lovers who frequent the city’s dynamic restaurants. What stands out about Bao’s culinary journey is the seamless interplay between tradition and innovation—a dynamic familiar to Nigerians and Ghanaians, who often blend heritage recipes with contemporary twists. As the London weather cools and the city shifts towards autumn, there’s an instinctive longing for dishes that offer warmth, depth, and comfort. It’s during these transitional months that rich, nostalgia-laden meals like the classic Taiwanese lu rou fan and innovative street-food-inspired daikon tots truly shine.
Bao’s two headline dishes this season—the soulful, braised pork rice bowl and addictive daikon tots—capture the heart of what draws diners across both continents: bold, grounding flavors with a hint of indulgence. For Nigerians, this duality echoes the balance found in many local favorites, where familiar ingredients receive new life through creative hands in the kitchen. According to Lagos-based culinary analyst, Ifeoma Ogundele, “There’s a universal appeal in dishes that are both comforting and surprising. That’s what makes global food cross borders—similar to how jollof rice or akara has inspired variations across West Africa and beyond.”
Lu rou fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork, pictured top)
Lu rou fan offers a layered, deeply aromatic experience that feels at once foreign and oddly familiar to African palates. While the dish is rooted in Taiwanese home cooking, its foundation—slow-braised, richly seasoned pork—recalls Nigerian classics like ofada sauce or asun, where meat is gently coaxed into tenderness using time-honored techniques. The method involves poaching pork belly twice, first to lock in moisture and then to infuse flavor, before a fragrant braise imparts that characteristic melt-in-the-mouth finish.
Preparation:
– Prep time: 15 minutes
– Cooling: 4 hours or more (preferably overnight)
– Cooking: 3 hours
– Serves: 4
Ingredients for Poaching:
500g pork belly
10ml michiu (rice wine) or substitute with cooking sake or dry sherry (locally, palm wine vinegar could offer a unique twist)
2cm fresh ginger, smashed
½ clove garlic, crushed
For the Braise:
¼ tbsp rapeseed oil or any neutral oil
¼ shallot, diced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 dried red chilli (scotch bonnet can work for an added kick)
1 star anise
1½ tsp Shaoxing rice wine
¾ tsp mirin (or a touch of honey for sweetness)
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ red apple, diced
1cm ginger, bashed
¼ spring onion, halved
¾ tsp rice vinegar
1 small cinnamon stick
¼ tsp dark soy sauce
Steamed white rice (long grain, basmati, or local Nigerian rice is suitable)
Method:
Begin by placing the pork belly into a large pot of cold water, bringing it to a boil, and simmering for five minutes to remove impurities. Discard the water and transfer the pork to a clean pot, skin-side down. Cover with fresh water and add the rice wine (or local substitute), ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and poach for about 20 minutes, until the pork firms up and the skin turns translucent. Let the meat cool in its own poaching liquor for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, to maximize juiciness and flavor.
Once cooled, remove the pork and cut it into cubes, preserving the flavorful skin. Strain and reserve the poaching liquid for later. To braise, heat oil in a heavy pot or stew pan and fry the diced shallot and pork cubes until aromatic and the shallots have softened—this should take about ten minutes. Add 125ml of reserved poaching liquid and all remaining braising ingredients except the dark soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for two hours, topping up with more poaching liquid if needed.
After two hours, remove the lid, stir in the dark soy sauce, and cook over medium heat for another 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. Serve the stew-hot pork over a bed of steamed rice, allowing the savory sauce to coat each grain. As with Nigerian obe ata (tomato sauce), the secret lies in not over-rendering the fat, so the pork retains its structure while remaining satisfyingly soft. This dish is remarkable for its comfort and the way it draws people together, much like moimoi or ofada rice parties back home.
Daikon Tots
Much like Nigeria’s favorite street snacks—think yam balls or akara—daikon tots offer both a crunchy exterior and a pleasingly soft, almost creamy interior. Interestingly, the recipe was a serendipitous creation, discovered by the chef before Bao even opened for business. These daikon tots are tried and tested kitchen magic: crunchy, golden bites that could easily become a new favorite at Nigerian parties and gatherings. Local cooks can substitute daikon with turnip, yam, or even grated sweet potato, which are far more readily available in West African markets.
Preparation:
– Prep time: 5 minutes
– Freeze: Overnight
– Cooking: 40 minutes
– Makes: 10–12 tots
Ingredients:
850g daikon (or local yam, turnip, or sweet potato), peeled and grated
90g plain flour, plus about 100g more for breading
1⅓ tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
200g panko breadcrumbs
About 500ml vegetable oil for deep-frying (groundnut oil works well locally)
Method:
Start a day ahead. Place grated daikon (or substitute) in a large dry frying pan over medium heat, cooking for about 15 minutes to reduce moisture. Add around 100ml water for stewing, then mix in 90g flour and the salt, stirring to combine. Line a baking tin with clingfilm, press the mixture in to a 2.5cm depth, and steam (or bake tightly covered if steamer unavailable) for half an hour. Cool fully, then wrap and freeze overnight.
On the next day, bring out the tin and allow to soften for 10 minutes at room temperature. Unmold the set daikon and slice into cubes (about 2.5cm each). Prepare three bowls for breading: flour, beaten eggs, and panko. Dip each cube in flour, then egg (with one hand), then panko (with the other, to prevent clumping). Heat oil in a deep, heavy pot to 160°C (when a ginger cube sizzles and browns in 20 seconds). Fry tots in small batches for two minutes, turning to color evenly. Remove to drain on paper towels and let cool.
Raise the oil temperature to 190°C (when a ginger cube browns in 10 seconds). Refry the cooled tots in batches for about a minute until golden and crisp. The double-fry method—similar to suya or puff-puff frying—ensures a light crust and a gooey, tender center. Serve hot with your favorite sauce; Nigerian diners may enjoy them with spicy ata dindin, suya pepper, or classic pepper sauce. This recipe presents a perfect intersection between Asian technique and beloved West African snack culture.
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Erchen Chang is chef/co-founder of Bao in London
For many Nigerians and West Africans living in diaspora, or even those curious about global cuisine at home, dishes like lu rou fan and daikon tots offer an exciting yet accessible entry point into East Asian flavors. The willingness to adapt—replacing daikon with yam, for instance, or palm wine vinegar for rice wine—demonstrates how culinary boundaries are often made to be crossed. As Lagos-based food blogger Chidinma Adepoju observes, “Good food connects us, no matter where we’re from. These recipes can fit into Nigerian kitchens if we’re willing to get creative.”
From a global standpoint, the intersection of Asian and African cuisines is beginning to gain momentum, as chefs and home cooks experiment with fusions that reflect the interconnected history of these regions—through migration, trade, and diaspora communities in cities like London, Accra, or even Lagos. Dishes like these, when reimagined with local flavors, could enrich party tables, Sunday lunches, or even the roadside snack selection. The encouragement here is clear: don’t be afraid to try new things in your own kitchen, and find ways to make global recipes uniquely your own.
What do you think—would you try Taiwanese-style braised pork or reinvented daikon tots in your home, using Nigerian or Ghanaian ingredients? What’s your favorite way of fusing global flavors with local classics? Drop a comment below and join our conversation!
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