What: Located little more than a dumpling’s throw away from Shoreditch High Street station, this is the latest opening by Cantonese steamed bun specialist Bun House and marks the group’s first East London location. As denoted by the name, the concept draws inspiration from 80’s Hong Kong disco culture and comes complete with an eclectic soundtrack that encompasses Canto and synthpop, as well as distinctive retro interiors.
Who: Bun House was founded by husband-and-wife team Alex Peffly and Z He, who opened their first restaurant on Greek Street in Soho in early 2017. They subsequently relocated it to Lisle Street in Chinatown in 2019, where it continues to trade. Bun House Disco marks the Bun House brand’s first bricks and mortar opening since then and takes over the Glass House site on Bethnal Green Road where the pair previously operated a bar and café. He and Peffly’s portfolio also includes Chinese crépe brand Pleasant Lady, which has a single location in Spitalfields.
The food: Bun House Disco serves a tight lunch menu and a slightly longer dinner offering that comprises steamed buns, dim sums, wontons and snacks. The full menu of buns (£3.80 each) from the Chinatown restaurant features including savoury ones with meat or vegetables, and a sweet custard dessert bun that has become something of a signature for the brand. There’s also a new special with black sesame paste. Snacks are designed as smaller sharing plates and include kung pao wings (£6.80); stir fried rolled noodles with either chopped lamb or mixed vegetables (£8.60); smacked cucumber (£5.60); and salt and pepper squid (£8.80). Both prawn and vegetable wontons (£8.60 per portion) are offered with a selection of dressings including black vinegar and hot and sour. At lunchtime, those wanting a more substantial dish can order their wontons ‘slurpy’ by adding wide noodles (+£2); ‘wet’ by adding soup; or ‘messy’ by adding both noodles and soup (+£2).
To drink: The focus here is on cocktails, which have been created by He and are designed as interpretations of classic cocktails made with Chinese herbs and spices. They include a chrysanthemum martini with Roku gin, chrysanthemum wine, white vermouth and lemongrass (£11.80); a five spiced mai tai with aged Shaoxing wine, five spice and hibiscus (£11.50); and a sesame old fashion with sesame bourbon and roasted almond bitters (£11.80).
The vibe: He, whose background is in architecture, has also played a significant role in the restaurant’s design, which is intended to be evocative of downtown Hong Kong drinking dens. The interiors include a maroon-tiled bar stretching the length of the space; an open kitchen; disco balls; and retro striped booths. The space holds around 40 covers in total.
And another thing: Bun House Disco is celebrating the festive season with a special ‘steamy Santa’ dessert bun that’s filled with sticky toffee sauce.
118 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 6DG
bun.house