With their Taiwanese heritage, brothers Tim and Lawrence Lai had always wanted to open a restaurant that served the food they grew up eating and craving on a daily basis. Momo Baohaus, which opened in June 2016, is the realisation of that dream, serving authentic Taiwanese street food in Greenside, Johannesburg.

A momo bowl at Momo Baohaus in Greenside. Photo supplied.

Many of the dishes on the menu are inspired by the brothers’ visits back to Taiwan, explains Tim. “We knew we wanted to serve modern interpretations of these family favourites, whilst still being true to what made these dishes amazing in the first place.”

That being said, patrons at Momo Baohaus can also look forward to tasting bao that are based on Taiwanese street food with some interesting modern twists, as well as some Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine.

A sushi platter at Momo Baohaus. Photo supplied.

The food offering is overflowing both with traditional and contemporary flavours, and recipes from family members. “The kimchi and our potstickers are exactly the way my mother used to make them,” says Tim. “We knew we wanted to keep the fillings for the potstickers authentic, except for a few modern twists.”

The Colonel Bao filled with crispy fried chicken and sriracha. Photo supplied.

The menu will be divided into sections: Tapas, such as salmon ceviche tacos and Korean fried chicken wings; bao filled with braised lamb, crispy beef or tempura prawn; and bowls of comforting options like egg-fried rice, wokked noodles, and soba noodles. The offering will also include sushi rolls and dessert bao with a sweet milk or caramel dip.

As for drinks, Momo Baohaus doesn’t have a liquor licence yet, but you can take your own tipple at no charge. This zero-corkage-fee policy will remain once the licence comes in.