Introducing: Lucky Red, the new bao shop from the Banh Mi Boys brothers
Name: Lucky Red
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Contact Info: 318 Spadina Ave., 416-792-8628, luckyredshop.com
Previous Tenant: Vietnamese sandwich shop Cali Banh Mi & Che
Owners/Chefs: David, Phil and Peter Chau, the fraternal trio behind Banh Mi Boys
The Food: Thirteen different bao-style sandwiches, each served on a steamed-milk or egg-baked bun. Fillings range from relatively typical (XO-doused fried oysters, five-spice barbecue pork) to decidedly nontraditional (beef brisket slathered in ballpark mustard, marshmallow s’more). For the bao averse, there are also lo-mein bowls topped with pork belly or barbecue chicken.
The Drinks: Homemade lemonades (one with yuzu, another with lychee) and Vietnamese coffees.
The Place: The exterior—with its bulb-studded sign and faux-antique Chinese doors—almost blends into the Chinatown surroundings. Inside, there’s a farm-meets-factory vibe thanks to decorative steel siding and lots of raw pine. A huge graffiti mural depicts the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
