Taiwanese restaurant chain with 7 London outlets to launch first fast-food stall in Singa…

Taiwanese restaurant chain Bao, which has seven outlets in London, will launch a temporary fast-food stall in Singapore next month with a vision for a permanent site.

The two-month Bao Fast Foods (BFF) pop-up will be located at New Bahru mall from Nov. 11 to Dec. 28, with a view to opening a permanent site in the first half of 2027, according to the chain’s website.

The chain, which is known for "bao" (steamed buns filled with savory fillings) and fried chicken, has partnered with Singapore’s The Lo & Behold Group to launch its newest concept.

The stall will take over a ground-floor space. Combining a convenience store and fast-food restaurant, it will serve Taiwanese-inspired dishes including fried chicken and beef noodles.

London-based Bao founders Shing Tat Chung and Erchen Chang started the business more than a decade ago as a stall at London’s Netil Market, alongside Chung’s sister, Wai Ting.

In June, Chung and Chang held a month-long BFF pop-up in Taipei to explore Taiwanese food and convenience-store culture. They developed and refined recipes and products through talks and "design jams" with the local community, according to Channel News Asia.

Designed to look like a convenience store, BFF’s Singapore stall will have shelves stocked with snacks such as Taiwanese chips and instant noodles.

Its main offering will be a menu of dishes inspired by Taiwan, alongside grab-and-go options including egg mayonnaise sandwiches and Asian salads.

"We wanted to take Taiwanese culture and spread it," said Chung, who is married to Chang. "In terms of the global fast food players, there's no Taiwanese representation."

BFF is Chung and Chang’s first venture in Asia. "The thought of coming from London and opening an Asian place in an Asian country like Singapore – it's a tough thing to do," Chung said.

Chang said Singapore’s international culture would help the founders understand "where it can go after."