Bleu Bao, the Bao Family's Chinese restaurant in SoPi

Do we still need to introduce the Bao Family? Already at the helm of the delicious Petit Bao and Gros Bao, Céline Chung and Billy Pham have just opened their third restaurant in Paris, Bleu Bao. This time, it's in the capital's 9th arrondissement, in a 250m2 space.

After revisiting the style of Shanghai's boui-boui in Petit Bao, a micro-checkout dedicated to homemade bao, then interpreting the codes of Hong Kong kitsch in Gros Bao, a popular canteen where Peking duck is king, the Bao Family continues to rewrite Chinese cuisine in its own way, while paying homage to tradition.

At Bleu Bao, the old-school style of old Chinese bourgeois houses is highlighted - lovers of the film In The Mood For Love will have stars in their eyes - with a particular focus on the beautiful blue porcelain services, from which the restaurant takes its name, which take pride of place on the tables.

Stepping through the door at Bleu Bao is like stepping into a period film, especially on the first floor where, at the top of the stairs, a charming deep-blue lounge awaits you, more intimate and discreet than the first floor where the noisy atmosphere of traditional Chinese canteens awaits you with a large group of friends.

On the plates, Bleu Bao features the Bao Family's signature dishes, such as the famous baozi, including the very good vegetarian baozi with seasonal vegetables (7€); delicious, melting hong shao eggplant (10€); shanghai noodles; and xiaolongbao (10€), filled with hot broth.

But Bleu Bao of course leaves room for a host of equally tempting new dishes that will change with the seasons, including sweet & sour chicken (13€); or dongpo pork (19€), an incredible braised pork belly that's so tasty and melt-in-your-mouth that you (almost) slice it with a spoon.

• To be read
• Bricktop Pizza, the extra pizzeria on Canal Saint-Martin
• Faste, the restaurant with generous and original croque-monsieurs
• Loov, tasty and (very) affordable couscous in République

Chefs Amandine Sepulcre-Huang and Leslie Chirino, along with the Bao Family, have also decided to give pride of place to dim sum, the traditional steamed ravioli, prepared here in the finest style. At Bleu Bao, you'll find har gow (7€) with shrimp and water chestnuts, siu mai (7€) with pork and shrimp, and luo buo gao (7€), small cakes of fried daikon radish; dim sum you won't find anywhere else! And don't miss the sweet lava bao (5€) for dessert, with its warm, runny heart of salted egg yolk; a little marvel of deliciousness.

Another good idea is the cocktail menu inspired by the eight regions of China and created by Nicolas Goradesky. The mixologist has chosen a flagship product from each region and created a unique and creative cocktail around it, such as the Shenzhen cocktail with roasted black sesame, the Nanjing cocktail, similar to gin and tonic, with purple shiso and umeshu, or our favorite, the Fujian cocktail (13€), similar in every way to a bubble tea, with tapioca pearls and oolong tea infused in milk, but in an alcoholic version with bourbon; a delight!

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.