Bun House Disco is set to open on November 12, taking over the Glass House location on Bethnal Green Road, where founders Alex Peffly and Z He previously ran a bar and café. The duo first established Bun House on Greek Street in Soho in early 2017, later moving to Lisle Street in Chinatown in 2019, and have since expanded the brand through temporary satellite locations.
The new Shoreditch restaurant will offer Bun House’s signature steamed buns along with a fresh wonton menu and cocktail selection. Diners can choose from prawn and vegetable wontons, served with various dressings, including black vinegar and hot and sour dressing. Wontons can also be customized – ‘slurpy’ with wide noodles, ‘wet’ with soup, or ‘messy’ with both noodles and soup. A variety of snacks and sharing plates will be available as well.
The cocktail menu will be crafted by He, featuring unique takes on classic cocktails infused with Chinese herbs and spices. Notable options include a chrysanthemum martini, cheung fun old fashioned, and mala margarita.
Designed to evoke the vibe of downtown Hong Kong’s drinking dens, Bun House Disco will showcase a maroon-tiled bar, an open kitchen, disco balls, and retro striped booths. He reflects on the inspiration behind the concept, saying, “Growing up, I always admired the neon lights of 80’s disco culture, particularly in Hong Kong, and wanted to create a place that captured the spirit of this.”
He adds, “Shoreditch feels like a natural home for Bun House Disco and gives us the opportunity to embrace the creativity and energy of East London. We can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on for the last couple of years.”
Following Bun House’s transition from Soho to Chinatown, He and Peffly relaunched their original Greek Street site as Wun’s Tea Room & Bar, inspired by He’s upbringing. Wun’s has been permanently closed since last year, although it was listed as ‘temporarily closed’ on Google. He confirmed, “In November 2023, I made the decision to close Wun’s Tea Room in Soho to put all my efforts into the growth of Bun House and opening Bun House Disco. We’re really grateful for all the love and support we had from our diners in Soho but felt it was the right time to step away and embrace new opportunities.”
In addition to Bun House, He and Peffly also run the Chinese crêpe brand Pleasant Lady, which has a location in Spitalfields.
