Chris Andrews, owner of Bao 111 (Platt's 86th favorite restaurant), tells us that when his lease is up at the end of this month, he and his partner, Chris Johnson, will move to a space on the West Side. He doesn’t want to jinx lease negotiations by giving us a location, but he says the new digs will be larger than the original. “We’ve had a great time, but rents have gone through the roof,” he tells us of his departure from the East Village. “It’s more difficult to get a space with square footage.” Johnson says he’s negotiating with a Vietnamese chef from Hanoi, but there won’t be any drastic menu changes.

Earlier: Bao 111 Seeks New Owner, New Space