Latest news with #Bonnie's
South China Morning Post
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How a Cantonese-American chef in New York uses MSG to celebrate his culture
On his left upper arm, Cantonese-American chef Calvin Eng has a tattoo that pays tribute to his upbringing and his identity as a chef. It is a heart with a banner bearing the letters MSG – the abbreviation of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate – and it shows just how dedicated he is to the ingredient that has drawn controversy for decades. Now, Eng has gone one step further in declaring his love for MSG by including it in the name of his debut cookbook, Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home, which he wrote with his fiancée Phoebe Melnick. The book's title is a nod to what Eng considers to be the trinity of seasonings in Cantonese food ingredients, which are part of what he believes makes the cuisine special. Roasted mushroom lo mai fan (sticky rice) is one of the recipes in Salt Sugar MSG. Photo: Alex Lau While the book, published in March, can be regarded as an extension of his restaurant Bonnie's – a Cantonese-American establishment in New York's Brooklyn borough – it stands on its own as a collection of recipes meant to be made easily at home. It also reflects how the couple wrote it while raising their young son, Levi. The idea for the book dates back to December 2021, when Bonnie's had just opened. While the restaurant was able to feed up to around 200 people a night, Eng wanted to extend the reach of Cantonese-American food further, to people outside New York. Writing a book was his way of doing this.
Sydney Morning Herald
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Beyond Manhattan: The highlights of New York most visitors miss
There was a time when Manhattan-dwellers wouldn't deign to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, but those days are long gone, as are the cheap rents that originally fostered the artists and musicians who made this borough a byword for hip the world over. It has become a parody, too: quinoa milk lattes, tattoo parlours on every block, and unwanted innovations such as rainbow bagels and bars inside barbershops. But there was a Brooklyn long before any of this, and a Brooklyn that lies beyond the reaches of gentrification still. It is reductive, in fact, to talk about Brooklyn as a whole – if it were a city, it would be the third most populous in the US and each Brooklyn neighbourhood has its own distinct vibe and calling card. Each neighbourhood within Brooklyn has its own atmosphere. Williamsburg and Greenpoint are well-trodden by tourists, the first neighbourhoods to gentrify and still generating some of the city's hottest dining destinations – just try to get a table at Cantonese American spot Bonnie's ( But the red brick artist lofts and gritty dives that once gave it character have given way to luxury condos and pricey cocktails, and it can feel like a hipster Disneyland. Further south, Fort Greene hits that sweet spot between harbouring genuine local culture and excellent fodder for any visitor. Catch a show at Brooklyn Academy of Music ( then stroll along DeKalb Avenue to find dinner – the eagerly awaited Saraghina Caffe ( just opened there – finishing at nearby Vanderbilt Avenue ( for one of the city's best Open Streets. From here, it is a short stroll to Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux of Central Park fame. At weekends, the borough's de facto backyard is a ruckus of runners, cyclists, competing barbecues and birdwatchers, weddings and quinceanera birthday celebrations. On its north side, the Brooklyn Museum ( is at the forefront of culture, and the bandstand hosts the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival ( In the evenings, fireflies dart between picnicking attendees while music plays. But go deeper into Brooklyn still. To Gowanus, where the clean-up of its notoriously polluted canal continues (you can now take sunset canoe rides, bookable at ushering in a new era of development around clusters of great spots: Threes Brewing ( for craft beer; Insa ( for Korean barbecue and karaoke; and the charming old-world Jalopy Theatre ( for folk music. Further south, Green-Wood Cemetery ( offers tours of its 194 hectares of ostentatious mausoleums and notable internees, such as artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and composer Leonard Bernstein. It has evolved into a cultural destination for the living, with outdoor movie screenings and pop-up performances. End a visit on the waterfront in Red Hook, with a shrimp basket and sunset views at Brooklyn Crab ( Essentials Brooklyn is well serviced by multiple subway lines (J, M, Z, F, B, D, N, Q, A, C, 2, 3, R, 4, 5, G), plus buses and the NYC Ferry ( The Ace Brooklyn ( offers double rooms from about $A323 a night (excluding taxes). The Bronx Visitors come to the Bronx for its three main attractions: Yankee Stadium (try to catch the New York Yankees on their home turf; ( the Bronx Zoo, which is as vast as it is impressive ( and the New York Botanical Garden, the country's largest with a million plants and a gorgeous Victorian-style glasshouse ( The latter two are adjacent to Arthur Avenue, far and wide considered the real Little Italy (Mario's Restaurant is the stuff of red sauce legend). All of these are worth the ride and could fill a three-day itinerary on their own. Affluent 19th-century New York families built their summer houses amid the greenery of the northwest Bronx, and many remain standing today. The 18th-century Van Cortlandt House has been restored as a museum, and its surrounding land is now the 464 hectare Van Cortlandt Park. Nearby, Wave Hill ( was a private estate visited by Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, and Theodore Roosevelt, but is now a serene public garden, looking out over the Hudson River. There are also unexpected architectural gems, such as the historic district of the Grand Concourse, originally modelled on the Champs-Elysees, or the Bronx Community College, a National Historic Landmark designed by Stanford White. Once a Roman-style aqueduct, the High Bridge ( has been restored and reopened as a footbridge connecting Washington Heights in Manhattan and the Bronx. And it has its own quaint seaside escape; City Island is a fishing community, packed with seafood restaurants, local galleries and boat culture. But none of that gets to the heart of what the Bronx is about: vibrant, tight-knit and eclectic, as exemplified by the emerging neighbourhood of Mott Haven. With easy access to Manhattan, this previously industrial hood has been slowly, quietly burgeoning with hip dining spots like Bricks & Hops ( and Beatstro ( drawing the crowds. Other local businesses to check out include indie bookstore and wine bar the Lit Bar ( Bronx Native ( a clothing line in homage to the designers' home turf; and Mottley Kitchen ( a cafe with rooftop yoga and fresh juices. Essentials Take the 1, 2, 5, B, or D subway lines north to reach the Bronx, or the Metro-North commuter train from Grand Central station. Wingate by Wyndham ( offers double rooms from about $US135 a night (excluding taxes). Queens Some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline are from the Gantry Plaza State Park ( in Long Island City. But it would be a disservice to this borough to use it solely as a vantage point to its glitzier neighbour. Queens is one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the US, with more languages spoken here than anywhere else on the planet. This diversity breeds a wildly rich food culture with more than 3000 restaurants representing at least 120 nationalities. If nothing else, come here to eat your way around the world. Corona is famed for its Latin American kitchens; Elmhurst veers more pan Asian; and Jackson Heights is the go-to for Indian, Mexican, Nepali and more. Queens' own Chinatown, Flushing, is the largest outside Asia. The New World Mall food court ( is the go-to for affordable and diverse Chinese cuisine. Tangram Mall food court is terrific, featuring many popular Queens food vendors ( If navigating between momos and chivitos is overwhelming, Culinary Backstreets ( offers a foodie walking tour of Queens to help you find that hole-in-the-wall Thai eatery you may otherwise overlook. Another way to taste it all is to head to Queens Night Market ( in Flushing Meadows' Corona Park on a Saturday. Down in the leafy residential neighbourhood of Ridgewood, gentrification has started to cross the border from Brooklyn's Bushwick. Multipurpose arts venue Nowadays ( with its massive outside space and dance parties, has a lot to do with the changes. Venues such as Rolo's ( and Pizzeria Panina ( both helmed by impressive hospitality talent, have set out to create long-standing neighbourhood restaurants rather than flash-in-the-pan successes. But Queens is more than its food (or, at least, in between eating, there is plenty to entertain). The contemporary arts institution MoMA PS1 ( is certainly responsible in part for heralding a new era in Long Island City, such was its impact. In Astoria, the Museum of the Moving Image ( with its permanent Jim Henson Exhibition, is an immersive audiovisual experience too often overlooked. Queens stretches all the way down to the Rockaways, a 17-kilometre peninsula of sandy beaches merely an A-train ride from the city. Devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the revitalised Rockaways now boasts cute beachy boutiques such as the Swellife ( and popular eateries like Tacoway Beach ( Essentials The 7 subway train traverses most of Queens; for the Rockaways, take the Far Rockaway-bound A train or the Rockaway Park-bound shuttle. The Rockaway Hotel and Spa ( offers double rooms from $US290 a night (excluding taxes). Staten Island It's a classic New York City tourist hack to ride the Staten Island Ferry instead of coughing up for a boat trip to visit the Statue of Liberty. After all, the ferry is free, beer is served on board and it glides right past Lady Liberty herself. Yet many visitors make a U-turn and head straight back. Staten Island has an entrenched outsider status – they did vote to secede from New York City in 1993 – and is closer geographically and culturally to New Jersey. Nicknamed "the forgotten borough". With a population just shy of 500,000, Staten Island is the least populated of the boroughs, but also the greenest, with a 1133-hectare greenbelt cutting across its centre and flocks of wild turkeys. Freshkills Park ( is an unlikely ecological success story, replacing what was formerly the world's largest landfill. The attractions are fewer than those of her sister boroughs, but nonetheless intriguing – such as the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art ( the largest collection outside Tibet, so groundbreaking that the Dalai Lama visited in 1991. Another example is the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden ( which comprises 14 botanical gardens, three museums (the Staten Island Museum is a great place to get some historical bearings), two art galleries and an urban farm which supplies restaurants across the city. Visit the South Shore's Conference House where Revolutionary War peace talks were held, or the Historic Richmond Town ( home to 40 restored properties on the site of a 17th-century village, including the Dutch-style Voorlezer's House, the nation's oldest schoolhouse. St George offers a cluster of good dining options like Enoteca Maria ( which has grandmas from around the world cooking up a storm and acclaimed beer outlet Clinton Hall ( The Flagship Brewing Company ( launched in 2014 and brought new energy to the area; order an award-winning IPA and have a pizza delivered to the bar from nearby Pier 76 ( The prize for best pizza is keenly contested, thanks to the borough's Italian roots, but Joe & Pat's ( usually takes the title. Essentials The Staten Island Ferry runs every 15 to 20 minutes from the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan; tickets are free and the trip takes about 25 minutes. Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Staten Island ( offers double rooms from about $A234 a night …And if you must take Manhattan Manhattan comprises six islands in total, plus a small section of the mainland, called Marble Hill, usually assumed to be the Bronx. If you feel you have seen it all, try visiting the other islands. Governors Island ( just minutes from Lower Manhattan by ferry, has been transformed over the past decade and is now packed with art, educational centres and some beautifully restored historic buildings. There is also an array of wellness experiences at QC NY spa ( and good things to eat at the beautifully designed Island Oyster ( which has views of Manhattan from the outdoor bar. The almost 70-hectare island is car-free; hire a bike and explore at leisure. Roosevelt Island's first hotel, the 224-room Graduate ( on the campus of Cornell Tech, is spectacular, with a chic rooftop bar and dining room in anticipation of more visitors arriving on the aerial Roosevelt Island Tramway. As well as the lesser-known parts of Manhattan, there are also new attractions for a return visitor. Little Island ( near the Meatpacking District, is an extravagant floating park, free to visit and offering an amphitheatre with live performances, food stalls and landscaped gardens. Summit One Vanderbilt ( is a sky-high viewing experience, this one including a dizzying 42-second ride in a light and mirror-lined lift. The Museum of Broadway ( in Times Square offers an in-depth lesson on Broadway's history and a fascinating look at what it takes to make the on-stage magic happen.
The Age
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Beyond Manhattan: The highlights of New York most visitors miss
There was a time when Manhattan-dwellers wouldn't deign to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, but those days are long gone, as are the cheap rents that originally fostered the artists and musicians who made this borough a byword for hip the world over. It has become a parody, too: quinoa milk lattes, tattoo parlours on every block, and unwanted innovations such as rainbow bagels and bars inside barbershops. But there was a Brooklyn long before any of this, and a Brooklyn that lies beyond the reaches of gentrification still. It is reductive, in fact, to talk about Brooklyn as a whole – if it were a city, it would be the third most populous in the US and each Brooklyn neighbourhood has its own distinct vibe and calling card. Each neighbourhood within Brooklyn has its own atmosphere. Williamsburg and Greenpoint are well-trodden by tourists, the first neighbourhoods to gentrify and still generating some of the city's hottest dining destinations – just try to get a table at Cantonese American spot Bonnie's ( But the red brick artist lofts and gritty dives that once gave it character have given way to luxury condos and pricey cocktails, and it can feel like a hipster Disneyland. Further south, Fort Greene hits that sweet spot between harbouring genuine local culture and excellent fodder for any visitor. Catch a show at Brooklyn Academy of Music ( then stroll along DeKalb Avenue to find dinner – the eagerly awaited Saraghina Caffe ( just opened there – finishing at nearby Vanderbilt Avenue ( for one of the city's best Open Streets. From here, it is a short stroll to Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux of Central Park fame. At weekends, the borough's de facto backyard is a ruckus of runners, cyclists, competing barbecues and birdwatchers, weddings and quinceanera birthday celebrations. On its north side, the Brooklyn Museum ( is at the forefront of culture, and the bandstand hosts the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival ( In the evenings, fireflies dart between picnicking attendees while music plays. But go deeper into Brooklyn still. To Gowanus, where the clean-up of its notoriously polluted canal continues (you can now take sunset canoe rides, bookable at ushering in a new era of development around clusters of great spots: Threes Brewing ( for craft beer; Insa ( for Korean barbecue and karaoke; and the charming old-world Jalopy Theatre ( for folk music. Further south, Green-Wood Cemetery ( offers tours of its 194 hectares of ostentatious mausoleums and notable internees, such as artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and composer Leonard Bernstein. It has evolved into a cultural destination for the living, with outdoor movie screenings and pop-up performances. End a visit on the waterfront in Red Hook, with a shrimp basket and sunset views at Brooklyn Crab ( Essentials Brooklyn is well serviced by multiple subway lines (J, M, Z, F, B, D, N, Q, A, C, 2, 3, R, 4, 5, G), plus buses and the NYC Ferry ( The Ace Brooklyn ( offers double rooms from about $A323 a night (excluding taxes). The Bronx Visitors come to the Bronx for its three main attractions: Yankee Stadium (try to catch the New York Yankees on their home turf; ( the Bronx Zoo, which is as vast as it is impressive ( and the New York Botanical Garden, the country's largest with a million plants and a gorgeous Victorian-style glasshouse ( The latter two are adjacent to Arthur Avenue, far and wide considered the real Little Italy (Mario's Restaurant is the stuff of red sauce legend). All of these are worth the ride and could fill a three-day itinerary on their own. Affluent 19th-century New York families built their summer houses amid the greenery of the northwest Bronx, and many remain standing today. The 18th-century Van Cortlandt House has been restored as a museum, and its surrounding land is now the 464 hectare Van Cortlandt Park. Nearby, Wave Hill ( was a private estate visited by Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, and Theodore Roosevelt, but is now a serene public garden, looking out over the Hudson River. There are also unexpected architectural gems, such as the historic district of the Grand Concourse, originally modelled on the Champs-Elysees, or the Bronx Community College, a National Historic Landmark designed by Stanford White. Once a Roman-style aqueduct, the High Bridge ( has been restored and reopened as a footbridge connecting Washington Heights in Manhattan and the Bronx. And it has its own quaint seaside escape; City Island is a fishing community, packed with seafood restaurants, local galleries and boat culture. But none of that gets to the heart of what the Bronx is about: vibrant, tight-knit and eclectic, as exemplified by the emerging neighbourhood of Mott Haven. With easy access to Manhattan, this previously industrial hood has been slowly, quietly burgeoning with hip dining spots like Bricks & Hops ( and Beatstro ( drawing the crowds. Other local businesses to check out include indie bookstore and wine bar the Lit Bar ( Bronx Native ( a clothing line in homage to the designers' home turf; and Mottley Kitchen ( a cafe with rooftop yoga and fresh juices. Essentials Take the 1, 2, 5, B, or D subway lines north to reach the Bronx, or the Metro-North commuter train from Grand Central station. Wingate by Wyndham ( offers double rooms from about $US135 a night (excluding taxes). Queens Some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline are from the Gantry Plaza State Park ( in Long Island City. But it would be a disservice to this borough to use it solely as a vantage point to its glitzier neighbour. Queens is one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the US, with more languages spoken here than anywhere else on the planet. This diversity breeds a wildly rich food culture with more than 3000 restaurants representing at least 120 nationalities. If nothing else, come here to eat your way around the world. Corona is famed for its Latin American kitchens; Elmhurst veers more pan Asian; and Jackson Heights is the go-to for Indian, Mexican, Nepali and more. Queens' own Chinatown, Flushing, is the largest outside Asia. The New World Mall food court ( is the go-to for affordable and diverse Chinese cuisine. Tangram Mall food court is terrific, featuring many popular Queens food vendors ( If navigating between momos and chivitos is overwhelming, Culinary Backstreets ( offers a foodie walking tour of Queens to help you find that hole-in-the-wall Thai eatery you may otherwise overlook. Another way to taste it all is to head to Queens Night Market ( in Flushing Meadows' Corona Park on a Saturday. Down in the leafy residential neighbourhood of Ridgewood, gentrification has started to cross the border from Brooklyn's Bushwick. Multipurpose arts venue Nowadays ( with its massive outside space and dance parties, has a lot to do with the changes. Venues such as Rolo's ( and Pizzeria Panina ( both helmed by impressive hospitality talent, have set out to create long-standing neighbourhood restaurants rather than flash-in-the-pan successes. But Queens is more than its food (or, at least, in between eating, there is plenty to entertain). The contemporary arts institution MoMA PS1 ( is certainly responsible in part for heralding a new era in Long Island City, such was its impact. In Astoria, the Museum of the Moving Image ( with its permanent Jim Henson Exhibition, is an immersive audiovisual experience too often overlooked. Queens stretches all the way down to the Rockaways, a 17-kilometre peninsula of sandy beaches merely an A-train ride from the city. Devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the revitalised Rockaways now boasts cute beachy boutiques such as the Swellife ( and popular eateries like Tacoway Beach ( Essentials The 7 subway train traverses most of Queens; for the Rockaways, take the Far Rockaway-bound A train or the Rockaway Park-bound shuttle. The Rockaway Hotel and Spa ( offers double rooms from $US290 a night (excluding taxes). Staten Island It's a classic New York City tourist hack to ride the Staten Island Ferry instead of coughing up for a boat trip to visit the Statue of Liberty. After all, the ferry is free, beer is served on board and it glides right past Lady Liberty herself. Yet many visitors make a U-turn and head straight back. Staten Island has an entrenched outsider status – they did vote to secede from New York City in 1993 – and is closer geographically and culturally to New Jersey. Nicknamed "the forgotten borough". With a population just shy of 500,000, Staten Island is the least populated of the boroughs, but also the greenest, with a 1133-hectare greenbelt cutting across its centre and flocks of wild turkeys. Freshkills Park ( is an unlikely ecological success story, replacing what was formerly the world's largest landfill. The attractions are fewer than those of her sister boroughs, but nonetheless intriguing – such as the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art ( the largest collection outside Tibet, so groundbreaking that the Dalai Lama visited in 1991. Another example is the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden ( which comprises 14 botanical gardens, three museums (the Staten Island Museum is a great place to get some historical bearings), two art galleries and an urban farm which supplies restaurants across the city. Visit the South Shore's Conference House where Revolutionary War peace talks were held, or the Historic Richmond Town ( home to 40 restored properties on the site of a 17th-century village, including the Dutch-style Voorlezer's House, the nation's oldest schoolhouse. St George offers a cluster of good dining options like Enoteca Maria ( which has grandmas from around the world cooking up a storm and acclaimed beer outlet Clinton Hall ( The Flagship Brewing Company ( launched in 2014 and brought new energy to the area; order an award-winning IPA and have a pizza delivered to the bar from nearby Pier 76 ( The prize for best pizza is keenly contested, thanks to the borough's Italian roots, but Joe & Pat's ( usually takes the title. Essentials The Staten Island Ferry runs every 15 to 20 minutes from the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan; tickets are free and the trip takes about 25 minutes. Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Staten Island ( offers double rooms from about $A234 a night …And if you must take Manhattan Manhattan comprises six islands in total, plus a small section of the mainland, called Marble Hill, usually assumed to be the Bronx. If you feel you have seen it all, try visiting the other islands. Governors Island ( just minutes from Lower Manhattan by ferry, has been transformed over the past decade and is now packed with art, educational centres and some beautifully restored historic buildings. There is also an array of wellness experiences at QC NY spa ( and good things to eat at the beautifully designed Island Oyster ( which has views of Manhattan from the outdoor bar. The almost 70-hectare island is car-free; hire a bike and explore at leisure. Roosevelt Island's first hotel, the 224-room Graduate ( on the campus of Cornell Tech, is spectacular, with a chic rooftop bar and dining room in anticipation of more visitors arriving on the aerial Roosevelt Island Tramway. As well as the lesser-known parts of Manhattan, there are also new attractions for a return visitor. Little Island ( near the Meatpacking District, is an extravagant floating park, free to visit and offering an amphitheatre with live performances, food stalls and landscaped gardens. Summit One Vanderbilt ( is a sky-high viewing experience, this one including a dizzying 42-second ride in a light and mirror-lined lift. The Museum of Broadway ( in Times Square offers an in-depth lesson on Broadway's history and a fascinating look at what it takes to make the on-stage magic happen.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Where to get New York City's best Chinese food
Where to get New York City's best Chinese food 8 minutes ago Share Save Kate Heddings Share Save Ernesto Roman (Credit: Ernesto Roman) Proud New Yorker chef Calvin Eng is known for his daring reinterpretations of Chinese cuisine. Here's where he goes when he wants homestyle Chinese food, from dim sum to egg tarts. Though its original Chinatown in Lower Manhattan – dating to the 1870s – is the most well-known, New York City is actually home to nine official Chinatowns spread across its five boroughs; each reflecting the rich regional diversity of Chinese cuisine. The city's first Chinatown took root when Chinese immigrants, many from southern China, arrived either directly or relocated from the US's West Coast, fleeing anti-Chinese sentiment. Early businesses were mostly rice shops and teahouses, but by the early 1900s, full-service restaurants emerged, drawing curious diners from all over New York. By the mid-20th Century, Chinese food, in all its glorious forms, had become as associated with New York City as the humble bagel or the New York slice. The SpeciaList Brooklyn-born Calvin Eng is the chef and owner of Bonnie's, which has been praised in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Grub Street, Eater and Bon Appétit. Eng is a James Beard Emerging Chef finalist, a Food & Wine Best New Chef, a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, a StarChefs Rising Star and a two-time James Beard Best Chef: New York State Semifinalist. His cookbook, Salt Sugar MSG, was published on 18 March 2025. Among the new generation carrying this legacy forward is chef Calvin Eng, the owner of Bonnie's; a Cantonese American restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that has been lauded for its inventive interpretations of Cantonese cuisine. Eng grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, learning to cook the food of Guangdong (formerly known as Canton) from his mother, the eponymous Bonnie. Weekends were spent visiting his grandparents on Bayard Street in New York City's Lower Manhattan Chinatown, where he developed a deep connection to the neighbourhood and its food. "There's just so much good food in such a small area," Eng says. "You learn what's worth lining up for and what's best eaten on a subway platform." These days, Eng gets his Cantonese fix at a variety of New York's Chinatowns, from Sunset Park to Bensonhurst, each offering its own take on Chinese flavours – from the seafood-heavy dishes of Guangdong to the bold, spicy flavours of Sichuan and Hunan. Despite the breadth of regional styles found across the city, Eng's focus remains rooted in the cuisine of southern China. Unlike other styles, Cantonese food is known for its lightness and simplicity, emphasising fresh ingredients, particularly seafood – a reflection of the region's coastal geography. Heavy spices are rare, and rice – not wheat – is the dominant starch. "Cantonese food is very low on acid and heat," Eng explains. "We use minimal ingredients that allow the main ingredients to shine." Here are Eng's favourite places to get Chinese food in New York City. Ernesto Roman Yi Ji Shi Mo on Elizabeth Street is a hole-in-the-wall serving Eng's favourite cheung fun (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 1. Best cheung fun: Yi Ji Shi Mo (Lower Manhattan) Insiders know that in Chinatowns across the world, some of the most unassuming places have the best food. Yi Ji Shi Mo – a tiny, below-street-level hole-in-the-wall on Lower Manhattan's Elizabeth Street – is no exception. Here, the specialty is made-to-order cheung fun; Cantonese-style steamed rice rolls filled with shrimp, beef, pork and other savoury ingredients. Cheung fun can be found all over New York City's Chinatowns, but Eng says what makes the offerings at Yi Ji Shi Mo stand out is their rice wrapper: it's perfectly thin with a satisfying chew and bounce. "They mill the rice into flour fresh every morning to make the batter," he explains. "Then they steam it, fill it, roll it up, pop it in a takeout box, give you a packet of their seasoned soy sauce, and you're on your way." Eng eats cheung fun for breakfast, lunch or just a snack whenever he's in the area. The wait can be a bit long since everything is made fresh, but he says it's worth it – or you can try calling ahead. "My go-to is always the large – which isn't even that large – with beef, scallion and cilantro," he says. "And I just douse it in their soy sauce." Address: 88 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10013 Phone: +1 646-233-6311 Ernesto Roman When the Grand Street Skewer Cart is open, the aroma of Xinjian-style meat skewers perfumes the block (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 2. Best for Xinjian skewers: Grand Street Skewer Cart (Lower Manhattan) A little slice of Xinjian, an autonomous region in north-western China, can be found at the iconic Grand Street Skewer Cart on Lower Manhattan's Grand Street. The vendors are a husband-and-wife duo who prepare Xinjian-style meat skewers (yang rou chuan) straight out of a cooler; you can smell the sizzling aroma of roasted lamb and spicy cumin from over a block away, says Eng. "I don't know what their schedule is, but when they're there, it's a treat, like a special surprise," he says. "If it's raining, snowing or even just a little cold, they're probably not going to be there. But when the weather's nice, you have to take the chance and go." The cart is set up just outside a busy train station, and like many commuters, Eng buys a bunch of the inexpensive skewers to eat on the subway ride home to Brooklyn. The selection is impressive: lamb, beef, chicken, fish balls, mushrooms, onions, leeks – even aubergine. "Whether you get it spicy or not is up to you," Eng says, "but the spicy skewers are very, very tasty." "The cart is really special and unique – you don't find anything like it in Chinatown," he adds. "Restaurants aren't doing this kind of thing because it's live fire and not easy to pull off. Getting to experience that on the street is very cool." Address: Corner of Grand St and Chrystie Street, New York, NY 10002 Ernesto Roman Hop Lee has been serving bountiful Chinese banquets in New York City's Chinatown since 1973 (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 3. Best Chinese banquet: Hop Lee Restaurant (Lower Manhattan) The Chinese banquet experience is a joyful multi-course feast typically shared at big, round tables to celebrate birthdays, weddings or even just a fun night out with friends. Eng's go-to for a classic banquet is Hop Lee on Mott Street; a beloved Chinatown institution since 1973, with all the essentials: oversized tables, lazy Susans and a vast menu. "They have the old-school stuff you can't get all in one place anymore," Eng says. Highlights include razor clams in black bean sauce, honey walnut shrimp and a wide variety of chicken dishes: half, whole, poached, fried. But one dish in particular stands out to Eng: the eternally popular Cantonese lobster with pork. "It starts with the Chinese trinity of ginger, garlic and scallions," Eng explains. The lobster is broken down Chinese-style, which means it's chopped into 14 easy-to-eat pieces, so there's no need for cracking shells. "The flavours of the trinity really come through in the wok," he says, "and they stir-fry it with ground pork, which adds this whole extra layer of depth that most lobster dishes just don't have. It's delicious." Website: Address: 16 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013 Phone: +1 212-962-6475 Instagram: @hop_lee_nyc/ Ernesto Roman Roasted meats like char siu reign supreme at King's Kitchen in Chinatown (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 4. Best roasted meats: King's Kitchen (Manhattan, Brooklyn) Throughout the winding streets of Manhattan's Chinatown, roast ducks, chickens and slabs of pork hang in steamy restaurant windows. For Eng, King's Kitchen stands out for serving the best of these iconic barbecued meats. With multiple locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn, the purveyor offers a vast menu, including dim sum, but it's the roasted meats that keep Eng coming back. Insider tip: When ordering char siu, Eng says you can request your preferred cuts. "You can order lean, you can order fat or you can order half and half," says Eng, who orders his half fatty, half lean. "The guy at the counter will know which cuts to pull and chop for your order. If you don't specify, they just give you whatever." But, he adds, "I think it's a very different eating experience to get what you prefer. I love the half-and-half bites." "The char siu (roast pork) is perfectly balanced – sweet and salty, charred and glistening because it's always fresh," he says. The marinade, a blend that includes bean paste and Chinese five-spice, is rubbed inside the cavity of the pig, giving the meat deep, rich flavour all the way through. "King's Kitchen does steady business, so they're popping out fresh things all the time," Eng adds. "This way you know the meat is not just sitting there all day." Website: Address: 92 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002 Phone: +1 212-966-7288 Instagram: @jinhuanggroup/ Ernesto Roman BK Seafood Market in Sunset Park is Eng's go-to for the freshest Chinese-style seafood (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 5. Best seafood: BK Seafood Market (Sunset Park, Brooklyn) When he's in the mood for seafood, Eng heads to Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighbourhood to hit BK Seafood Market – a large restaurant with rows of bubbling tanks filled with live fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Diners can pick exactly what they want and have it cooked to order, just minutes from tank to table. "It's a rare opportunity to eat something that was literally swimming two minutes before it was cooked," says Eng. One of his favourite orders is king crab prepared three ways, a "massive feast of king crab", he says. He also chooses a fresh whole fish and asks for it steamed with soy sauce, ginger and spring onions. "When the seafood is this fresh, you don't want to ruin it," he says. "Steaming keeps it clean and simple and that's how you taste how good it really is." Website: Address: 842 64th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220 Phone: +1 718-836-6888 Instagram: @bkseafoodmarket1/ Ernesto Roman The menu at Park Asia offers a huge selection of seasonal and rotating dim sum specials (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 6. Best dim sum: Park Asia (Sunset Park, Brooklyn) "If I want the full dim sum experience, I go for a big location – a place with, like, 1,000 seats," says Eng. For that, he heads to Park Asia; a sprawling two-storey space with high ceilings and a bright, bustling vibe. "It's where I had my son's 100-day party [a celebration marking a child's first 100 days in Chinese culture] with 100 people," he says. For Eng, the ideal dim sum restaurant offers the most variety. "When I get dim sum from a cart, I want a lot of different things on the table," he says. And the key to a good spot? "It should be packed. That means the food's fresh, and nothing's been sitting on the cart for more than half an hour." The selection is huge, from pork siu mai and shrimp dumplings to specials that rotate with the seasons. In the evenings, Park Asia shifts into banquet-style dining, but the dim sum crowd is always out in full force – even on a Monday morning. Website: Address: 6521 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220 Phone: +1 718-833-1688 Instagram: @parkasiarestaurant/ Ernesto Roman The dan tat at Xin Fa Bakery are always hot and fresh (Credit: Ernesto Roman) 7. Best Hong Kong-style egg tarts: Xin Fa Bakery (Sunset Park, Brooklyn) For the best egg tarts in the city, Eng makes a beeline to Xin Fa Bakery. But he doesn't just buy one. "You get a dozen," he says. "They're always hot and always fresh." These are the classic Hong Kong-style dan tat – small, flaky tarts filled with silky egg custard. For Eng, the perfect one has a wobble. "When you bite into it, it should be jiggly and almost fall out of the crust," he explains. "You don't want it to be fully set. And you definitely don't want to see your teeth marks in it." Website: Address: 5617 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220 Phone: +1 718-871-2889 BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers. -- If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.
South Wales Argus
02-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Culinary teacher's artisan sandwich brand in Caerphilly
Rebecca Goad, known as Becci, started her focaccia sandwich brand, Bonnie's, at Ffos Caerffili during the town's food festival in April. Bonnie's is among the new businesses at Ffos Caerffili, including AG Indian Kitchen and The Meadows Wildlife Park. Ms Goad has worked with her business partner Leyli Homayoonfar at Bab Hause/Bab Hause Mex since 2019. She said she was impressed by the footfall at Ffos Caerffili and decided it was the best place to test her new street food venture. Ms Goad said: "The people and the community are the reason why I set up here. "Ffos is one of my favourite sites and I'm looking forward to settling in and making something great here." Ms Goad, who grew up in Kent, studied nutrition at Kingston University London and worked at Waitrose Cookery School. Her background in nutrition influences Bonnie's food production, with every sandwich made from fresh produce and the focaccia bread made from scratch. Ms Goad said: "At the moment people love the Chicken Caesar. "But I'm always thinking of new fillings and flavours to try. "I want to figure out what people want and serve it to them."
