Food - Drink
Bonnie’s: The NYC Restaurant That’s Reimagining Cantonese American Cuisine
By AUTUMN SWIERS
Chef Calvin Eng is no stranger to gastronomic and cultural fusion, but he’ll be the first to tell you that his new restaurant, Bonnie’s, isn’t a fusion restaurant. Rather, Bonnie’s is about bringing Eng’s Chinese-American identity to the table by cooking traditional Cantonese dishes using Western culinary methods, and guests are lining up for a taste.
Bonnie’s — named after Eng’s mother — combines old and new; the menu features traditional Cantonese dishes alongside offerings like X.O. cheung fun, inspired by Hong Kong street food, and “Chinese ranch”, a creamy garlic-chive dressing. For dessert, you won’t find traditional Tong Sui on the menu, but you can find an avant-garde fried ice cream sundae.
Although Bonnie’s is located in Brooklyn, Eng’s goal is to breathe new life into NYC’s Chinatown, describing how current restaurant owners are “getting older and retiring. The kids are in different fields and won’t take over the businesses. So eventually, the [culture] will die off.” A fresh perspective is the name of the game at Bonnie’s and folks are clearly enjoying it.