NYCReview
photo credit: David A. Lee
Bonnie’s
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Bonnie’s is the new kid transferring into your school that everyone’s already heard of. They’ve had a fake ID since they were 15, and that t-shirt they’re wearing could have cost three bucks at a Goodwill or a hundred somewhere in the East Village. Most importantly, this new kid throws the best parties.
This Cantonese American spot from a former chef at Win Son—one of the neighborhood’s other cool kid restaurants—is a scene for sure. There’s buzzy energy, cocktails with fun names like “Henny Kravitz,” and Biggie blasting through the speakers. But the peak of the party happens when the chef's unexpected takes on umami-rich comfort food hit the table. That's all anyone’s going to be talking about the next day.
Almost everything on the menu adds some unexpected ingredient to a classic Cantonese dish—and the food comes plated like it has its own stylist. There are a few clear showpieces, like a sticky-sweet cha siu McRib that looks like a pop-art piece, but you should save some stomach real estate for the more interesting combinations on the menu. The cacio e pepe manages to enhance its usual pecorino with funkiness from fermented bean curd, and the whole stuffed trout is essentially slices of fish cake textured throughout with water chestnuts. Get it if you're trying to impress a date—and don’t be afraid to slather it in green mustard.
Less flashy dishes shouldn’t be overlooked either. Order the fermented long beans with yauh ja gwai, and you’ll do everything short of licking the plate to get the last of that bean curd garlic butter before they take it away. But our surprise favorite is the gerng jook topped with peanuts, green onion, and pork floss that melts into the porridge like cotton candy. The wallflower always ends up being more interesting than you think, right?
Bonnie’s knows how to give you a good time. The bartender can occasionally be seen treating guests to house shots with frozen lychee, and the people at the table next to you will probably know where the after-party is. If you don’t have a reservation, they hold some spots for walk-ins—just expect to have a couple cocktails before you get a table. You can also expect to eat some food that you’ll still crave hours later, when you’re finally home and collapsed on the couch. That’s what’s going to keep this place relevant even after the hype dies down.