The menu is rich not only in nostalgia but also in umami, savoriness, and saltiness, using a lot of fermented, salted, and dried products. Popular choices include Char Siu McRibs, fried salt and pepper squid with a sauce the chef describes as “Chinese ranch,” and Fuyu Cacio e Pepe Mein, an original take on the Italian classic in which the pasta is tossed with a garlicky compound butter made with fermented bean curd.
Located on a corner of Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, this 40-seat restaurant has a loud and lively vibe, boosted by a hip-hop soundtrack, a funky cocktail menu and, usually, a line of people waiting outside.
Much of the minimalist décor, which includes a checkered tile floor, was purchased in Chinatown and is to some extent inspired by cha chaan tengs, the old-school tea restaurants of Hong Kong, where Eng’s mother grew up. Old images of Chinatown hang on the walls. The bathroom, on the other hand, strikes a hipper note with its loud neon lighting. Another fun feature is the large wooden table near the front window with a giant Lazy Susan in the center. Seating up to 10 people, it’s the only table capable of holding the entire menu, apparently not an uncommon order.
As a teenager, Eng spent his time out of high school making sandwiches in a local deli and dreaming of having his own restaurant. He didn’t have to wait too long for that dream to come true, opening Bonnie’s when he was just 27 years old.
He spent the intervening years first studying culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and then building his experience and reputation at a string of successful Asian eateries in NYC, from Dig Inn to Nom Wah Nolita and finally Taiwanese American restaurant Win Son, where he spent three years as Chef de Cuisine. While never formally training as a chef in a Chinese restaurant, he took advantage of every opportunity to learn the essentials of running his own operation, and by 2021 he was ready to open Bonnie’s.
A string of rave reviews followed in publications ranging from Brooklyn magazine, Grub Street, The New York Times and The New Yorker to The Wall Street Journal and the South China Morning Post. In 2022, Bonnie’s was featured in Esquire and Bon Appetit’s lists of best new restaurants, and Eater awarded it the honor of Best Restaurant for the End of the World.
Eng was a James Beard Emerging Chef nominee in 2022 and was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs the same year. He appeared in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list the following year and was a StarChefs Rising Star. The James Beard Foundation included him as a 2023 Best Chef: New York State semifinalist.
