Williamsburg · Cantonese · Chinese-American
Calvin Eng's Cantonese-American restaurant named for his mother — MSG martini, cheeseburger with char siu glaze
Calvin Eng named Bonnie's after his mother, who chose the name herself when she emigrated from Hong Kong, and the restaurant is built on the specific Cantonese-American food he grew up eating in Brooklyn rather than on a version of it made legible to outsiders. The cheeseburger is glazed with char siu and served on a milk bun. The martini is dosed with MSG, which reads as provocation until you drink one. Underneath the jokes is a kitchen doing real Cantonese technique — steamed fish, clay pot rice, greens with the right amount of oil. It is a small room on Manhattan Avenue that got a Michelin Bib and a great deal of national attention, and it has stayed unpretentious through all of it.
Bonnie's is calvin Eng's Cantonese-American restaurant named for his mother — MSG martini, cheeseburger with char siu glaze. Regulars order cheeseburger with char siu glaze and msg martini.
Bonnie's is priced at $$ — approx. $20–$40 per person.
Bonnie's takes reservations by phone — call (914) 875-3709 to book.
Bonnie's is at 398 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, in Williamsburg. Street parking in Williamsburg; Graham Ave L train nearby
Bonnie's is open Tue–Thu 5:30–10 PM · Fri–Sat 5–10 PM · Sun 4–9 PM · Closed Mon. Hours can change on holidays — confirm on Google Maps before a long drive.