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Feb 10, 2015 at 8:40pm PST
Food fans in Philadelphia know East Passyunk Avenue is one of the city's best Restaurant Rows. The neighborhood's deep Italian roots are still proudly displayed, and these days they're supplemented by bold new options for awesome eats.
The latest addition to the ever-expanding culinary family on the Avenue? Bing Bing Dim Sum, the second offering from the creative and cool Cheu Noodle Bar gang, which promises dim sum and dumplings galore on East Passyunk.
Bing Bing is the brilliant brainchild of owners Shawn Darragh and chef Ben Puchowitz, with the help of some fresh faces including bar man Max Sherman and Top Chef alumni Travis Masar.
For their South Philly outpost, the team has cooked up what’s sure to be a winning mingling of inventive food, formidable drinks, funky decor and — perhaps most importantly — a generally fun vibe.
The dim sum dining destination has been in the works for more than a year, but now the wait is nearly over and Bing Bing is on track to open on Monday, February 16 Presidents’ Day.
The Layout
Located in the triangular space that formerly held El Zarape, Bing Bing sits on East Passyunk Avenue in great company just a stone’s throw from Birra and across the street from Cantina Los Caballitos.
With around 50 seats indoors, and another 35 on the way outdoors (once the weather allows, of course), the space is only slightly larger than its big sister Cheu, and compels its visitors to rub elbows with one another via mostly communal seating.
The bold interior design of Bing Bing — with its dumpling-cartoon festooned walls, antique-looking Chinese day beds and colorful graphic mural was the team effort of Andrew Jevremovic of Octo Studios, with help from Mike Wert and Val Volkova on the colorful mural and Zach Puchowitz on the bar’s pendant lights. As for the adorable dumplings, designer Jon Billett of Beer Paste is to thank.
To start, Bing Bing will be open for dinner daily, but we can be on the lookout for weekend brunch and takeout dumpling service from a convenient little window in a month or two.
The Food and Drink
Like the menu at Cheu, the offerings at Bing Bing make no claim towards "authentic" Asian cuisine. Rather, Puchowitz has created a smartly edited menu of 19 imaginative Asian-inspired items.
Diners should start with dumplings, of course. From the section of the menu devoted to “doughy things,” the soup dumplings are superior pockets of savory ground pork with broth and should simply not be missed. The jumbo soup dumpling, pan-fried bao and potato dumpling certainly deserve attention, too.
Beyond the dough, the menu rounds out with specialty dishes like chow fun with Chinese sausage and lamb ribs with black bean sauce, as well as thoughtful veggie preparations like sauted pea leaves with fermented garlic and fried cauliflower with umami-packed shrimp salt.
Those with a sweet tooth will be rewarded by saving room for the likes of sweet red bean rice balls in syrup and a bubble waffle with coconut.
From the bar, beverage guy Max Sherman offers up a drink menu with serious depth. Creative cocktails can come by glass or by the pitcher — go for the Tiger Style, made with bourbon, barley tea and Sichuan ginger beer. In addition to the cocktails, there are liquors for sipping, wine and 13 craft brews on tap and in the bottle.
For more on Bing Bing, check out the official site right here.
We think a pop-in to Bing Bing should be on any Philadelphia diner’s to-do list
Opening: Bing Bing Dim Sum
When: Opening Monday, February 16
Where: 1648 E. Passyunk Avenue
More info: www.bingbingdimsum.com