Bonnie's

Growing up in Hong Kong myself - I was excited to try out the food over here. Unfortunately, for the price of the food, it's underwhelming.
The Dao gok was WAYYYY too salty
The steam eggs were pretty standard (not worth the 17 bucks cuz I know how to make it too )
The fried squid was on point (def exp for the portion)
The char siu McRib is something I recommend you try if you're interested - I'd prefer if it was on a toasted bun, but in general, the taste was good.
The fried milk was phenomenal, but the amount of whipped cream freaked me out
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My verdict: food was tasty, but not worth the price

I do NOT understand the negative reviews and frankly am resentful because they kept me from coming here for about 6 months. Finally tried it because I had a reservation and thought what the hell.

The golden broth is delicious. Chrysanthemum salad might have been one of my favorite things to eat. The rib sandwich is divine. The mushroom crispy sticky rice is good but I don't feel the urge to get it again. The penicillin was delightfully different. The fruit plate sadly was the only miss. The service was attentive and friendly. Decor is cute.

I'll be coming back with a larger group to try more dishes.

3.5 stars

I was really intrigued by the menu but wasn't sure what to expect given I had seen some mixed reviews. Perhaps it's good that it tempered my expectations, so while it's perhaps not my favorite twist on Cantonese/Chinese food that I've encountered, I still found it interesting and enjoyed my meal.

chrysanthemum greens salad - This was one of my favorite dishes of the night - light + refreshing with a tasty sauce.

salt & pepper crispy squid - My favorite dish of the night, really good crispy squid.

naw mai fan - This was fine but I was expecting more mushrooms. Tbh I might like traditional naw mai fan a bit more than the rendition here.

xo cheung fun - Solid flavor, with the twist being that the rice noodles were crispy on the outside. imo one of the less interesting dishes of the night.

fuyu cacio e pepe mein - This was a hit with the table because of how peppery it was - on the other hand, if you're not a fan of black pepper like me, then this might not be for you. The fermented bean curd flavor was actually pretty light - the dominant flavor is black / white pepper + lemon. Noodles were al dente.

cha siu bkrib sandwich - My boyfriend's favorite dish of the night - sweet sticky glazed ribs with pickled and mustard. I didn't love the mustard, and found it a tad sweet for me, but I still enjoyed it.

This review is for a dinner reservation. I'm actually pretty shocked by how many 3 star reviews there are. I enjoyed the food and would come back.

Vibe / Service: casual ambiance. Feels like a diner, but it's vibey and feels hipstery. Service was phenomenal.

Food: in reference to some of the negative reviews, don't come thinking you're going to pay prices that are comparable to what you'd find in Chinatown - you are at a vibey hipster restaurant in Williamsburg. Yes you can get salt & pepper squid for much cheaper in Chinatown, but this isn't Chinatown.

I recommend family style. Portions aren't that big - perfect for 2-3 people. I ordered the below for 2 people and it was too much food:

-Chrysanthemum Salad: enjoyed. Light and fresh which was a good balance to the other dishes.

-Dao Gok (long beans): flavorful. I really enjoyed and would order again.

-Jiew Yeem Yao Yu (salt & pepper squid): pretty standard salt & pepper squid - it was super flavorful. Has some kick to it from the peppers. I would order again.

-Fuyu Cacio e Pepe Mein: VERY peppery. This is good, but definitely just tastes like cacio e pepe. I liked it, but would probably not order again since it was the least interesting dish.

-X.O. Cheung Fun: flavorful, would order again.

-Cha Siu Bkrib Sandwich: good to split. Love the concept, but it needed more sauce. The meat is super thick and needed extra sauce, but overall this is good.

Bonnie's brings a twist to the classic American diner experience by serving up Cantonese American cuisine. Don't be fooled by its unassuming exterior; inside, you'll find a treasure trove of authentic flavors that warm the soul. From the heartwarming chicken bone broth to the perfectly executed wok hei on the long beans, every dish captures the essence of Cantonese cooking. The stuffed fish showcases impressive technique, while the walnut shrimp brings a taste of Chinese American classics. The friendly service adds to the welcoming atmosphere. Plus, the staff's proactive approach to seating is a rarity in NYC. We were waiting outside briefly before they open and someone actually came out to let us know they are ready! I'll definitely be back to try more dishes, especially the sticky rice and poached chicken!

Came here with a reservation for 8pm on Saturday with a group of 5. Here's what we got:

dao gok (Chinese Long Beans) - this is a MUST these were so good! I wish we ordered 2 plates of these instead of 1. Definitely need to get these!

gerng jook (Congee) - this was really good! As a vegetarian, it was nice to be able to try something that isn't usually vegetarian friendly. This was so good! I especially loved soy egg

naw mai fan (Mushroom Sticky Rice) - this was good not great. The bites I had with the mushroom were really good but without mushroom it was a bit bland.

x.o cheung fun (Rice Rolls) - this was by far my favorite and are a must! The small rice rolls were PACKED with flavor. Wish the portion was bigger but these were so good. 10/10 must!

fuyu cacio e pepe mein - this was really unique! Definitely tasted like cacio e pepe with a twist. I would get this too!

bak cheet gai (cold poached chicken) - my friends really liked this! Fair warning, when they say cold, it is really cold. But they loved the flavor of this! The rice and sauce with the chicken was also really good. Fair warning though, it does take a while to come out.

Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend giving this place a try. I will say, the food is pretty expensive for what you get and it took over an hour to get our main dishes after we got our appetizers which was a bit of a let down. Other than that, we had a great meal!

Great food, unique dishes, and friendly service! Loved our waiter, who was very friendly and warm.

Highlights were the cacio e Pepe (my favorite dish - unbelievably good) and the green beans. We also got the half chicken, McRib, and crispy noodles with beef and peppers - all of which were good as well.

Highly recommend!

Service was very friendly. The location was very chill. We came around closing time and last call time. They let us know multiple times before hand so we got our full order in. The cocktails were pretty tasty. We got a variety of their dish as seen below.

Now for the food.

Their fried rice was pretty good but very standard. For the price we paid I'd much rather go somewhere else. Rib sandwich is definitely overhyped. Taste was very strong on the hoisin side. Texture could be better for the price. Walnut shrimp was prob the highlight. Again you can get it elsewhere. The chicken was pretty good but would be alittle better with a different sauce. Overall experience is good but alittle pricey for what we got.

I had to try out Bonnie's for the namesake! Came in a group of 4. My friend was so sweet to watch for bookings since she knew I wanted to try it and she actually found a booking two weeks in advance.

The char siu mcrib was an interesting modernized concept to char siu. The whole fish surprised us but guess we didn't read the description well because we thought it would be a whole fish with meat but the fish flesh is carved out then stuffed with fish cake. That was interesting too as no one in my group had had a dish like that before. The Cheung fun, long beans, and salt and pepper shrimp were a bit too salty. But of the three appetizers, I liked the Cheung fun the most.

Service was friendly. In terms of the vibes, it's a bit loud but not like yelling across the table loud. There is only one bathroom so there was quite a wait, and the bathroom felt like a club lol the music was so loud in there.

Overall, I'm glad I got to try Bonnie's. Reservations definitely recommended.

Not "just" a Chinese restaurant. Chef Calvin pulls from his past to deliver amazing dishes while still keeping with the flavors of his mom's Cantonese/Toisanese dishes. Don't expect to find your typical sweet-and-sour pork with its cloying, red-dyed sauce. Rather, be amazed by his use of fermented bean curd, salted fish, and XO sauce (to name a few).
While we were a party of 10 and had reservations for 5pm, I was surprised to see many people lined up to get in as soon as the restaurant opened. All tables were filled by 5:15.
Can't wait to go again!!

My personal favorite of the night - Naw Mai Fan (shiitake, king trumpet & shimeji mushroom conserva over crispy sticky rice)

Love love loved this dinner! I wish I remembered our servers name, she was super nice and helpful in our ordering. We sat outside and it was like 30 degrees out so I was worried but we were totally covered and closed in with heat lamp things on the ceiling per table - most people took their coats off. We had the peppered shrimp and that was STELLAR! It was flavorful and unique and just delicious with a large portion. Also had the mussels which were in this amazing broth that we loved! Overall a really great spot if you can get in!