Barangaroo’s newest casual eatery is serving up bao & beer plus more.
What goes well with bao you might ask? Bing will tell you that it’s beer, and we would have to agree. Bing’s Bao & Beer is one of the newest casual eateries to open at The Streets of Barangaroo from the Lotus Dining team.
This laid back 48-seat retro diner is a far cry from Lotus Dining’s larger restaurants, including Lotus at The Galeries and Barangaroo and Madame Shanghai. It suits the cliental well though, who are mostly the Monday to Friday corporate crowd looking for a quick bite to eat or tasty takeaway option.
The vibrantly coloured exterior is the first thing to draw you in; the mouth watering menu being the next. As you would expect, bao is the hero on this menu however you can also opt for a soft baked milk bread bun as an alternative. Fillings include mouth watering delights like braised beef brisket with lemon aspen, coriander and white pepper; Shanghai red braised pork belly topped with pickled Chinese cabbage and soft shell crab and a slather of Sriracha mayo. There’s also a crumbed fish fillet with chilli jam and a vegetarian option if you’re not down with meat.
If that wasn’t enough to make salivate, simply take a look at the dessert option. The ‘bun and ice cream’ is a sweet bun served with palm sugar, coconut ice-cream and green tea.
With Bing’s liquor licence set to come into effect in early September, wash all of that down with Bing’s own range of pale ales brewed in collaboration with Brookvale brewery Nomad and wines made by Clare Valley’s KT Wines. There’s also a line-up of bottled cocktails created by cocktail mastermind Kate McGraw.
Whilst we wait for that alcohol licence, you can sip on non-alcoholic delights including house made sodas and extremely Insta-worthy bubble teas.
Bing’s Bao & Beer is by the Lotus Dining’s Head Chef, Chris Yan.
“I love bao, it was a simple breakfast for me growing up in Shanghai either plain or with pork mince,” explains Yan. “When I came to Australia, I learnt how to make fresh noodles and now I can only eat, and serve, fresh noodles at Bing’s. They have a fantastic flavour from the stock we make each day using roasted chicken and pork bones so there’s no artificial seasoning.”
Bing’s Bao & Beer offers much more than just bao. On the menu is also noodle bowls, made with fried pork cutlet marinated in lemongrass; red braised beef shin with chilli and Chinese spices; and prawn and calamari with chicken broth and mushrooms.
Don’t want to risk spraying that crisp white shirt with broth? Bing’s rice bowls come with a kick. Think minced pork cosied up to Sichuan chilli bean and shredded cucumber; and fried rice with BBQ pork and sweet chilli jam.
Bing’s Bao & Beer
Scotch Row, Barangaroo (near corner of Watermans Quay)
Open Monday to Friday 11am–8.30pm.