Bing Mi

Bing Mi
The food cart in Portland, Oregon's Northwest District, 2022
Map
Restaurant information
Owner(s)Jacky Ren
Previous owner(s)
  • Tim Harris
  • Alisa Grandy
  • Neal Grandy
Food typeChinese
Street address2572 Northwest Vaughn Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97210
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°32′12″N 122°42′15″W / 45.5367°N 122.7043°W / 45.5367; -122.7043
Websitebingmipdx.com

Bing Mi (sometimes stylized as Bing Mi!)[1] is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The original food cart specialized in the Chinese street food jianbing. The brick and mortar Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar opened in 2022 and focuses on Northern Chinese noodles and dumplings.

Description and history

Owners Tim Harris and Alisa and Neal Grandy began operating Bing Mi at the Alder Street food cart pod in 2014.[2] Jacky (or Jackie) Ren has also been credited as a co-owner.[3][4] The food cart serves many variations of jianbing,[5] and was Portland's only restaurant offering the Chinese street food at the time.[6] Optional ingredients include bacon, roast duck, and spam.[7]

In 2017, owners confirmed plans to open a second food cart in southeast Portland.[8] Andrew Zimmern visited Bing Mi for an episode of the Travel Channel's The Zimmern List.[9] In 2020, the business donated proceeds to people affected by local wildfires and partnered with Adopt a Restaurant to help feed people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

Ren bought out the other owners in 2020 and re-opened the food cart at the Nob Hill Food Carts in northwest Portland's Northwest District, following the closure of the Alder Street pod. In 2021, Ren confirmed plans to open Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar in the Northwest District in 2022.[10][11] The brick and mortar restaurant opened in January, focusing on Northern Chinese noodles and dumplings.[12][13] Food cart staff have work at the noodle restaurant during heat waves.[14] The food cart closed on December 30, 2023,[15] to prepare for a reopening in downtown Portland in March 2024, according to Eater Portland.[16] Bing Mi opened in the Midtown Beer Garden in 2024.[17]

Bing Mi has collaborated with Bark City BBQ.[18]

Reception

Bing Mi's classic jianbing

Danielle Centoni of Condé Nast Traveler said Bing Mi "has spawned its own cult following".[19] Matthew Korfhage of Willamette Week said, "The jian bing is flat-out fantastic, whether with or without the sweet Chinese sausage you can tack on for a buck. Indeed, the meat texture is a bit of a fifth wheel amid the already bustling party of flavors."[20] Thrillist's Drew Tyson ranked Bing Mi at the top of his list of Portland's best new food carts. He recommend the optional sausage and wrote, "The experience is funky and flavorful and unlike anything else you'll find on the streets of Portland."[21] In 2018, the website's Pete Cottell included Bing Mi in his list of "Portland's Most Delicious Food Carts and Where to Find Them".[22]

In 2017, Samantha Bakall included Bing Mi in The Oregonian's lists of downtown Portland's 13 best "cheap eats" and 10 best food carts.[23][24] The Portland Mercury included the business in a 2019 list of Portland's 50 best multicultural restaurants and food carts.[25] Matthew Trueherz included the classic jianbing in Portland Monthly's 2022 list of "12 Favorite Budget-Friendly Dishes Under $12".[26]

In 2018, Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden said Bing Mi "accrued rave reviews and serious lines for its pretty traditional version with egg and chili paste".[27] She and Nick Woo included the business in the website's 2021 "Guide to Portland's Most Outstanding Food Carts",[7] and she and Seiji Nanbu included Bing Mi in a list of "Where to Find Outstanding Chinese Food in Portland and Beyond".[28] Alex Frane and Maya MacEvoy included Bing Mi in Eater Portland's 2021 list of 16 "quintessential" restaurants and bars in Portland's Slabtown district.[29] Katrina Yentch included the restaurant in the website's 2022 list of "18 Knockout Spots for Affordable Dining in Portland".[30]

In 2024, Bing Mi ranked number 77 in Yelp's list of the 100 best Chinese restaurants in the United States.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bing Mi!". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  2. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2017-04-03). "We tried both of Portland's food cart jianbing, China's crepe-like answer to the breakfast sandwich". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  3. ^ a b Hamilton, Katherine Chew (2020-09-06). "Some of the Portland Restaurants, Pop-Ups, and Food Carts Helping Those Affected by Wildfires". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  4. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-08-13). "Rising Temperatures Are Putting Portland's Food Cart Scene in Danger". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  5. ^ Smith, Suzette (March 3, 2021). "Takeout Club: Bing Mi and Viking Soul Food Serve Up Deliciousness In a Wrap". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  6. ^ Damewood, Andrea (2015-04-22). "Bing Mi! Oh My!". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  7. ^ a b Woo, Nick (2015-06-10). "A Guide to Portland's Most Outstanding Food Carts". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  8. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-05-24). "Bing Mi's Beloved Chinese Crepes Will Soon Be Available in a Second Location". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  9. ^ "Portland, Oregon". Travel Channel. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  10. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-11-22). "The Team Behind Bing Mi Will Open a Dumpling and Noodle Bar Next Year". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  11. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-01-04). "10 Portland Restaurant Openings to Look Forward to in 2022". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  12. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-01-27). "A Guide to Portland's Bar, Restaurant, and Food Cart Openings". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  13. ^ Hamilton, Katherine Chew (2022-01-21). "Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar is a Must-Try in Northwest Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  14. ^ Wong, Janey (2022-08-04). "Food Carts Are Leaning on Brick-and-Mortars to Escape the Punishing Heat". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  15. ^ Wong, Janey (2021-01-20). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  16. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2024-02-02). "Lazy Days Brewing Takes Over the Former Ex Novo Locations in Portland and Beaverton". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  17. ^ "Tokyo Sando and Bing Mi Food Carts Will Open at the Midtown Beer Garden". Willamette Week. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  18. ^ "4 Can't-Miss Portland Food Pop-Ups Happening This Weekend, August 26-28". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  19. ^ "The Barley Pod, Rose City Park, Portland, Oregon, United States - Street Food Review". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  20. ^ Korfhage, Matthew (2015-04-21). "Bing Mi". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  21. ^ Centoni, Danielle (2015-04-24). "Everybody Loves Bing Mi!". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  22. ^ Cottell, Pete (2018-09-12). "Portland's Most Delicious Food Carts and Where to Find Them". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  23. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2017-04-01). "Downtown Portland's 13 best cheap eats". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  24. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2017-07-12). "Downtown Portland's 10 best food carts". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  25. ^ "Celebrate the Best of America with 50 of Portland's Best Multi-Cultural Restaurants and Food Carts". Portland Mercury. 2019-07-04. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  26. ^ "Cheap Eats: Our 12 Favorite Budget-Friendly Portland Dishes Under $12". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  27. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-07-05). "This New Restaurant Is Stuffing Jianbing with Teriyaki Chicken". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  28. ^ Nanbu, Seiji (2016-03-03). "Where to Find Outstanding Chinese Food in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  29. ^ Frane, Alex (2019-11-21). "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  30. ^ Yentch, Katrina (2015-07-17). "18 Knockout Spots for Affordable Dining in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-03-05. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  31. ^ "These Oregon Chinese restaurants cracked Yelp's list of the best in the U.S." KOIN.com. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bing Mi.