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]
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] and is slated to open in downtown Portland in March 2024, according to Eater Portland.[16]
Danielle Centoni of Condé Nast Traveler said Bing Mi "has spawned its own cult following".[18] 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."[19]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."[20] 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".[21]
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.[22][23] The Portland Mercury included the business in a 2019 list of Portland's 50 best multicultural restaurants and food carts.[24] Matthew Trueherz included the classic jianbing in Portland Monthly's 2022 list of "12 Favorite Budget-Friendly Dishes Under $12".[25]
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".[26] 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".[27] 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.[28] Katrina Yentch included the restaurant in the website's 2022 list of "18 Knockout Spots for Affordable Dining in Portland".[29]
