The Lower East Side is one of the most iconic neighborhoods in Manhattan. While tourists may flock to midtown for their favorite new chains, revelers in the know are well aware that the LES is the place to be for independent bars and restaurants. Featured in countless movies and shows, the birthplace of the punk movement in New York, there’s really no other place in the world like it.
LES bar owners Michael Bray and Noble Harris are well aware of that fact, having lived and worked in the neighborhood for over a decade. The owners of the popular bar Kind Regards, Michael and Noble have been dealing with the best and worst that the LES has to offer for as long as they can remember. Now, as they prepare to open their next bar and restaurant, they’re ensuring that their latest project is a tribute to the neighborhood that’s given them so much.
Bongos is the latest new concept to come from Bray and Harris, expected to arrive by spring of next year. Styled as a New American restaurant, Bongos will be replacing An Choi at 85 Orchard Street. An Choi was a popular Vietnamese Pho restaurant that served the LES for over a decade. Begun in 2009 by brothers Tuan and Huy Bui, the restaurant was known for the way it fused Vietnamese cuisine with the food they grew up with in Northern Virginia. While it was considered by many to be one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Manhattan, they sadly closed their doors during the pandemic and have since shut down permanently.
Thankfully, Bongos is a spirited replacement that will be sure to bring a lot of energy to the neighborhood. A “neighborhood bistro offering warmth, hospitality, and a good time,” Bongos will serve American classics like a half-pound burger (allegedly big enough to share), crispy chicken, chopped salads, and a rotating selection of daily pastas. Currently in the process of acquiring a beer, wine, and liquor license, Bongos is expected to be open until 2am with the exception of Monday and Sunday, when they will close at 12am.
Many of Bray and Harris’s neighbors have turned out in support of their new venture, writing kind letters about their history of responsible bar management. Envisioned as a mature yet neighborly affair, keep your eyes peeled for signs of Bongos’ arrival next spring.
