Baoburg won’t celebrate its grand opening until Saturday (with free food and drinks!!*) but the restaurant has already created a sort of Asian trifecta at the corner of North 6th and Berry, where Chai Home Kitchen and Ramen Yebisu are also located. (*RSVP since seating is limited, per a Facebook post.)
Thai chef Suchanan Aksornnan, nicknamed Chef Bao Bao, soft-opened the petite eatery after graduating from The French Culinary Institute and working at acclaimed restaurants like Mercer Kitchen and Bar Boulud. Her upbringing and experience has led her to prioritize local, seasonal, and fresh ingredients.
With a strong grasp on the tree-branch handle on Baoburg’s glass door, one enters a chic room featuring artisanal French cuisine with Spanish and Asian influences on every plate. The daily brunch menu — a nice escape from pattering away on your laptop during a cloudy Wednesday afternoon — offers fusion options like the smoked salmon club with spicy mayo, avocado, and homemade fries ($12) or the lighter BLT salad, which includes blueberries, spiced pecans, and smoked bacon drizzled in a bleu cheese dressing ($10).
The single-page dinner menu is designed for sharing, and standouts include baked cod served atop sushi rice with tomato fondue ($16), seared duck breast noodles with shiitake mushrooms and poached daikon in consumme ($16), and roasted octopus legs with chipotle béarnaise and sour lemon curd ($14).
Baoburg’s chic interior facilitates its use as a wine bar as well, and the curated selection of French and Spanish wines is not lacking. Bottles range from $11-$38, and wines by the glass as well as prosecco cocktails are also available.
Baoburg, 126 N. 6th St, bet. Bedford and Berry, Williamsburg; (718) 782-1445