FOODIE
Yin & Yang At Baang
By Leah Weinstein/ foodie@longislandernews.com

Baang, which means to bind or tie together in Chinese, attempts to blend French style and technique with Asian ingredients, and overall, it is bangin’.

The Asian-fusion style is exemplified in many of the entrees but the overall experience at Baang is what you take with you, and it’s not just the leftovers.

Manager Tom Papoutsis describes the restaurant as a “nice little piece of Manhattan on Long Island.”

With a lavish bar for happy hour gatherings and late night drinks, as well as cozy corner tables and booths, Baang remains a great place to go to dinner with a group of friends, bring a date, or take a client to lunch.

The menu is an eclectic blend of east and west. What’s more West than large portions? Baangs’ portions are designed to be shared and served family style, the menu told us.
It also says that servers will gladly assist in ordering and ours was very attentive, bringing out each dish just after we had finished the one before it.

We started with the Steamed Shrimp Dumplings ($12) that came with a ponzu dipping sauce that works wonderfully with the big chunks of fresh shrimp wrapped in a soft dumpling shell. The Szechuan Lobster Crepes ($14) come with a plum wine lobster cream sauce and the Firecracker Spring Rolls ($10) are served with a peanut chicken and mustard honey sauce.

One of the best dishes was also the most basic. The Baang Chicken Salad ($14) is a delicious mix of grilled chicken, Chinese lettuce, crispy noodles and sesame vinaigrette dressing. With only four ingredients, it’s the balance of flavors that makes this simple salad so worth the trip and it can easily feed two.

On to the entrees, the Ginger Glazed Jumbo Shrimp ($26) had a spicy tang to it, and was grilled to perfection with a roasted mushroom noodle salad that made the meal satisfying as well as pretty healthy.

The Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass ($26) was so good I wanted to go back there the next night to get it again. The pan-seared fish was lightly crisped on one side creating a sort of caramelized coating while the entire fish was soft with a herb miso sauce. It came with black rice and a touch of the sauce that created a wonderful combination.

Papoutsis said the most popular dish is the Grilled Shanghai Beef ($32), dry-aged in hot oil with cilantro, shallots and soy. I have a feeling we’ll be back to try it.

After the meal, we weren’t afraid to try something different for dessert because we hadn’t been let down yet.

The yin and yang dessert was an abstract in flavors, with hot fudge cake, espresso ice cream, peanut praline and fresh whipped cream.

The symbol of the yin and yang represents the balance that Baang has struck after six years, as it has comfortably settled into its position as one of the most reliable spots around for great food and good drinks without a crazy wait.

BAANG
Café and Bar
8285 Jericho Turnpike
Woodbury, NY 11797
516 692 0809 

Atmosphere: Trendy café and bar

Price: Moderate

Hours:
Lunch Monday –Friday, 12-2:30 p.m.
Dinner Monday— Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 5:30— 11 p.m.
Sunday 5 – 9  p.m.

Main Menu