"You have to help me understand," a friend emailed recently. We'd run into each other at Dolores, the Bed-Stuy taqueria that routinely quotes two-to-four-hour waits. On weekends, it's hard to secure even the rickety garden chairs on the sidewalk for drinks, and it took me over an hour to find a spot at the bar wide enough to set a napkin. "Is this normal now? Is it a TikTok thing?" my friend wrote. "HELP!!!!"
Bong (a Khmer term of endearment and respect) is her first permanent restaurant. Open since June, Bong actually started announcing itself sometime in mid-July, and it remains open only Friday through Sunday. Its outdoor patio is a couple of lawn tables on the concrete, and it didn't receive a license to sell beer and wine until mid-August, after I'd visited. Reservations go quickly, and the place is too small to accept walk-ins. On top of it all, Un is nine months' pregnant.
Founding Inday in 2015, Basu Ratnam aimed to change perceptions of Indian food, viewing it as too spicy or suitable only for special occasions. His vision transformed Indian cuisine's reputation in New York, especially among office workers seeking lunch options in a fast-paced environment.