Brewery Bhavana

On Sunday, Jack and I made an impromptu trip to Brewery Bhavana in downtown Raleigh. I had never been before, but had seen photos of the interior online, and the menu looked to die for. Unfortunately, when we got there at 5:15, only 15 minutes after opening we were told that there was an hour wait. We knew it was Father’s Day, but didn’t think about that when we were choosing a restaurant. Luckily, the hostess mentioned that there always tends to be no-shows and that a 5 o’clock reservation was a still a no show. She said to give her 20 minutes, so we sat at the bar and grabbed some drinks.

When we were seated, I already had my heart set on the roasted peking duck, so I ordered it ahead of time, since I know they have have limited quantities, and that the cook time takes about 30 minutes.

A Little Something – (Small Plates)

For small plates we ordered the Pork Bao Dumplings ($9.80). These gems are filled with braised pork and black mushrooms. We also ordered the Crab Rangoon ($10.80). These aren’t your normal Chinese take-out crab rangoon either. These are filled with actual blue crab meat and not the imitation stuff. And being from Maryland, I don’t have to tell you how much I love anything with blue crab. Both were absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection.

After the small plates we did have a bit of a wait, which was fine because we were in no rush and had a lot of food coming. It was also extremely busy.

A Bit Larger – (Large Plates)

For larger plates we ordered the Nasi Goring Crab Fried Rice  ($20.80), Steamed Whole Fish ($19.80/MP), and the Peking Duck ($45.80). The fried rice and steamed fish were first to arrive, and both were fantastic in their own ways.

The fried rice is beautifully presented in an egg crepe, and full of blue crab meat. If I had to choose a favorite, I think this is it, and would definitely order it again.

The Sichuan Fish was also spectacular. This is more of a soup, and has lots of  herbs, red bell peppers, enoki mushrooms, and cabbage. It also has fish sauce in it which I was worried about since Jack doesn’t like it, but you couldn’t tell it was present in the dish – which is how it is supposed to be. It also was nice and spicy – and we both loved that about it.

To be honest, I was most excited about the duck, but to me it seemed so lack luster compared to the other dishes. Now, I know I say lack luster, but it was still delicious.

At the end of the day, I can’t say enough good things about our experience. From our waitress to the food, it was hands down some of the best food i’ve eaten in Raleigh. I would highly recommend Brewery Bhavana to everyone, whether it is a special occasion, or if you just want to try something new and exciting. 🙂 You can visit their site here.

For other Raleigh eats, check out what I had to say about Tonbo Ramen…