Bringing an island-style palate to this riverside town, Caribbean fusion restaurant Bincho Don had its soft opening Saturday in the Easton Public Market.
The restaurant is named after coals used for a Japanese grill called a koron. Head chef Kadon Barnwell “obsessed” over grilling over these coals.
He said he decided to stick with the wide range of food of his roots because “no one’s gonna trust a Black guy to do Japanese food.” With a father from Guyana, a mother from Honduras and a Filipino household growing up, the menu Bincho Don reflects the diversity of Barnwell’s life.
“Some days, I want to get crazy and do some Huli Huli from Hawaii, or do Filipino food,” Barnwell said. “A lot of it is very adjacent, where it’s spice, and flavor and a lot of coconut. A lot of unintentionally vegan things. So we’re definitely going to lean into that as well.”
One feature of the opening day menu was fried snapper, marinated in a seasoning with cilantro, garlic and Guyanese cherry peppers.
“We’ve never had this type of cuisine in the market before, Caribbean style mixed with a Guyanese fusion, and we’re really, really pumped to see the clientele,” said Allison Ferrara, the marketing manager for the Greater Easton Partnership, which oversees the market. Bincho Don replaces a well-loved local chain, More Than Q, which was part of the indoor space since its opening in 2016.
“It’s definitely very nice to have the space occupied,” said Ron Rittenhouse, owner of Centre Square Cheese, a neighboring vendor in the public market. “It was a continuous long line all day.”
Rittenhouse was one of the lucky surrounding business owners who got to sample fried chicken, pulled pork and jerk chicken with rice and beans — just to name a few.
“It’s such a staple of the market,” said Allyson Patane, an employee at The Modern Crumb bakery in the market. “We haven’t had anything like island cuisine.”
Barnwell has a lot of ideas for where the restaurant will go.
“Every day we’ll have a different type of special — we want to do Wing Wednesday and Tamale Thursday, patties on Friday, but then after that, we’ll do some composed dishes,” Barnwell mused.
Lafayette College students can look forward to some perks as well, with Barnwell hinting at future deals.
“It’s nice to actually be able to share it with everybody, rather than gatekeep it at home,” he said.
