Roll & Dough

What a hilarious name for a Chinese restaurant. Roll & Dough opened recently on West 3rd just East of 6th Avenue.  Total NYU neighborhood.  Perfect location.  They serve inexpensive dumplings, buns and bings and also a few classic dishes and soups.  But their main thing is the buns, dumplings and bings.  You can buy them to go, to stay or frozen. 

So, what is a bing?  I was curious myself so I stopped by to take a look and a bite.  A bing is basically a Chinese calzone.  Boiled or baked, not sure but covered with sesame seeds, about the size of your palm and stuffed with anything from spicy pork to chicken to red beans to vegetables to bananas.  They run from $1.50-$1.95.  One is ample for lunch. 

There isn’t really a name on the door but a huge New York Times copy of the review they had which just cracked me up.  No ambiance whatsoever.  A bit cheesey and the back of the counter sort of resembles a Chinese Dunkin’ Donuts.  Fast food for the masses.  Think they are looking to expand this into a chain?

I got a spicy pork bing for $1.95 just to try.  They are really good.   I picked up a menu for delivery.  This could be our new place on Sunday nights…at least for awhile.