Restaurant Roundup: New restaurants and a reopening in Springfield
In Restaurant Roundup, Em Chan shares some local restaurants' latest updates. Have a question for a restaurant you'd like Chan to look into? You can send her your inquiries at echan@gannett.com.
Bao Bao House
Bao Bao House's second location at Gateway Mall plaza in Springfield soft-opened in mid-May. The new space is twice as large as the downtown Eugene location and has an open kitchen for folks to watch the dumpling making and cooking.
Owner Kevin Lee said the plan to open at Gateway had been on his mind for the last few years, but he officially secured the space last year. When he originally opened in downtown Eugene the popularity of his restaurant would quickly show the space was too small.
Bao Bao House is most known for savory baos, which are steamed and then pan-fried for a crisp bottom. Other popular items the restaurant offers include dumplings, steamed and pan-fried, and northern Chinese noodle soups.
The Gateway spot offers the same dishes as the first location, plus xiao long bao, appetizers classified as "finger food" on the menu plus more fried rice and noodle options. The location also offers draft beer.
"We don't feed you the Chinese-American food," Lee said. "We are make all our traditional Chinese foods in-house how we would at home."
For more info about Bao Bao House or to order online from either location, check out the website, baobaohouseor.com.
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Wednesday-Monday
Address: 3342 Gateway St., Springfield
Busy Bee Cafe
Busy Bee Cafe has reopened under new ownership after its closure last August.
The cafe is now owned and run by Meg Holiday, who bought the business from former owner Betty Boyd at the beginning of the year. Holiday announced on the cafe's Facebook page the space was undergoing "major construction in the kitchen" and planned to open in February or March. However, delays with the project led the cafe to reopen in early April instead.
The menu has kept some of the same items, including chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy and pie. Most of the fare is still classic breakfast and lunch items of soups, salads, sandwiches, egg dishes and desserts.
The cafe has extended its hours an additional hour to close at 3 p.m. For more info about the cafe, check out the restaurant's Facebook page.
Hours: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
Address: 2152 Main St., Springfield
R Pizza
R Pizza is the newest pizza restaurant in Springfield and the sister restaurant of Royal India and Royal India food cart.
The pizza shop quietly opened in early February. The restaurant offers pizza, cheese bread, wings, fries, salads, rice bowls, wraps, sandwiches, burgers and some dessert.
Among the classic pizza options, there are some Indian and Asian fusion options, including chutney fries and tikka pizza. The tikka pizza has tikka sauce, choice of chicken tikka or paneer tikka. Pizza is available by the pie in various sizes for order out, and by the slice in the restaurant.
To order a pizza, visit the shop in-person or check out the restaurant's website, www.rpizzaor.com or call 541-636-3830.
Hours: 11 a.m. - 12 a.m. daily
Address: 1406 Mohawk Blvd., Springfield
Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com, follow her on Twitter @catchuptoemily or see what she's eating on Instagram @sikfanmai.ah.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Restaurant Roundup: Bao Bao House, Busy Bee Cafe, R Pizza
