BY DATHAN KAZSUK
It’s not every Wednesday you find yourself sipping a black sesame old-fashioned beside a sommelier, a wine educator/chef, and a local TV anchor—but that’s exactly how things played out when my wife, Jennifer Primrose and I were invited to the soft opening of Brewery Bhavana’s new location at Fenton in Cary.
That’s right. The downtown Raleigh brewery—where dim sum meets craft beer—has officially expanded beyond Moore Square.
The 2,000-square-foot space is bathed in natural light and anchored by a hand-painted Garden of Eden mural behind the bar. Overhead, a canopy of lush hanging greenery gives off serious Hanging Gardens of Babylon vibes. You’ve got 46 indoor seats and plenty of room to spill out onto the expansive patio, perfect for warm spring nights with a drink in hand.
As for who else was in the room—at least during the time we were there? We found ourselves seated beside Doreen Colondres, owner of Vitis House, and CBS17’s Amber Freeman. We had a quick chat with Max Trujillo from the North Carolina Food & Beverage Podcast, and caught a glimpse of Jennifer Martin of Shop Local Raleigh enjoying her own soft opening experience at the bar. It was like a who’s who of the local food and media scene.
Now, onto the food—which did not disappoint.
Jen and I thumbed through the menu and started with the cabbage rolls—tender napa leaves stuffed with ground pork, mushrooms and a hint of ginger that added a perfect bite. We followed that with the Jiaozi dumplings—pan-fried and packed with chicken, bok choy and water chestnuts, giving them a crispy-juicy combo. Of course, we couldn’t pass up the Char Siu Bao, their signature dim sum filled with smoky-sweet Cantonese barbecue pork. If you’re still out here judging crab rangoons based on strip mall takeout, you need to reset your expectations. These were packed with real blue crab meat, cream cheese and just enough jalapeño to make you pause between bites.
For dessert, we went for the coconut cake—soft layers of cake and vanilla cream tied together with a mango–passion fruit drizzle that tasted like tropical vacation in fork form.
I started things off right with one of their Fenton-exclusive beers—a smooth English Strong Ale that balanced malt and warmth just right. But once I spotted the Black Sesame Old Fashioned on the cocktail menu, I knew how this night was going to end. Rich, nutty, with a subtle edge that made every sip count. Jen went for a Slovenian Pinot Grigio with skin contact—you know, one of those funky orange wines—and it turned out to be a solid, slightly earthy sip that I had to admit was tasty.
Of course, we didn’t make it through the entire menu. Other items included egg rolls, steamed buns, soup dumplings and entrees like Peking Duck and General Tso’s Chicken. For those with a sweet tooth, you’ll want to come back and try the Ten Treasures Mooncakes or the Roasted Banana Cake.
To celebrate the opening, the Cary location is launching an exclusive beer lineup featuring their Baltic Porter, Weizenbock Lager, Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Raspberry Stout, Dunkel Lager and the English Strong Ale I mentioned above.
The new Brewery Bhavana is located at 850 Lower Garden Lane, across from Arhaus and next to The Allison at Fenton. And yes, I’m officially jealous of anyone who lives next door. The restaurant opens to the public Friday at 11:30 a.m., so get your reservations locked in now!
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