Last Bite: Crispy Pork Bao Buns at 3 Monkeys
Let’s face it, the words “Cape Cod” and “global cuisine” are not considered synonymous. Of course, the Cape has long been a destination for seafood classics including delectable fried clams and sumptuous lobster rolls. However, a trip to 3 Monkeys in Harwich Port is sure to leave visions of more exotic selections dancing in your head. It’s a marked departure from the same old, same old traditional New England-style fare.
Every local knows that one of the many great things about the off season on Cape Cod is the ability to snag a coveted seat (bonus points for me if it’s at the bar) at those restaurants that are a tad too popular during high season. If you happened to cruise through downtown Harwich Port this past summer, you couldn’t help but notice the lines and crowds around one of the newest downtown hot spots, 3 Monkeys. Owners Tony Gullotti and Mike Strangfeld, the same duo behind the popular Mad Minnow Bar & Kitchen (Harwich Port), have created a visually compelling space that seamlessly melds the inside with out. Seasonally, there is an abundance of patio tables and a “garage style” opening that allows air flow, which has been a blessing during COVID. The bar build out provides interior and exterior seating that offers views of the colorful wall graffiti, while also allowing you to experience the hustle and bustle of Main Street. It’s the kind of open-air vibe you see in cities like Austin or San Diego, and you can’t help being drawn into the energy. General manager Ali Leporati describes the concept and the overall esthetic of 3 Monkeys as the place “where you feel like you’re on vacation, while you’re on a vacation!”
Proving they are not just another pretty face on the local bar/ restaurant scene, 3 Monkeys dabbles in East Asian, Japanese and American cuisine. Selections include sushi, rice, noodles, ramen and bahn mi sandwiches. My current obsession is the bao buns (bao is the Chinese word for bun). Addictive pillowy puffs of doughy perfection, baos, smaller than a dumpling and usually steamed rather than boiled, provide the canvas for a variety of tantalizing fillings. The short rib baos (Korean braised beef, housemade kimchi and ginger sauce) are a popular choice, but for me it’s all about the crispy pork belly baos. Chef Tyler Bridges confirms the popularity of the pork bao, stating they were going through as much as two hundred pounds of pork belly per week during peak season. Every bao bun order consists of three fluffy baos stuffed with a cube of crispy pork belly. The pork is cured for 24 hours in house with a mixture of salt and sugar, followed by a braising in a “secret” liquid. The pork is pressed, cut and deep-fried to order. The meat is then topped with chopped scallions, house pickled cucumbers, and two scratch-made sauces: a gochujang (chili paste with fermented red pepper) hoisin and a spicy mayo. This smorgasbord of flavors and textures combine to create the perfect morsel…salty, sweet, a little spicy, crunchy, combined with the decadent fattiness of the tender pork belly. Nirvana enveloped in a soft steamy cloud. As Chef Bridges says, “who doesn’t love the flavor of deep fried thick bacon? To me, the perfect fall meal at 3 Monkeys is an order of the crispy pork belly bao buns and a bowl of duck confit ramen.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to complement the cuisine with a beverage from the talented crew behind the 3 Monkeys bar. Indulge in an inventive draft or tiki cocktail, sake by the glass or sip one of the many smoky Japanese whiskeys, a sure way to keep the end-of-year cold at bay.
Cape Cod may not rival New York City as an international food mecca, but the increasing popularity of restaurants like 3 Monkeys and others show there’s ample room among our iconic food choices to shake things up. Bao bun anyone? Meet me at the monkey!
3 Monkeys Street Bar + Kitchen + Sushi
554 Route 28, Harwich
3monkeyshp.com
774-209-3160
