Last Thursday Adelaide Food Central took a trip up the hill to the homey town of Littlehampton. Here we spent the afternoon sampling the menu at Honey Bang Bang, a small eatery that provides simple Asian food but done well. After many years of part ownership at Singapore House and with the arrival of their baby, Montie and Hailey decided it was time for them to venture out on their own. Living just down the road from the restaurant it was an obvious move, now providing the Adelaide hills and surrounds with authentic Asian food.

We sampled many stunning dishes from their menu including little bangs, big bangs and bang bang sides.

Cheesy Baked Mushrooms with Chilli Sauce
I had my eye on this dish before I had even walked into Honey Bang Bang. I love mushrooms, and it was a something I haven’t seen done at an Asian restaurant before. As soon as I cut into the mushroom it spurted everywhere, showing me how juicy it really was. The cheese had been crisped up and complimented the moist mushroom, whilst the sweet chilli sauce tied all the flavours together.

Bang Bang Chicco Roll with Spiced Beef Mince, Potato and Curry Leaf
The first thing that I noticed about this spring roll/Chicco roll hybrid was the crunch. On first bite it was obvious that it had been fried to perfection. As for the rest of the flavours it reminded me of a samosa, think Indian spring roll. I had never eaten anything like this before and I liked the idea.

Crab and Prawn Dumplings with Chilli Oil and Chinese Cabbage
Dumplings are usually my go to at an Asian restaurant. They were filled with plump amounts of seafood, and this would be one for the fish lovers. The little parcels kept a lot of chilli heat and were salted well, which meant I wanted to keep eating more. I am a sucker for chilli oil so I loved the fact that the dumplings were nestled in some.

Pork Bun with Mixed Herbs, Chilli and Pate
Pork bun’s seem to be the new ‘in’ thing at the moment, you see them on every menu. The pork was cooked very well with a crispy top and moist bottom. The mixed herbs were fresh and went well with the chilli and pate. This dish is great to have as a starter, or a light lunch.

Salt and Pepper Squid with Yuzo Mayo, Spring Onion and Chilli
We love a good salt and pepper squid and when done well we are a happy duo. The first thing that we look for on this dish is the batter and its crispiness. Big tick for us, they aced this. We then look for the saltiness, not too over bearing but enough to enhance the batter flavour. Once again, big tick from us. The addition of the fresh chilli helped to keep an authentic element.

Crying Tiger with Chargrilled Beef, and Red Nahm Jim Dipping Sauce
This was probably my favourite dish of the day, and something that wouldn’t usually be my first pick at an Asian restaurant. The beef was cooked so well, almost rare but was not chewy at all. The flavours were very light which helped to complement the meat. The sauce was not too salty and worked well with the soft vegetables and gamey meat.

Barramundi Curry ‘the sauce is all you need’ with Turmeric Marinated Fish Fillets
This curry is the definition of what Honey Bang Bang stands for ‘simple Asian food, done well’. The sauce was very light, which helped to not over bear the subtle flavours of the fish. After eating this curry I didn’t feel too heavy which is always a plus when eating food of this style.

Beef Rendang ‘dry beef curry’ with Lemongrass, Toasted Coconut
Reminiscing about this beef curry is making me very hungry. It was visually quite simple but when tucking into the sauce it was a flavour explosion. The lemongrass radiated through the curry and it was a perfect sauce for the beef. I couldn’t stop eating it and found mixing it with rice or roti was the best option.

Thank you so much to Hailey and Montie for having us along to Honey Bang Bang. We love not only the food but the vibes and the family business mentality behind it.

Words by Tomika Salerno

WHERE: 82 Princes Highway, Littlehampton