SA Weekend restaurant review – Honey Bang Bang

The flavour fireworks of an Asian restaurant in the Hills make it great value for the local community, writes Simon Wilkinson.

Hailey and Montie Waraich at Honey Bang Bang, Littlehampton. Picture: Paulmac Photography

I’ve never understood the appeal of a Chiko roll. Of all the fried stuff on offer at the fish and chip shop, this over-salted pastry cylinder stuffed with unidentifiable mush is the last thing I would order.

But a “Chicco Roll” like they serve at Hills newcomer Honey Bang Bang? Well, that’s a different story.

More correctly known as a Sri Lankan pan roll, it starts with a meat and potato stuffing brought to life with a self-assured level of spicing and the fragrance of fresh curry leaves. This mixture is rolled in a thin crepe and fried, so that the outer layer becomes crisp but the next few become a soft buffer before hitting the meat. Suitably feisty as they are, the rolls develop serious punch with a small dab of house-made chilli sauce. If you enjoy a good samosa, they will be your new best friend.

Duck salad at Honey Bang Bang, Littlehampton. Picture: Paulmac Photography

The back story of the Chicco also serves to introduce the young husband-and-wife team behind this likeable eating place.

The original inspiration for the dish came from the Sri Lankan grandparents of Hailey Waraich, who runs the front of house. Her husband Montie, the chef, took this “gift” and interpreted it from the perspective of his own Indian background.

While Honey Bang Bang is the couple’s first independent venture, they have plenty of experience, having previously filled similar roles at the ever-popular Singapore House on Glen Osmond Road.

The arrival of two young children prompted some serious work/life balance contemplation and a decision to start a smaller business much closer to home.

After negotiating the COVID lockdown and to-and-froing over a loan, they finally opened in the main street of Littlehampton, right across from the pub, last August.

Honey Bang Bang is a squeeze, with a bar just inside the front door and a narrow dining space. Montie and Hailey have added some personal touches, with an array of painted chairs, timber panelling and large jars filled with their favourite ingredients.

Green chicken curry at Honey Bang Bang, Littlehampton. Picture; Paulmac Photography

More tables are set on a deck at the front but, given the chill of late autumn, even rugged Hills types would struggle to sit there long. Besides, that would mean missing the positive vibe that encompasses everything from the lively playlist to the young service crew who all live nearby.

Montie’s food is presented without unnecessary garnishes or gimmickry. What you see is what you get. The bulk of the menu is taken up by the snacks and smaller serves known as “Little Bangs”.

As well as the Chicco, we have sensational oversized dumplings, swollen with crab and prawn meat, and splashed with a potent brown emulsion spiked with chilli and Szechuan pepper. It’s crab, Singapore style, without the mess.

Lamb ribs are poached in master stock and then fried until every trace of fat has turned crisp, before dousing with a sweet/sour sauce of Chinese black vinegar and soy beans.

Crab and prawn dumpling at Honey Bang Bang, Littlehampton. Picture: Paulmac Photography

Dining room at Honey Bang Bang, Littlehampton

A Thai-style salad tosses together duck, finely shredded banana blossom, coriander and chilli with a finely judged dressing of chilli bean paste, fish sauce, coconut and palm sugar. No duck bought in Chinatown here. The bird has been cooked from scratch, first in stock, then fried, and the proportion of meat in the salad is beyond generous.

All these “Little Bangs” provide the fireworks, each separate element building to a spectacular display. It’s a hard act to follow. From the four larger curries, the green chicken has plenty of tender thigh meat, eggplant and baby corn in a sauce with an authentic edge of heat and tang that hasn’t been diluted by adding too much coconut. If anything, the complexity is a little lost in the big blast of flavour.

A beef rendang isn’t the dry style as described, and its small cubes of meat are still tensed up, but the dark brown gravy is fragrant with lemongrass, clove and other earthy spices.

Dessert offers a fork in the road: an Asian black sticky rice pudding topped with mango and a milk powder crumb; or the Western indulgence of a chocolate triple-treat of biscuit, mousse and a solid lid, dusted with dried raspberry powder.

Honey Bang Bang would be a welcome addition to any neighbourhood, let alone a small community in the Hills. It is run by locals, employs locals, and cooks with locals in mind. Prices are reasonable, the short wine list smart. And anywhere that can restore the reputation of the Chiko/Chicco must be worthy of support.