- When you're talking lunch in New York City,

speed is essential.

There are tons of classes, like the dollar slice,

street meat, chicken and rice plates.

But a new go-to has just hit the scene:

the jianbing, or bing for short.

Today, we're headed to Urbanspace Vanderbilt,

to check out their food hall that has 20+ vendors.

In particular, we're looking at Mr. Bing,

a Midtown spot that's specializing in jianbings.

And they're hoping to bring them nationwide.

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Legend has it, that the first jianbing

was made some 2,000 years ago in northern China.

At Mr. Bing, all of their jianbings

follow that same traditional base.

They start by mixing up a batter

of various flours and water.

Then, the batter is spread out nice and thin,

and formed into a crepe-like shape.

But hold on: Before we get any further,

it's important to know the jianbing

is nothing like a crepe.

There's way more textures, flavors,

and it's a lot more filling,

making for the perfect lunch.

They crack eggs on top,

scramble them up, and spread it all over it.

Next, they cover the yolk in chopped scallions

and a sprinkle of sesame seeds,

which adds this great crunch.

To finish it, they flip it over

and cover it in hoisin sauce and chili paste,

making sure to brush it all over the jianbing.

To add one last bit of crunch,

they put on two crispy wonton wafers.

Now this is where Mr. Bing breaks from tradition.

In most of China, jianbings are served at breakfast

and only filled with vegetables.

But here, they're mixing in all types of different meat,

making it a much heartier and filling meal.

- I became interested in jianbing

when I was a student in China, about 20 years ago.

I majored in Chinese in college, and I studied abroad.

On the street, right outside our dorm,

there'd be an old lady on the back of a bicycle cart

making bings for all the students.

And that's how I first fell in love with this product.

It was actually multiple vendors

that I sort of studied from.

I went to 40 different street vendors in Beijing,

in Tianjin, in Shanghai -- kind of all over.

But the one who really taught me how to make it

was a woman named Master Bahn.

She works at a little vendor

in the eastern part of Beijing.

And they basically make what we thought

was the best bing in Beijing with the most variety.

- These bings are the bomb.

I've never had one before,

and if I had to compare it to something,

I'd say it's like a Crunchwrap Supreme.

It's got these different layers of textures

and mixtures of flavors that just can't be beat.

I really, really like the Peking duck one,

because that sweetness of the duck

and the chili paste that was on there

sort of complemented each other really well

and was absolutely delicious.

You've got to try it for yourself.

(upbeat music)

- Now, I will always be loyal to my favorite slice spot.

But the jianbing at the Mr. Bing is definitely going

in my quick, grab-and-go lunch rotation.

If you like what you saw today,

please watch another Thrillist video.

And like, comment and share below.

(jazz music)