Is art for the artist or for others?
It’s a dynamic chef Kadon Barnwell has struggled with for years — loving to cook, but lacking full creative freedom while cooking for someone else.
With a new food stand at the Easton Public Market, Barnwell is serving up authenticity with dishes inspired by his upbringing with his Guyanese father, his mother from Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras, and his Filipino stepmother. The dishes brings him back to the days of family parties and sitting with his six younger brothers around the dinner table, eating and sharing jokes and stories.
“I think that’s something that I think I might need, especially in my career, because I was putting a lot of pressure on just fitting a certain mold, or … just a certain vibe,” he said. “It’s just like, oh, everything has to be perfect and I have to make sure that these things look a certain way aesthetically, but the food that I enjoy so much and I grew up eating wasn’t perfect aesthetically. If anything, it was messy and … very rustic, but so much flavor and so much love in the food. So that’s something I really want to share with everyone around me now.”
Barnwell’s Bincho-Don began a soft opening period on Feb. 28 at the Easton market, replacing More Than Q Barbecue Co.
It serves a rotating menu as well as staples such as jerk chicken, braised oxtails, rice and beans, chana dal, escovitch and shrimp.
“Our incentive with the menu is pretty much just … everything is made fresh, inspired by our island roots and culture,” Barnwell said.
Barnwell got his first restaurant job at 16 with a country club in his hometown of Bridgewater, New Jersey, but loved cooking even before that.
“Even as a young boy, I think for Christmas, I asked for prosciutto one year from my uncles because … I fell in love with how it tasted,” he said. “And I got a chef jacket and … all these things, like I used to watch the cooking channels and the Food Network as a kid rather than Cartoon Network.”
Barnwell’s later New Jersey work included working as sous chef at Pluckemin Inn and as executive chef for Cree Wine Co. He previously worked as executive chef for the Australian and Bavarian-style Kabinett Wine Bar in Easton, but still struggled with making his cooking fully his own.
“I of course had creative freedom when it came to what food I made … however, I had to make sure that it was somewhat culturally appropriate, like where it could fit that … style of establishment and cuisine,” he said.
He left Kabinett last year. Then, Barnwell said, More Than Q owner Matt Martin reached out to offer the space in Easton Public Market, and the chef went from there. The name Bincho-Don is a combination of Barnwell’s first name and the binchotan charcoal that he has used for his Konro grill at popup events.
“That was … one of my main mediums of cooking that I really love to do, and people also, they love seeing it because it was so interactive,” he said. “They see this little grill with … there’s no flame coming out of it and there’s no tank connected to it, but it’s producing all this smoke and it smells like an amazing barbecue. And it’s very much like a sensory experience and also very like community, like people could just stand around that little grill.”
The food stand currently operates noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Barnwell said those hours could change by the grand opening he has planned for later this month or in early April.
Other Easton Public Market openings in the last year include Centre Square Cheese, Crêpes at Casa, Houseplanted and Luca and Sons.
Kadon Barnwell stands Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Bincho-Don, his new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish snapper escovitch is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish green seasoning shrimp is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish chana dal is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Kadon Barnwell stands Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Bincho-Don, his new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish snapper escovitch is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Kadon Barnwell plates samples of dishes on the menu sit on display Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish smoked jerk chicken is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish green seasoning shrimp is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
A sample of dishes on the menu sit on display Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Kadon Barnwell plates samples of dishes on the menu sit on display Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Dish oxtail with coconut rice and steamed cabbage is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Bincho-Don, a new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Kadon Barnwell stands Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Bincho-Don, his new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
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Kadon Barnwell stands Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Bincho-Don, his new Caribbean and South American-inspired food stand at the Easton Public Market. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Circle Cafe on Main announced it plans to open mid-April at 2 N. Main St. in Nazareth.
“I wanted to update you all that work inside the building is complete and we went through all state and local inspections. We are APPROVED on all fronts!!! Now we have full access to the kitchen and get cooking … FINALLY!” the announcement said. The cafe had originally planned to open in December.
Friendly Book Store announced it would close Saturday at 300 W. Broad St. in Quakertown, after over 85 years in business.
The New Santiago’s Restaurant and La Cocina de la Abuela announced their temporary closures Tuesday after strong winds damaged their building in the 120 block of South Third St. in Coopersburg.
Pizzeria closes as lease expires
The lease expired Jan. 31 for Casa Mia Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant at the Saucon Valley Square shopping center in Lower Saucon Township, according to leasing representative Candace Gschwind, who said the restaurant chose to vacate the space.
A visit during the restaurant’s normal operating hours earlier this month showed that the space was locked with apparently no one inside.
Calls to the Casa Mia phone number couldn’t connect earlier this month, and the restaurant is no longer available on DoorDash or Grubhub.
In other news
New menu items like fajita burgers, tiramisu cups, pepperoni pizza rolls, grilled corn with cilantro lime butter and Caprese salads will feature for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ 2026 season at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. The park held a media preview of its food offerings this week.
ArtsQuest announced the return of Sangriafest on May 16, Tacofest on May 31 and Ginvitational on June 14 at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem.
“From refreshing sangrias and bold margaritas to craft spirits and global flavors, this trio of culinary and beverage celebrations delivers three can’t-miss weekends of food, drinks, music and community in the heart of Bethlehem,” the ArtsQuest news release said.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.