Nin Hao
Chinese restaurant · Prospect Heights ·
Fujianese dining with dim sum, Cantonese brunch, and creative cocktails
Fujianese dining with dim sum, Cantonese brunch, and creative cocktails
"Sure, you could come to Nin Hao for a casual weeknight dinner, but this quirky Fujianese spot works best for a big group looking for a fun meal. (Bonus points for the fact that large group reservations are easy to snag.) The high-ceilinged spot on Dean Street has a massive dining room, a soundtrack that might include “Shots” by LMFAO, and a long menu of easily shareable dishes, like a General Tso’s whole chicken, and sizzling lamb chops that fill the large space with cumin-scented smoke. Start with a cocktail of bourbon and cumin, move on to the natural wine from Virginia, and take a good long look at the mural on the back wall. Yes, that is a hand cupping a bunch of newborn babies." - bryan kim, hannah albertine, nikko duren, willa moore
"The long rectangular tables at Nin Hao, a Chinese restaurant in Prospect Heights, are wide enough that you can easily talk to people other than your direct neighbors. It’s also easy enough to reserve a same-day table for eight, and the delicious Fujianese dishes here are easily shared. Start with a cocktail of baiju and pickled mango or a bottle of orange wine from Virginia, move on to the crispy seafood pancake and sizzling cumin lamb chops, and if it’s your birthday, expect “In da Club” by 50 Cent to come on at least once." - bryan kim, willa moore
"From the onset, Nin Hao can look a bit sterile in a minimalist dining room in a new construction building. But the warmth comes from the food: dishes like curry shrimp, Fujianese wonton, and beef noodles. “There’s more to Chinese cuisine than just Sichuanese, Shanghainese, Cantonese,” owner Evan Toretto Li, a founder of MáLà Project told Eater. “A lot of people who work in Chinese restaurants are Fujianese, but they rarely present their own culture.”" - Emma Orlow
"With a massive fish tank behind the bar (each team member gets their own fish when they start working there) and branded dog treats sometimes available at the front door, Nin Hao has a fun energy that's a lot like Potluck Club, Bonnie’s, and Phoenix Palace. Opened by a co-founder of MáLà Project, this new-school Fujianese restaurant in Prospect Heights is a great place for a group dinner or a date when everyone wants wontons with shells made out of pork, garlicky fried fish, and creamy peanut “ban ban” noodles." - neha talreja, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, willa moore
"The Prospect Heights Chinese restaurant is making a bunch of Lunar New Year dish specials. There’s the Cantonese braised pork belly, braised Asian sea bass, pork rice cakes, and rice cakes with XO-sauced lobster. It’s available from Tuesday, January 28 through Wednesday, February 12." - Nadia Chaudhury