Acclaimed chef Peter Chang’s second Arlington restaurant is now open.
Chang and daughter Lydia today opened NiHao, at 1550 Crystal Drive, an “all-day modern Chinese concept will highlight Sichuan cuisine with small, shareable plates that lean into the famed chef’s signature use of peppers and spice.”
It’s the second NiHao location — the first is in Baltimore — and Chang’s second restaurant here, after his popular and eponymous restaurant in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center, which opened in 2015.
The new NiHao has been in the works since at least early 2023. The menu, which focuses on dim sum and small plates, includes a Clay Pot Noodle Soup made with Amish chicken, authentic Sichuan specialties, a variety of dumplings, and signature cocktails.
In addition to indoor tables for several dozen diners, the restaurant features indoor and outdoor bar seating with a retractable window. It will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
NiHao is located near a number of other relatively recent, post-HQ2 additions to the neighborhood, including Tacombi, Mah-Ze-Dahr, and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
More, below, from a press release.
Today, James Beard semifinalist Peter Chang and his daughter-business partner Lydia Chang open NiHao in the National Landing neighborhood of Arlington, VA. Located at 1550 Crystal Drive, the all-day modern Chinese concept will highlight Sichuan cuisine with small, shareable plates that lean into the famed chef’s signature use of peppers and spice. NiHao is Peter Chang’s second restaurant in Arlington and the counterpart to the Baltimore location by the same name. Erik Bruner-Yang, an acclaimed chef and friend of the Chang family, is involved in the new concept as a partner.
TEAM
Born and raised in Wuhan, China, Peter Chang moved to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, as a young adult to study classical Chinese cooking. There, he discovered his love for Sichuan peppercorns, chilis, and pickles that make humble ingredients shine. He came to Washington D.C. nearly 30 years ago as the chef for the Chinese ambassador to the United States before building his empire of restaurants. Fans flock to his restaurants for his signature dry-fry cauliflower and seafood, mala-flavored dishes, and Wuhan sesame noodles, a dish from his hometown. His wife Lisa, a Chinese pastry chef, created a signature menu item, the bubble pancake, that helped put their restaurants on the map. She is his longtime partner in both the kitchen and the home.
Lydia Chang is the business partner and co-owner of the Peter Chang Restaurant Group and the daughter of Peter and Lisa Chang. Lydia was born in Hubei and exposed to various exotic ingredients and flavors from her parents’ cooking from a young age. Over the last decade, she has overseen the growth of the Peter Chang Restaurant Group from five restaurants to more than fifteen, with a focus on Chang Chang (the group’s first and only restaurant in the District), Mama Chang, Q by Peter Chang, and NiHao.
MENU
The all-day Modern Chinese menu will differ from its Baltimore counterpart, focusing on dim sum and small, shareable plates that do not shy away from spice and bold flavors. Highlights include Clay Pot Noodle Soup made with Amish chicken sourced from Chang’s partnership with a producer in Ovid, NY; authentic Sichuan specialties like “Husband and Wife” Tripe & Tendon Slices featuring sliced beef offal with crushed peanuts, sesame seed & chili oil; Mala Pork Ribs & Fries, Guangdong Beef with red dry chili pepper & onion; alongside vegetarian tapas like Mapo Tofu bathed in broadbean paste, soy chili & black bean sauce and Farmer’s Stir Fry with eggs, tofu skin, jalapenos, green peppers & Chinese celery. NiHao’s menu also features an assortment of steamed and pan-fried dumplings, including Chang’s Signature Shrimp & Chive Dumplings and Shanghai Soup Dumplings. NiHao will serve Lunar hard seltzer, an AAPI-owned beverage company that uses real fruit juice and premium Asian ingredients, along with local beer, wines by the glass, baijiu, and a list of signature cocktails named for Chinese films–including A Chinese Odyssey with Green Peppercorn, Ming River Baiju, Tequila, & Lime and You Are the Apple of My Eye with Sochu, Plum Wine, Campari, & Ginger. Dessert offerings include Glutinous Sticky Rice Cakes with brown sugar.
ABOUT NIHAO ARLINGTON
NiHao is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The name NiHao is an expression of a Chinese greeting, a hello, and a casual icebreaker that usually follows with “Have you eaten yet?” in a typical conversational manner. In the past few decades, with the migrating culture of the Chinese, the food has also evolved from how dishes look to how they taste, but the expression “NiHao” has always remained constant. Saying “NiHao” allows people to connect – through food, drink, and conversation. NiHao’s address is 1550 Crystal Drive, Ste F, Arlington, VA, 22202.