An Acclaimed Chinese Chain Opens a Plant-Filled Restaurant in Chelsea

Dancing lions today marked the opening of hit Greenwich Village Chinese restaurant Hao Noodle and Tea’s second location, not so far away in Chelsea, focused on food meant to accompany drinking.

Small plates such as eggplant with fish sauce and beef short ribs with pineapple in black pepper sauce range from $8 to $16 at the new space, located at 343 West 14th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, which is just as plant-filled as the original. There are quite a few skewers on the menu as well, such as pork tenderloin with perilla leaf, cumin lamb, honey-barbecue pork belly, and green pepper with sweet-and-sour sauce — running around $4 to $6. Noodles, a hallmark at the first location, are the same here, like dandan noodles or noodles with dried shrimp and scallion oil.

The idea here is food that’s best eaten with booze, so smaller snacky things take precedent. But despite that concept, the beer and wine license is still pending. Until then, teas and sodas are on the menu.

The 84-seat space itself reminds of the original: Plants overflow the restaurant, especially in the garden room that is drenched in sunlight from the large skylight above. At the front of the restaurant, an open kitchen and high tops dominate, Grub Street reports.

Hao Noodle and Tea by Madam Zhu’s Kitchen is a Chinese chain that first rolled into the U.S. in NYC in 2016. Owner Zhu Rong runs several locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and beyond. It was pretty immediately well received, serving pan-regional Chinese fare that got two stars from Eater, another deuce from the Times, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Hours at this new location are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.