AT ARLINGTON’S HIP NEW NIHAO, CHINESE DISHES ARE SMALLER BY DESIGN
Chinese “tapas” have arrived at National Landing. Chef Peter Chang, the acclaimed Sichuan flavor master behind a growing culinary empire across Maryland, Virginia, D.C., and Connecticut, adds a unique restaurant to the fold on Thursday, May 9.
At Arlington’s anticipated new NiHao, regional specialties like dan dan noodles, Chongqing chicken, and pig ears in chile oil all come in manageable portions meant for sampling (1550 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia). The opening marks the second iteration of the contemporary brand. The original NiHao debuted in Baltimore’s edgy Canton neighborhood in 2020, and while they share the same name, the 70-seat Arlington edition is already different out of the gate.
“When we first opened NiHao, it was a COVID business,” Lydia Chang, daughter and business partner of Peter Chang, tells Eater. In-person dining was prohibited at the time, so the restaurant got its start as a takeout-only operation. “We ended up shifting our vision because of the limitations that came along with the pandemic,” she adds.
But no such restrictions apply to NiHao’s new jade-green digs near Amazon HQ2, which represents the latest step in the Chang family’s journey of sprinkling its Chinese food across the DMV. NiHao’s dine-in hours are Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with takeout coming soon.
The notion of small plates as a menu-wide focus isn’t exactly common in Chinese cuisine. As a culture that emphasizes sharing — especially around the dinner table — most dishes are meant to feed a family and are anything but tapas-sized. But as NiHao attempts to broaden the palettes of folks who may be less accustomed to the spice and flavors of Sichuan cooking, Chang hopes that taking a small plates approach will encourage some more adventurous eating.
“A lot of times, we hear our customers say that they’ll order the same thing every time they come because they want their favorites, and know that they won’t be able to finish their meals if they order more,” says Chang.
The hope is that with small plates, diners won’t have to choose between their tried-and-true orders and newer offerings. “Everything will still be packed with flavor, but come in smaller plates so that diners can enjoy a really wide variety of dishes,” she says.
Many fans of Chang’s food know his shrimp-and-chive dumplings or popular Kung Pao chicken, but they’re unlikely to have tried specialties like “Husband and Wife” tripe and tendon slices, a popular starter in Chengdu (the capital of the Sichuan region) and throughout China. Similarly, while garlic cucumber salad is likely a familiar dish, the spicy mapo tofu in a flavorful broad bean, chili oil, and black bean sauce may not be something that folks are familiar with.
Other specialties include Chang’s homemade Sichuan sausage, made with a blend of numbing spices, mala pork ribs served with spiced fries, and dry pot chili shrimp served in a steaming stone pot. There’s also a few larger dishes served in the more traditional Chinese style, including a pan-seared spicy branzino served whole, and Mama Chang’s chicken noodle soup that is just as comforting on warm summer days as it is on cold winter evenings.
“There are so many different regions in China with different flavor profiles and different ingredients — we really want to get people interested and curious about learning more about our culture through food,” says Chang.
NiHao also offers a Chinese-influenced beverage program. One cocktail aptly named Lust, Caution features mezcal, baijiu (a common Chinese spirit), Lillet Blanc, and vanilla vermouth, while the 2046 incorporates a chamomile tea gin with blueberry, lime, and soda.
“Our goal has always been to showcase that Chinese food is incredibly diverse, which is why we’ve been so set on opening several different concepts,” says Chang.
The famed chef is best known for his eponymous collection of Peter Chang restaurants, which recently added locations in Rockville and McLean, with another en route to Herndon. The sprawling portfolio also includes Bethesda’s high-end Q by Peter Chang, Eater 38’s Mama Chang in Fairfax, and his inaugural D.C. restaurant Chang Chang.