A brand-new restaurant concept its currently plotting its debut on the Lower East Side.
Chinato is the latest concept to establish itself on the Lower East Side. The restaurant is a new project from owners Xiong Ying and Teng Huang. Chinato President Xiong Ying has been working in the industry for years, and he currently operates A+ Roof Bar out in Flushing. Vice President Teng Huang meanwhile owns a restaurant in Midtown called Shinjuku Ramen that is known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes.
Now, the two restaurateurs are partnering up to a launch a brand new concept. Their latest project, Chinato, is currently slated to open up at 108 Stanton Street, at the southeastern corner of Ludlow and Stanton. The location was formerly home to El Sombrero, a local haunt that offered classic Mexican fare and margaritas in a no-frills setting with late-night operating hours. The layout of Chianto is expected to be spacious and open-concept, featuring a full bar in the center of the space and a series of cushioned chairs lining the back wall. Chinato’s most unique feature though, is the planned coffee station and window, where guests can swing by and order a quick coffee without ever entering the premises. In total, Ying and Huang estimate that the space will seat a total of 20 guests inside at one time.
According to a sample menu attached with their recent liquor license application, Chinato will function as a dual-purpose restaurant. In the morning and afternoon, Chinato will serve coffee to passersby through their service window, while the space will open up in the evenings to serve guests craft cocktails and elevated bites in comfortable and intimate setting. Sample bites include beetroot salad, a doughnut burger, crudo, lamb kofta, and lemon meringue. For the beverage menu, guests can look forward to enjoying classic cocktails like the bloody mary martini and house espresso cocktail, as well as specialty house cocktails like the “Oceans 10”, made with Talisker 10, hibiscus, Irish moss, and nasturtium flower. of course, Chinato will also offer a robust wine selection.
At the moment, owners Ying and Huang are getting ready to meet with the community board to acquire a full liquor license for Chinato. For window-only coffee service, they are planning to operate from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM every day except Tuesday, when the restaurant will be closed. The bar and restaurant meanwhile is expected to operate from 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM every day except Tuesday. The concept is still very early into development at this point though, and as such the team has not yet released any social media accounts for Chinato, so you will just need to watch the space closely for new signs of movement.
