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A beloved fast-casual Chinese restaurant by an Eleven Madison Park alum just expanded to Brooklyn.
Milu, chef Connie Chung’s Chinese restaurant that opened in NoMad in October 2020, is now in Williamsburg, at 235 Kent Avenue. Pronounced “mee-loo,” which means “rice road” in Chinese, Milu offers an affordable menu focused on protein and vegetable mains with rice and sides. It’s yet another example of Asian cuisine meeting American dining culture, it’s a hybrid, Dig-style meal concept with a menu reminiscent of some of Chinatown’s great restaurants with some fine dining thrown in.
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Menu highlights include Yunnan brisket, Mandarin duck, soy roasted chicken, and Sichuan spiced cauliflower, plus handmade wontons, and vegetable sides including charred broccoli with cilantro and yuzu, tofu seaweed salad with bean sprouts and snow peas, and marinated cucumbers with chili and roasted garlic. Sweets are also available, including pineapple buns and egg tart soft serve. Dishes are also offered as family-style meals meant for sharing (i.e. the perfect meal prep when you want to scale up your takeout).
New to the Williamsburg outpost is a full liquor license! It serves bottled cocktails including the Shochu Bamboo (golden barley soju, vermouth, bitters), Hong Kong Heat (tequila, mezcal, tiensin chilies, pineapple), Cloud Chaser (Bourbon, aged rum, ginger, lime), and Milk Mar-Tea-Ni (Vodka, rum cream, milk tea) plus beer, wine and sake.
Like the original Flatiron District space, Volenec Studio designed Milu Williamsburg. The location is inspired by historic “cha chaan tang” (Hong Kong-style cafes) and their cultural significance in serving affordable Canto-Western food. The 1,850-square-foot location includes 32 seats in the restaurant, with an additional 28 seats on the back patio flanked by plantings set under a retractable roof.
At both locations, Milu Pantry vends in-house sauces and condiments from its own kitchen, including chili crisp, chili oil, hoisin and dumpling sauce.
Milu Williamsburg is open from 11am to 9pm. A new weekend brunch (think steak and egg bowl with duck fat rice and a chili crisp chicken and waffle scallion pancake) will be available later this summer on weekends from 11am to 3pm.