TRIBECA — The owners of Midtown's upscale Cafe China are bringing a taste of Shanghai to TriBeCa.
Their new venture, China Blue, is slated to open this fall at 451 Washington St., former home of beloved French bistro Capsouto Freres, a neighborhood mainstay for more than three decades that was forced to close after Hurricane Sandy.
The new 8,000-square-foot Chinese eatery will be a “white tablecloth” restaurant, owner Xian Zhang told DNAinfo New York, with food that's inspired by his home city of Shanghai.
While Cafe China focuses on the spicy tastes of Sichuan-style cooking, the fare at China Blue will have "more delicate flavors," said Zhang, 38, a former Morgan Stanley banker-turned-restaurateur.
"Chinese food is very elegant food, and I don't think that's really represented here," Zhang said. "We want people to really experience all the nuances of Chinese food, using quality, locally sourced ingredients."
Since Shanghai is located near China's coast, the cuisine features lots of fish and fresh vegetables, Zhang said, and he is planning similar offerings for the TriBeCa restaurant.
Items on the preliminary menu, which range in price from $8 to $26, include $22 smoked lamb with black pepper sauce, $18 baby bok choy with lobster miso, and $7 sliced conch with hot red oil.
Zhang won advisory support for a liquor license from CB1's Tribeca Committee on Wednesday and will now go to the State Liquor Authority for final approval.
"We're very excited about this location," Zhang said. "It's much bigger than Cafe China — there's a lot of potential here for us."
Zhang hopes to open China Blue by November.
