China Grill, the restaurant that helped define the dining scenes of New York City and South Beach, is now open at the entrance of Bal Harbour Shops. More than a decade after its original Miami location closed, founder Jeffrey Chodorow has brought back the bold, shareable, Asian-inspired cuisine and energetic dining room that made China Grill a destination.
China Grill first opened in New York City in 1987 inside the CBS “Black Rock” Building, quickly becoming one of the city’s most celebrated restaurants. In 1995, Chodorow made a then-unconventional bet on South Beach’s southern edge, turning the corner of Fifth Street and Washington Avenue into a culinary hotspot and helping spark the rise of the South of Fifth neighborhood.
“China Grill was my first restaurant, and it really was the experience that turned what was supposed to be a hobby into a business,” said Chodorow. “Bringing it back was a goal of mine for a long time.”
Its new home places China Grill among the most celebrated retail and dining destinations in the world, alongside Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. “I have always believed Bal Harbour Shops was a special place,” said Chodorow. “It is perfect for destination dining or as part of a shopping experience.”
The menu brings back the dishes guests have been asking about for years. Highlights include the Lobster Pancakes with wild mushrooms, red chili and coconut milk, plum and sesame glazed Lamb Spareribs, Spicy Beef Dumplings and the Pastrami and Kimchi Eggroll. Salads return as full entrées, led by the Confucius Chicken Salad, the dish Chodorow says draws more recipe requests than any other, along with the Crackling Calamari and Peking Duck salads.
Large plates reflect China Grill’s Asian-inspired World Cuisine, including Grilled Szechuan Beef with matchstick frites, Grilled Drunken Chicken, Chilean Sea Bass and Grilled Garlic Shrimp over black fettuccine. Grand plates include Shanghai Lobster and a whole Peking Duck with housemade pancakes, which guests can top with Osetra caviar. Cult favorite sides Crispy Spinach and Wasabi Mash are back alongside Lobster and Truffle Mash, and dessert ends with Bananas in a Box and seasonal soufflés.
New additions include an expanded dim sum selection, with Gilded Dumplings of miso black cod and tobiko, Onion Soup Dumplings, “Green Leaf” Dumplings with truffle and white asparagus, and Florida Shrimp and Garlic Chive Har Gau. The menu also features crispy rice topped with Wagyu tartare and Osetra caviar, oshizushi, the Singapore 17 Vegetable Salad with salted plum vinaigrette and a Wagyu steak selection from Australia.
At lunch, the China Grill Bento Set pairs a simply grilled protein, such as skirt steak, salmon or branzino, with fried rice, a salad and a spring roll or dumplings. Sunday brunch adds dishes like Wagyu Skirt Steak and Eggs and Kimchi Fried Rice with crispy fried eggs.
“I’m partial to the classics like the lamb spareribs, Confucius chicken salad, calamari salad and Szechuan beef,” said Chodorow. “But the new dishes will be new classics.”
The format encourages sharing, with dishes arriving continuously throughout the meal, making China Grill a fit for a celebratory dinner, a business gathering or a spontaneous night out. Signature cocktails include the Saketini, Marco’s Escape and Mango Mirage.
The design honors the original while feeling distinctly current. Guests will find the brand’s signature elements, including a Marco Polo world map, excerpts from Marco Polo’s journals set into the floors and China Grill’s recognizable floating lighting, alongside a black and gold bar and an air conditioned outdoor terrace.
“It was a difficult space to work with, but I wanted to keep the signature features that were part of the DNA of China Grill: the old map of the world, the Marco Polo journal and the lighting,” said Chodorow. “Everything was designed around those features.”
Today, guests who once celebrated milestones at the South Beach original are returning with their children, while a new generation discovers China Grill for the first time. Its international appeal continues, with strong ties to Latin American, European and local Miami communities, including nearby Sunny Isles Beach.
