Our story
Jiang Niu Origin
We are from the northeast region of China, an area known as Dongbei. People from Dongbei really love their BBQ. We opened up Jiang Niu because we love BBQ ourselves and we want to share our food with the lovely people living in or visiting the Chicago area. Watch the video below for Jiang Niu Origin Story!
Our flavor history
A kind of BBQ experience,
a fusion of Korean & Chinese Dongbei
You’ve heard of Korean BBQ or Japanese BBQ, but now it’s time to experience Chinese Dongbei fusion BBQ. Similar style with a different flavor, your taste buds are in for a real treat. Dongbei is actually quite close to Korea, which is why our food and culture are similar.
What kind of flavors can you expect from Dongbei? A focus on sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and umami (savory). We like to use LOTS of garlic and chili too. Dongbei flavors use lots of food seasoning and most of our food uses a combination of flavors – generally sweet is one of them from our fruit-based marinades. Test out our sweet and sour, sweet and spicy, or sweet and salty combinations.
Similar to other styles of Asian BBQ, Dongbei fusion uses self-serve grills right at your table. Bring your family, friends, or coworkers and prepare yourself for an incredible experience.
Koreatown in Shenyang
How are we different?
Explore the unique BBQ style
There is no other restaurant in Chicago that offers the food and flavors of Jiang Niu. We’re a fusion restaurant, relying mostly on Dongbei flavors with influences from other cultures. We take the best parts of different BBQ styles and make an experience entirely our own.
What’s the difference between these styles? Here’s a quick breakdown:
01
Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ uses mainly soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and doenjang (a fermented soybean paste similar to Japanese miso) in meat marinade. Meat is heavily marinated.
02
Japanese BBQ
Japanese BBQ focuses on the original flavor of the meat or seafood, adding extra flavor with dipping sauces.
03
Chinese Dongbei BBQ
Dongbei BBQ is similar to Korean BBQ. We use a generous amount of aromatic sweet marinade for our meat, however, we don't use doenjang. Also, Dongbei style grills more types of food, such as veggies, seafood, organs, and more.
What can you expect when you visit?
BBQ Spirit: share the food, share the joy
BBQ is a food that’s meant to be shared, it brings people together around amazing food. Bring your appetite and others who appreciate a great meal. We have a lot of wonderful options on our menu and sharing is the best way to try more of our dishes. Our space is bright, modern, and welcoming. Get comfortable and prepare yourself for a fun and delicious experience.
Place your order with our servers and one of our robot busgirls will come in the help! Get excited to enjoy your BBQ served on the first Chicago-ever ferries wheel! We hope you’re wearing your figurative chef’s hat because grilling the food to perfection is up to you.
