Asian Fusion Coming to Shorewood

Cousins Nick Zheng and Ka Bo Wong are preparing to open an Asian fusion restaurant and sushi bar called NaNa in the 4500 block of North Oakland Avenue, just south of .

Zheng said they plan to open for business in October at 4511 N. Oakland Ave. Until then, construction workers are remodeling the interior and adding a sushi and drink bar.

Zheng and Wong are the third generation of restaurant owners in their family. Their relatives have opened various types of Asian fusion restaurants in New York, California and Florida.

Some of the most popular of their family’s restaurants are of a chain called Wild Ginger. Zheng said NaNa’s menu and style would imitate Wild Ginger’s, with primary influences from Japan and Thailand.

Zheng was born in Hong Kong, and moved to the U.S. when he was 8, relocating frequently as his parents opened restaurants in popular vacation areas. He moved to Shorewood in 2006, before studying business management at Penn State and moving to New York and helping out in his family’s restaurants.

Zheng moved back to the northshore about six months ago, with the intention of opening his own restaurant.

“I like the neighborhood,” he said. “Everyone is friendly here.”

Zheng is currently living in Glendale but looking to move to Shorewood.

Some of the chefs in his family’s New York restaurants uprooted and moved the area as well, to work at NaNa.

“We are all good friends, and we like to stay together,” Zheng said.

Zheng is confident the restaurant will be successful.

“I’ve tried all the food around here,” Zheng said. “The neighborhood needs something like this.”

The store will open in a recently revitalized area of North Oakland Avenue. The building, including apartments, an Alterra and Thief Wine, opened early this year. Cornerstone developer WiRED Properties is also planning to begin construction in August on another mixed use development, called , just north of the also new Three Lions Pub.