A “Top Chef” star and a Las Vegas hospitality founder have dreamed of opening a restaurant together for over two decades. On Jan. 31, they’ll turn that dream into reality by opening Night Rooster, a modern Chinese fine dining restaurant in the Dallas Design District.

Night Rooster is led by celebrity chef Shirley Chung—a “Top Chef” New Orleans and Charleston alum and Food Network star known as The Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles—and was developed by Las Vegas-based Hooper Hospitality Concepts. The restaurant will offer “a refined yet deeply personal expression of Chinese cuisine” shaped by Texas-grown ingredients and “warm hospitality.”

Night Rooster dining room. [Photo: Hooper Hospitality]

Located at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd. Night Rooster occupies the first floor of the building that also houses Las Vegas-based Hooper’s modern Italian steakhouse, The Saint.

“Night Rooster is a reflection of my life,” Beijing-born Chung said in a statement. “It’s rooted in Chinese heritage, shaped by my journey in America as well as my recent health and personal challenges, and inspired by the incredible ingredients and spirit of Texas.”

Bar seating area at Night Rooster. [Photo: Hooper Hospitality]

Returning to kitchen after Stage IV cancer

Chung’s challenges have been challenging indeed. In 2024, she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and underwent an intensive course of chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately achieving full remission. Her return to the kitchen at Night Rooster marks “a powerful new chapter,” Hooper Hospitality said—one defined by “clarity, intention, and renewed purpose.”

“After everything I’ve been through,” Chung said, “I can’t begin to say enough about how happy I am to be cooking again, and I hope this restaurant will be filled with passion and joy, from our team and our guests alike.”

Photo: Hooper Hospitality

Chung is continuing her advocacy work with the American Cancer Society as a Champion of Hope.

Another thing that makes the Night Rooster launch personal? Chung and Hooper first worked together over 20 years ago at an Italian steakhouse in Las Vegas. Ever since, they’ve talked about opening a restaurant together. Night Rooster aims to bring that vision to life.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Andy Hooper, founder of Hooper Hospitality, said in a statement. “Night Rooster tells a story—of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh—and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Bar area at Night Rooster. [Photo: Hooper Hospitality]

A Texas take on Chinese cuisine

At its core, Night Rooster is said to be guided by “a Texas-inspired approach to Chinese cuisine,” while also reflecting Chung’s broader culinary point of view. She aims for each dish to tell a story—whether through its ingredients, technique, or cultural reference.

In a nod to Texas’ BBQ ethos, for instance, Chung will offer her signature Tea-Smoked Duck, which is brined for 24 hours and smoked with jasmine tea and hickory wood. Other Texas-sourced products include beef from Outpost 76 in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Texas Fungus in Arlington, TX.

Photo: Hooper Hospitality

Key menu items include include Sweet and Sour Branzino with pomegranate sauce; Orange Texas Quail stuffed with house-made chicken sausage; Honey Walnut Prawns with plum sauce aioli; and steak and broccoli featuring a six-ounce prime filet with black pepper sauce.

There’s also the Lobster and Shrimp Air Eggrolls with sweet and sour sauce; Night Rooster Caviar Bite featuring fried chicken feet collagen, chicken confit, crème fraîche, and Golden Osetra caviar; Jumbo Wagyu Cheeseburger Potstickers finished with bacon tomato jam; duck fat spicy chicken wontons dressed in chili crisp vinaigrette; and Drunken Yellowtail marinated in tequila soy with lime and bird’s eye chili.

The drinks menu features Texas-grown ingredients as well, with the bar “elevating traditional Chinese flavors through a modern lens.” Drink standouts include East Meets West (Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky, High West bourbon, black sugar, bitters, cherry-wood smoked) and the Dove Dynasty (Montelebos mezcal, Iichiko Saiten Shochu, Aperol, lime, Lady Bird ruby red grapefruit soda and togarashi).

Photo: Hooper Hospitality

Designed by Dallas’ Philosophy Design

Designed by Greg O’Neal of Dallas-based Philosophy Design, the Night Rooster dining room aims to be “one of the most striking dining rooms in Dallas” while remaining warm, comfortable, and inviting. Its look reflects a balance of contrast and cohesion, Hooper said, aligning with the building’s broader design language while establishing its own sense of intimacy and energy.

Night Rooster will open for dinner service only, operating Sunday through Thursday from 5–10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5–11 p.m.

Photo: Hooper Hospitality

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