Ting restaurant closing in Huntington after 12 years

Before it became Ting in 2012, the impressive stand-alone building on Route 25A had been a revolving door of Asian fusion restaurants. Its owner, May Zheng, was only 26 when she took over the flashy, high-ceilinged space just east of Huntington village. But she managed to hold onto the business for a dozen years. 

Now 38 years old, her priorities have changed and she wants to spend more time with her family. Ting will close at the end of service Jan. 5. The building will undergo renovations for at least two months, and will eventually become Kuku Korean Cuisine, which specializes in Korean fried chicken and other traditional dishes. 

 "I have a lot of appreciation for what Ting has been over the years. I started out of college, just worked and then ... the story is very simple. I enjoyed the restaurant, I enjoyed the neighborhood." Zheng said. "It’s purely a business decision." 

Ting was known for its gigantic menu that included sushi rolls, tuna tacos and sushi pizzas, Thai stir fries, noodles and classic Chinese-American fare. Zheng also said the restaurant was popular for its generous happy hour, with discounted wine, sushi and appetizers. (Happy hour continues 4-7 p.m. weekdays until Jan. 5) Due to its location on a busy, winding road with minimal foot traffic, Ting became a neighborhood spot with a robust community of regulars, Zheng said. 

"Our customers are very consistent. We saw them every Friday, every Thursday," she said. "That’s what made us successful." 

Zheng has known the people behind Kuku for more than a decade, which made her more comfortable handing over the space. Kuku co-owner James Chen, who runs the restaurant's two locations in Queens with chef Chris Pak, says they'd been looking to open a Korean restaurant in Huntington for quite some time. They're also still opening a long-planned Kuku location in Roslyn Heights, but have pushed the opening date back to fourth quarter of 2025.

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.