After reaching their $100,000 fundraising goal within two hours on the investor platform Nextseed, chefs Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen are working to open Xin Chao, a new Vietnamese restaurant, at 2310 Decatur St., Houston, by May. Ha, a winner of the MasterChef TV competition and owner of The Blind Goat, joins Nguyen, who brings experience at Saigon House and Wokker.

"The founders of Xin Chao are very excited to bring a new and unique Vietnamese concept to this part of town. We find joy in feeding others, so we’ve been working hard to transform the 2310 Decatur space and fine-tuning the menu and beverages to make it a complete dining experience that reflects our values and beliefs," the owners said in a written statement.

The location formerly housed the Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory and was the original location of Beaver's.

The name means "hello" in Vietnamese, and the restaurant will use an "izakaya" style menu focusing on small plates blending traditional flavors with a nod to other influences, such as smoked brisket pho, according to the restaurant's investor notes.

www.xinchaohtx.com