Growing up in Brooklyn, Michael Bruno ordered a lot of Chinese food. When he got older, it was still one of his favorite things to eat, but he craved change. That’s why he opened a bistro that would, in his words, set out to “reinvent the Chinese food takeout experience.”

A grid of floor-to-ceiling windows trains a blast of sunlight onto the open kitchen, where chefs assemble a largely seasonal menu made with local produce and hormone-free chicken. From their seats between gray and exposed brick walls, patrons watch chefs use cooking methods designed to be healthier than those of many more traditional takeout places, which typically sear food in the exhaust pipes of monster trucks.

Michael and Ping’s conscientious efforts don’t end with local produce; the bistro bills itself as “Brooklyn’s first and only Certified Green Restaurant.” This certification comes from the Green Restaurant Association, which rewarded the eatery for ecologically friendly practices such as participating in a compost pickup program, packing leftovers in recycled containers, and using low-water-flow and energy-efficient appliances.