A new restaurant in northwest Columbus is putting Hunan cuisine, Chinese barbecue and late-night dining on the menu along Bethel Road. Hunan Bistro opened this month at 5230 Bethel Center Mall, in the former K House space. The restaurant is owned by spouses Sarah Cai and David Mei, who both grew up in China’s Hunan province. Cai serves as the chef, drawing on recipes developed by her family, which has operated restaurants in Cincinnati, Middletown and Chicago. Hunan cooking is known for chile-forward dishes and assertive, spicy flavors. “We cook that Hunan style, so the flavor is definitely Hunan,” Cai said. The menu includes cumin beef, double-cooked pork, mapo tofu, braised beef over noodles and pork belly and vegetable dry pot. Diners can also find more familiar American-Chinese options, including General Tso’s chicken and Mongolian beef. A central feature is the restaurant’s selection of more than 30 skewers, grilled to order over open coals. Options include lamb, beef, pork belly, squid, quail eggs and rice cakes. Shareable barbecue sets are also available. The restaurant says its sauces are generally prepared as dishes are ordered, with flavors developed in the wok rather than relying on sauces made in advance. Spicy hot oil is the exception. Hunan Bistro is open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. six days a week and is closed Tuesdays, giving Bethel Road residents and late-shift workers another option for an evening meal. The restaurant joins a growing cluster of Asian dining businesses in and around the Bethel Road area, including KPot, Meshikou Ramen and Hokkaido Revolving Sushi Bar at Bethel Center. Nearby businesses include Hunan Lion, Buckeye Pho, Kyushu Ramen Bar and Ramyun EZ. Recent additions elsewhere in the area include The Feast Buffet at Carriage Place and Umi Hotpot Sushi & Seafood Buffet on West Henderson Road.