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Categories: Latin American, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Market East
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All hail Iron Chef Jose Garces! I made a same day reservation - dinner for 2 at 9:30 on a Saturday night. Top notch atmosphere, seemingly effortless service and bold food. If you read nothing else, know that they are selling autographed copies of Garces' book Latin Evolution for $35 (what a steal!!).
We sat in the front dining room - cool yet dark in its color scheme, with shutter-lined walls for added perceptual depth and large high metal ceiling fans spinning slowly overhead. I love the contrast between this room and the warm reddish-orange glow of the back dining room (mostly for larger parties).
Francesco was one of the best waiters we've had in a long time! At once his friendly disposition and knowledge of the menu made us feel at ease in his capable hands. He informed me of special vegetarian options (tofu buns & red curry without crab) and made excellent drink recommendations (white sangria with heavy orange flavors for my date).
Of the many dishes we ordered, the Red Curry Del General and Arroz Con Pato were our favorites. Both portions were fairly large. Only the Chupe was disappointing. It had a slow poached egg inside which gave the dish a runny consistency - something that my boyfriend didn't enjoy. The Yuca fries would make a great bar food, just be sure to stir up the dipping sauce in the bottom of the cup.
In general the dishes were mildly spicy, surprisingly sweet, less salty than Tinto and larger portions than Amada.
I was so looking forward to dining at Chifa, particularly since Jose's other restaurants are among my favorite in the city. But, I am sad to say, this was the absolute worst dining experience of my life. I am not exaggerating.
We needed a restaurant that could accommodate 10 people around a round table. We had several options, but went with Chifa. We called to confirm that we would be given a round table 3 times. And I was happy to see that when I arrived, there was indeed a round table available. We were told to wait 10 minutes before the table would be ready. Great! But then I saw them seating another party at our table, and 20 minutes later we were asked to go downstairs, to the lounge area, to wait some more. Finally, after 45 minutes, we came up to check on the status. At this point we were told that the round table will be a while and they can seat us at another table (one that was empty all along). We decided to try it - even though we specifically chose the restaurant for the round table - but the table at which they sat us was so huge that we literally couldn't hear one another from different sides of the table (and we are all in our 20s, with no hearing problems!). I then came up to the manager - Marc Grika - the one who was bouncing us around from the lobby to the lounge, and giving us estimates that he knew were incorrect. I inquired into what was happening and was treated with rudeness like I have never seen before. He was abrasive and unapologetic (even though at this point we had been waiting for over an hour for a table) and basically told me to go ****, in not so many words.
I then spoke with another manager - Scott Clayton - who was initially much nicer, and assured me that we would be seated shortly. And we were - a brisk hour and 28 minutes after arriving at the restaurant. Fantastic.
We sat down and promptly ordered 22 dishes and some bread. The dishes started to slowly come out. Some were tasty, others were average, or even below that, but the one thing they had in common was that they were all obnoxiously small. I say this having dined at (and loved) other tapas places like Tinto and Amada (which are also quite stingy on the portions - 7 tiny potato cubes on a plate for $12, for ex). Luckily, after asking 3 separate people and waiting for another hour, the bread came.
When we finished our meal and received our grossly overpriced bill, I asked Scott Clayton to comp us the two pitchers of sangria that we consumed while waiting for the table for an hour and a half. At this point he became quite rude and patronizing, saying things like, "I'll think about it" while taking off with the bill. He then came back and said that they don't guarantee tables, hence they did nothing wrong, and will not do anything for us. At this point we asked that they take the gratuity off the bill, as we wanted to pay our server (who was great) in cash. To this, Scott threatened to call the police on us. I asked him to go ahead and do so. He rushed off again, only to come back 10 minutes later with the revised bill, explaining to us that we are punishing the waiter and not the restaurant (thanks, Dick, I've eaten out before). We tipped our waiter in cash and were happy to be done with the meal.
So to sum up our experience - it was frustrating, bewildering at times, expensive and unsatisfying. We were treated in a way that I have not seen before. I have had experiences in restaurants where things don't go perfectly, but the management usually handles these situations in a professional and courteous manner, in stark contrast to how Mr. Grika and Mr. Clayton treated us.
If you do decide to try this restaurant, I hope you will have a more positive dining experience. Just eat a little before you go.
Everything was forgettable. Especially because the Chinatown is right next block, where you can get a lot of the Chinese offerings of the restaurant for a fraction of the cost with much better taste. Kept thinking to myself...I'd rather go to Sang Kee...
One thing I do give credits though...is Chifa chicken. The best chicken I've tasted in a while in restaurants like these. It was perfectly marinated and the soy "consomme" was surprisingly pleasing.
I am a huge fan of Jose Garces (Amada, Tinto, Distrito all are top-notch) but this was the worst dining experience I have ever had, and this is not an exaggeration. It took 1.5 hours for us to get our table (despite having a reservation).
I fully appreciate that a restaurant is difficult to manage, and things can go wrong without it being the restaurant's fault (e.g. another party takes longer than expected). What sets a great restaurant apart from a bad one is how you deal with unexpected situations. Both the guy at the front in charge of table assignments and the manager were extremely rude and unprofessional, and patronizing and unapologetic about the wait. The portions were very small (even taking into consideration it's a small plates restaurant) and, once we were seated, it took multiple requests before we were even given any bread. The food was of decent quality (although not quantity) and our main server was helpful and attentive. But, this was vastly overshadowed by a 1.5 hour wait, compounded by certain staff's unprofessional attitude, and I cannot recommend Chifa to anyone.
pretty darn good. better than most Starr joints. But can't compare to Amada.
Oh, this is a conflicted 4 star review - and brace yourself - it may be a long one. My husband and a close (vegetarian) friend of ours finally took the plunge and went to Chifa for dinner on Halloween night.
Decor is 5 star - and gorgeous. Everything from the restroom to the blue & white tiles on the walls, and tons of flickering votive candles at night.
I do have to say that the service was EXCELLENT - from the hostess and our server, Melissa, right down to the ceviche chef. Everyone was friendly and accomodating to our various requests and questions.
From reading these reviews, I am sure by now you know that Chifa serves small plates (perfect for sharing) and that some are smaller than others. You may also have read about the hot, cheesey bread balls served with a spicy guava butter. They are, indeed, AWESOME and I scarfed down 2 of them without even realizing it.
We started our meal with a round of delicious - if overpriced ($12 a pop) - cocktails. The guys had glorified Shandies - Ginger liqueur, fresh lime juice and beer. I had a virgin Pineapple Ginger concoction that was made w/ REAL, fresh golden pineapple. It was so tasty & refreshing.
Then came the famous buns. The BBQ tofu bun (we subbed tofu for pork belly) was so terrific - possibly the best bite of the night. The tofu was crisp and blissfully glazed in a hoisin BBQ sauce. A dash of spicy mayo on the white steamed bun. Yum. The Pork belly was (likely sous-vided - they have gone sous-vide CRAZY here.) very fatty - but hey - it's pork BELLY. Belly as alot of fat, right? Well, I preferred the tofu.
Anyhow - we progress onward - out came the egg mcmuffins - no really, I can't remember the name, but they were corn arepas topped with Oxtail, a PERFETLY done egg (a bit runny but not slimy), crisp bacon and (here's where Chifa loses major points) tons of gloppy peppery sauce. Thankfully, and thanks to YELP, I knew to order my food with "sauce on the side" or "Light on the sauce" - and this was my mantra for the evening.
My veggie friend had the Chinese Broccoli, and as others have said, it was way too oily. Literally swimming in a sesame oil sauce. He also had a vegetarian version of the Chaufa rice. I tasted a bite and it was complex and delicious - if a little heavy on the (surprise) salt.
Yes, folks, it's true. Chifa has potential to be a real, true 5 star joint, but they are too heavy handed with the salt, oily, sauces and seasonings. The ingredients they use are top-quality and need to be able to "sing" for themselves. I am not saying to under season them, just please don't OVER season them.
Next came the (much, much anticipated) Lobster noodles. I knew to ask for this "light on the sauce" and it was still swimming in a rich, creamy, slightly red-peppery sauce. Succulent and buttery-sweet hunks of lobster and fresh, green peas. The noodles were perfectly cooked. I would totally order this again (and the tofu buns, man they rocked). But next time I'd go even LIGHTER on the sauce - I can't imagine how over-sauced it would have been had I not asked for light sauce.
Ok. Whatever. You get the point.
Anyhow - we're not done (Oh, and by now I CANCELLED our order of $38 wagyu steak - as I knew I'd be too full to eat it.) - Out came the curried goat (get it for one - it's more than enough). This is a unique dish - and not my fave - but hubby liked it. Served with freshly sliced bananas and more of those light fluffy buns along side. Plus a weird crispy lentil cake.
And next came the (yes, they are greasy) scallion pancakes. Not the best I've ever had - but the cauliflower sauce (yes, really) was super tasty.
Oh - and Chifa is really weird about "coursing out" the meals - the served us a single bowl of broccolli after the buns and before anything else. If we return, I will try to tell them what we want first (Like, the Waygu!!!)
By now we are all pretty stuffed, but we just had to have some Chai tea and Banana-Pumpkin funnel cake (too greasy for me - but somehow, I ate it! Ha!). The banana ice cream quenelle along side it was home made and PERFECT. The odd honey-anise tuile? Not so hot. Thankfully, once again, I asked for the strange spicy peanut sauce ON THE SIDE.
Garces must be commended for his creative menu, but I fear there is just a little TOO MUCH going on in each dish. Too much salt, too much sauce, too much fat, etc.
Also they sure are getting full usage out of their brand new sous-vide machine. Nearly all the meats are sous-vided (and yes, they are tender to a fault) - but what about some good ole pan-searing?
OK, I am a spoiled, jaded, ex-Manhattan brat - but I really did enjoy our 2.5 hour meal here and WOULD return - especially now that I know what to get and what NOT to get.
Chifa, you are sooooo close to 5 star - but some of the dishes were really 2-3 star. (Brocolli, Scallion pancakes, Desserts need work.)
We'll drop in for buns 'n beer
Went here for a follow up surprise anniversary dinner on the fly.
while we're fans of garces, we've never been to chifa. we were pretty excited to finally go, however, we left feeling kind of "meeeeh."
the interior of the restaurant is top notch...a beautiful darkness with a touch of class. the back dining room for parties looks very nice, but seems like it would be quite loud, which i guess is ok for large groups.
on to the food........here's what we ordered
complimentary buns with some sort of sauce i forget the name of - these were probably the best thing we had. the sauce had a bit of heat balanced with a sweetness. it was quite tasty
crab empanada - was just ok. a bit on the small side. you are served two of them.
yuca fries - boring. the sauce at the bottom of the bowl was delicious. we didn't notice the sauce until we ate about half of them. what a shame. they should maybe put the sauce in a side dish for dipping.
pulpa - gigantic friend shrimp and baby squid heads. the squid was nice and tender. the shrimp was meh. i felt like we wasted a lot of the shrimp meat based on the way it is served.
chufa - a stir fry rice mix of mango, scallop (two small bits), some veggies, and chorizo. it was quite tasty.
baby goat curry - this dish was a "specialty" that felt like a disappointment. while it sounds kind of gross, baby goat is quite delicious. they ruined it by shredding it and serving it with this curry sauce. while it seems like something authentic, perhaps it would have been better to serve this dish with chicken, as the curry sauce completely overpowered the goat.
wagyu skirt steak - another "specialty" in which the quality of the protein was kind of ruined by the sauce they poured on it. once again, perhaps they should have used a lesser quality beef. wagyu can kind of stand on it's own. it does not need a sauce.
rice krispie square - complimentary. tasted kind of stale.
the service was pretty bad. we arrived at 8 and a server did not come over until about 8:17. he immediately served us water and pretty much expected us to order on the spot. when we asked for a few more minutes he finally came back at 8:30. He took our drink order when he took our food order. the serving of the food is strange as well. the first three dishes i listed came all at once, even though we said we were sharing everything. this was frustrating as all three dishes were fried. therefore, we ended up having to eat kind of warm kind of cold fried food. there was then a very long wait for the final three dishes. the rice came out about 2 minutes before the specialty dishes. all in all, just weird pacing and timing.
the dinner was kind of a disappointment sparked even more by the poor service. i doubt i would recommend this restaurant and i would definitely never go back, but i am glad i tried it.....if that makes sense.
total bill with a crappy (17%) tip came to about $140
I went to Chifa a couple weeks ago to check out the Buns and Beer special and the buns, in fact, were delicious. My only complaint about the special is that I wasn't that interested in the 4 beers. I love beer but I can drink beer anywhere-- I was at Chifa for that Jose Garces deliciousness ... or Garcliciousness.
Well, I needed more food than just buns to absorb that beer so I ordered some duck confit ceviche (I can't say no to a duck confit), scallion pancakes, and a beef and potato bowl called Lomo Saltado. The scallion pancakes were a plate of 4 or 5 tiny pancakes, very heavily fried and delicious. Speaking of fried, they also brought out some fried dough bread things which were absolutely delicious; the type of thing that you'd eat 20 of and wake up in a hospital if they kept giving them to you. Finally, I found the Lomo Saltado to be pretty interesting. It was like a beef rice bowl but with potatoes instead of rice. The beef was delicious and likewise with the potatoes. I ended up with a bowl full of remaining veggies as I found them to be a bit on the soggy side... but there was also a crapload of them and it was a fairly hefty bowl of food so no real complaints with this dish.
Oh a note about that beers: I was impressed that they had some good local beers on tap instead of trying to gouge me on a bunch of imported bottles. Nice choices.
There's definitely more stuff on the menu that I plan on returning to try!
I feel like I've said it a million times and I'll say it here again: you can't go wrong with Jose Garces for restaurant week. Sure, the staff may be a little frazzled and the meal pace probably will not be perfect. However, you are guaranteed to walk away full, satisfied, and in a sort of food coma for at least a day.
The space at Chifa is dark with bold splashes of red. We got to sit at a round table with a heavy bead curtain, with a good view of the ceviche station.
I can honestly say the food was unlike anything I have ever had before. I have become a little difficult to shock when it comes to food, so it was a joy to be experience new flavors and be inspired by them. So here are my picks:
- The Oyster Ceviche was great, the fish was fresh and not overpowered by the sauce.
- Pork Belly Buns! Have you heard enough about these yet? Ours were served last out of all our savory dishes because the demand was so high, rightfully so. These were my favorite bite, it honored the fatty, rich glory that is pork belly.
- The Empanadas were lovely. I'm super picky about crab, but it was definitely fresh and properly prepared.
- The Chupe was insanely good, definitely my #2 of the night. It was spicy, rich, perfectly seasoned and the seafood was not overwhelmed by the incredible broth. They dropped an egg into the middle of the bowl, as if it wasn't decadent enough.
- Finally, the Shrimp Noodles, which was basically the same as the lobster noodle dish on the regular menu, except with shrimp. The noodles were definitely fresh and al dente. It was such a rich dish due to the bacon, parmesan, and cream sauce. Thank goodness for the peas, which made it healthy, right? Right?
Out of all of Garces' restaurants, this one is at the bottom of the list for me. But then again, the man is still my favorite local chef and he hasn't burned me yet.
I really have fallen head over heals for Mr. Garces after a few lovely occasions at Distrito. We went late last Friday night and just made our way through the menu. It's Peruvian tapas, which just sounds fantastic, right? And like a lot of the other reviews mentioned, some items on the menu are exceptional. And others are way at the other end of the spectrum. Almost as if there are two head chefs out there and one is the cool, hot, older brother turning out pure deliciousness. And the other one is a jerk and no one likes him.
But onto the food. Here's our road map of what was AWESOME. And not.
Complimentary bread balls - worth going for these and these alone. O wow, just give me one right now to put in my mouth.
Crab empanada - safe and tasty. The boy didn't love it because the crab meat was a little on the fishy side, but its all sorts of crispy goodness otherwise.
Pork Belly on some sort of floating-on-air bun: these were delicious and juicy.
Duck Ceviche: Yum yum yum yum. 4 little spoons of ceviche and tastiness.
Potato thingy: good, but not nearly enough for the price
Beef thingy: beef was great - well seasoned and very flavorful, but the mess of veggies and sauce it was sitting on (were those fries in with my veggie mix? Yes, yes it was) was nothing special.
There's something else we had that was...obviously forgettable. At the end of the night, the bill didn't overwhelm, but neither did the food. We'll go back, but we have some other Garces' to hit up first.
3 1/2 stars please.
Oh Jose, sweetheart. You have done it again.
I love all of his eateries. Today we went for lunch. 18 for an iced tea or other teetotaler bevande, a first course and second course. Not too shabby!
We both had the crab empanada. Perfection. Maybe he will sell these babies in his new market? A girl can dream right?
The second course we had the shrimp/noodle bowl. Its like shrimp mac and cheese chinese/peruvian style. Amazing. Perfect cold weather food!
The service was great here as well. They seated me before Sara got there which was great. It did take forever to get our check which is annoying during lunch, but I am a lady of leisure these days.
Oh and Danny Bonaduce ( spelling?) was having lunch there today and I deserve a gold star and an etxra empanada for not gawking and saying anything to him!!
Restaurant week has come and gone. The service was great, and all of the wait staff seemed very knowledgeable. The food was good, but if I come back, it'll be for a Lima Bean Fizz cocktail (or two...odd, but makes for a delicious drunkst) All of the portions were just right.
Word of advice: try not to be seated by the door to the kitchen. It makes for anxious eating with people consistently filing past your table.
Oh, Jose Garces. Two just-OK meals in one week? Really?
After experiencing a so-so meal at Village Whiskey earlier this week, I was really pulling for Mr. Garces to rekindle my love via a meal at Chifa this past Saturday night. I can definitively say that after the meal, I "like" him. I just don't know if I "like, like" him.
The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, though a bit soured by the party of overgrown frat guys behind us (Oh! You want to take another photo of you and your "boys"? Adorable! Oh, another one? Oh, God, turn the flash off). The food was quite good -- the flash fried shrimp was perfect, the duck ceviche was just as good as the duck confit at Tinto, and the seared Hiramasa was beautifully flavored. The only small plate that went wrong was the lobster noodle dish -- it was tasty, though with all of its cream and pasta, you'd be forgiven for missing the Peruvian-Cantonese connection. Maybe Garces thought he would give Marco Polo a shout-out...or something.
The service was really disappointing. Our waiter forgot about us for a full hour, and our wine glasses were disturbingly empty for 3/4 of our meal. When he finally did take our drink order, he brought me the wrong wine. He also brought us the Hiramasa ceviche in lieu of the seared fish dish, and when we called his attention to it, his eyes gazed upward for 3 seconds and then said, "Oh, uh, chef compliments?" Cute!
The tables are also way too close together. Luckily, the people seated next to us were skinny. Methinks that if they were a bit plumper, we would've ended up with our drinks in our laps -- oh wait, we didn't have any drinks to spill!
I'm a HUGE fan of Jose Garces, so I put Chifa on my list of places that I really wanted to try as soon as I heard about it opening. My boyfriend and I waited for Restaurant Week to roll around (my favorite time of year!), and we went to Chifa last Tuesday. The restaurant decor didn't disappoint, with cool wooden screens around the booths and swanky round bench seating for large tables, surrounded by metal beaded curtains.
I was excited to try Chifa's fare, but it was, sadly, only okay. Amada, of course, has mind-blowing, out-of-this-world fantastic food, so I guess I expected the same from Chifa. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but it was not of the same caliber as Garces' offerings at Amada.
The first course includes two choices. I ordered the Hiramasa ceviche. It was good - tender fillets of raw fish artfully arranged around the sides of a glass serving dish, with the "ceviche" mix in the middle: ginger, pineapple, orange, and some mustard. There were a few red peppers (not sure what type - red jalapenos perhaps?) in the mix, but they were very mild. It was a nice, delicate dish, but I personally like my ceviche with a bit more kick to it, and the citrus flavors were a bit too understated. But still, the dish was good. I also ordered the empanada, which was delicious. It was crispy and filled with savory crabmeat. Very yummy.
For the second course, I got chaufa rice and chupe. The chaufa rice had rice mixed with soy sauce, chorizo, mango, and edamame, topped with two large scallops. The scallops were cooked to perfection and practically melted in my mouth. But the rest of the rice was pretty pedestrian. There was too much soy sauce, and the chorizo pieces were tiny, like bacon bits. It might have been better if the rice had been mixed with more chorizo oil and less soy sauce. But, eh, the dish was okay. The chupe is a seafood stew. It had fish, mussles, scallops, shrimp, and potatoes in a red broth. It really reminded me of a thai curry in a lot of ways based on the flavor and thickness of the broth. I could imagine eating the dish over rice instead of in a bowl with a spoon. Again, it was good, but it didn't knock my socks off.
For dessert, I got the hazelnut mocha, and that was the best dish of the night. The plate had a smear of chocolate mousse, caramelized hazelnut brittle (like peanut brittle, but think more sugar and clear), a cannelle of sweet ice cream, and espresso ganache. It was all tasty and perfectly portioned, but the ganache is what put the dish over the top.
In all, Chifa is a good restaurant. But it's not one of Philly's greatest (and is certainly not Garces' best), so I probably won't have Chifa on the top of my list of places to eat anytime soon.
I want to think of Chifa on its own, and divorce it from all the baggage (good and bad) that comes with being a Garces restaurant. I mean, I love (actually more like LOVE) Amada, so my expectations coming here were already pretty high. But on the other hand I was also probably predisposed to liking the food at Chifa, and maybe looked harder to find characteristics like creativity that I already associate with Chef Garces. Again on another hand, this guy's empire is getting out of control what with Village Whiskey opening and all that; it seems like Philadelphia has unanimously voted him prom king, and I resent that kind of mass popularity.
And another thing: we went here for restaurant week. A lot of great places straight up suck for restaurant week, when they churn out the same handful of dishes for an overbooked house all night.
So much for context. Finally, to the food:
Hiramasa and Peruvian ceviches were both fresh, light, balanced, with interesting flavor combos. Pork belly buns rocked; the glaze on the meat was tangy and not too sweet. We also ordered a salad that had some queso fresco and very unique dressing. The chupe, a seafood stew, was delicious but tasted like any other delicious seafood chowder or stew. (I need to thank Zoe P. for Yelping about the chupe, I definitely wouldn't have thought to order it and I'm glad I did.) Ditto on the chaufa fried rice with chorizo and scallop: excellent but not particularly unique. My wife asked for the red curry without crab, and they happily accommodated her request. Even without the crab, the dish tasted great. The mushroom potpie thing was a mess of creamy/buttery happiness. Desserts were fine but nothing special.
Bottom line is that execution of all the dishes was nearly flawless. And like Garce's other joints, everything has a ton of flavor, to the point that my taste buds were done before my stomach was. But nothing floored me the way Amada consistently does. I think the most interesting thing we tasted was the rum punch that my wife ordered.
Also, as Zoe P. wrote, service had some issues. We waited a little too long between some dishes, servers brought out some dishes to the wrong tables, the bus staff was a little too eager to clear some dishes, the people next to us who finished their second course after us got their desserts before we did, and the people next to them got one dessert but were left hanging on the other. But hey, that's restaurant week.
I had this place down to try after hearing about it 2wks ago. I dropped by randomly just to have drinks and appetizers during restaurant week but we ended up splitting the restaurant week menu because for some reason, during this time period, that's all that they'll offer.
I did here that their non-restaurant week menu has more tasty options...so maybe i'll have to go back later on.
For drinks my party and I pretty much had the pitcher of the spice punch (?) drink...we had like 4 pitchers...tis was really good.
For meal, the pork belly buns were SUPER yummy for my tummy. Also the empanada's were well stuffed and really good. the only BAD thing is that they are soo small.... :( but i want moreeeeeee :(
Next was the chifa rice and the shrimp noodle...those were okay, then again i was soo tipsy to notice anything.
Dessert was wah wah wah ....left much to be desired..sorry.
Their appetizers are def the shiznit.
Again, i want to go back on a reg nite to see their full menu.
Nice waitstaff...very accomodating.
Because I know how Starr gets his game on (okay food and trendy decor), I'm pleased when I have a decent experience at one of his restaurants. But for the Garces' joints, I expect the food to be the showstopper. This hasn't been the case lately...
Chifa is a 'seen' scene, somewhere to dress up and be a city girl. Don't be fooled by the small storefront. The interior is Hilary Swank-y. The decor totally gets me in the mood but I think a bigger aphrodisiac would be if the food blew my mind away.
The $9 Chaufa rice was a disappointment. You think there's these huge yummy scallops and then you pick one up and.. wait a sec, what is this?! A scallop top? A cut up sliver of what used to be a perfectly portioned sea treat?! I'm sorry, but when it comes to scallops, size does matter. The broth in our beef noodles dish was too salty. And the pork belly buns.. how many are supposed to come in an $8 order? Because we got 1, and those things are tiny. The pork was good, but try them at Momofuku Ssam in NYC; I'd like to see a pork buns throwdown.
But, the complimentary bread balls are crackfully addicting. You could bribe me with those suckas. My $10 Pisco Sour cocktail was also my favorite drink of the night. I had a lot of drinks.
Thankfully, the service was great. We were seated at one of the center tables where you'd need a telephone to hear the person talking across from you, so we asked to be switched since another person would be joining us. I was silently pleading they'd give us one of the sultry corner booths and they did. I felt like I was in a love cave of my own.
I'm having a vision... yes, I see it. I'm seeing Chifa as the new Continental (blech). I hope that doesn't happen. +$200 for 4 people, whew that was more than I expected.. That's going to cause a hangover worse than my drinks.
We've now been to 3 of the 4 Chef Garces' very good restaurants (Amada. Tinto & Chifa) and for me, this one is the best.
Once inside, you enter a long dark room, with tables running the length of one wall, and a long bar on the other side. Above your head are very interesting/slowly rotating ceiling fans. Going into the rear dining room reminded me of Buddakan, with its long community table in the center but instead of a Buddha at its head, there's a raised Sushi-station. This whole room has a warm red glow to it, with booths separated by dark wooden lattice work.
There were 4 of us and it was recommended that we each try 3 items, sharing each with everyone at the table. Unlike Tinto, the portions were large enough to share, with a sample being more than just one bite. We tried 11 different selections and most likely could have had 2 less than that. Our choices went from very good to excellent. Many / most of the items brought new and exciting flavors and tastes not experienced before.
Here are some you must try: Blue fin ceviche; the Lobster bowl; the Desayuno (braised oxtail) and the Hiramasa, a pan seared fish with little neck clams & chorizo.
The prices charged for our drinks (an average of $12 a piece) is my only complaint. Way over priced - way too small for that much money. The total bar bill alone (7 drinks) was $82.00!!
So for the above amazing meal - not so amazing drinks, before tip, $131 a couple. We will definitely be returning to try some other, hopefully as incredible items from their very interesting menu. I'll also switch to beer, which is priced as it should be.
Another restaurant of Jose Garces' that did not disappoint! We enjoyed the hiramasa ceviche, crab empanada, yuca fries and pork belly buns. The only thing was that pretty much the whole piece of pork was fat. But nontheless, very tasty! Skipped dessert but had a delicious (strong) cup of coffee to seal the meal.
I will definitely return!
Stopped in for a quick lunch and sat at the bar. Though it was almost 1:45pm on a Thurs, I was surprised that there were only a few other tables occupied.
I ordered the Pork Belly Bánh mì which comes with yucca fries drizzled with an awesome chimichurri and aioli mixture which gave it a nice kick and lent entra tang to the Bánh mì.
At $8 for this large sandwich and fries, I would say this is a bargain. They also offer happy hour specials which include the pork belly buns....hmmmmm....pork....belly !!
Held a private event for 40 (maximum capacity) downstairs. They were great to work with and Chef… Read more »
If half-stars existed here, Chifa would get 3.5.
I went to Chifa the other day for a business lunch. Although my dining companions chose the restaurant, I had high hopes since I *really* enjoyed Tinto, Amada and Distrito. The room is very pretty with great tile work set off by warm dark wood. In the front room, the seating is a little odd - many tables for two along the wall (and fairly close together) or at one of two large booths tucked in the back corner. We were seated in a booth since the host said it would be noisy up front, but the booth was a little dark and a little large for just three people: it made it hard to hear without leaning across the table.
As for the food, one of my lunch companions had the crab empanada and he said it was very tasty; his only wish was that the "salad" on the side was more than a mouthful. They each also ordered the chicken salad with avocado and thought the corn cakes on which they were served were a nice touch. I had the crab curry and found it to be a little too heavy on the rice and sauce. The finely shredded crab was overpowered by the sauce and the dish needed more tofu and vegetables.
I would certainly go back and try Chifa again if I was with someone who wanted to go, or maybe during the next Restaurant Week. For now, however, there are other Garces restaurants that I would gleefully revisit.
***This is a thursday night happy hour review only. I plan to come back for dinner and will update this review.
5 of us girls came for happy hour special last night. They have a deal where if you order 4 buns and 4 beers it would be $25.
I was earlier than others and arrived before 6pm. It was pretty empty and we can only sit at the bar for happy hour. That was sort of a bummer because I could only talk to the two girls on either side of me while I ate. But it was OK later, since it was not crowded, a couple of us just stood and formed a circle to chit chat.
The bartender lady was super sweet and nice. She let us taste 2 beers off the menu before ordering. I recommend the Allagash beer. It is a wheat beer that is light and tangy. I normally drink blue moon so this is very refreshing and familiar.
My sweet friend asked if any of the buns go with any of the beers in particular. The overall answer is no. They all taste good together.
I had the pork belly bun and also duck bun. They are sliders side and 1 bun means 1 bun.
I loved the pork belly bun. Mine had a thick slice of belly fat and enough meat to go with it. The sauce was a little sweet and salty. It is definitely Chinese influenced if not all. The bun is the typcial steamed bun you get when eating peking duck. So with the fat, it was not greasy but fills your tummy up.
The duck bun was good too but I prefer the pork belly bun. It had a surprisingly spicy sauce. I think the meat was not chewy, it was alright.
As we were leaving, there were more diners and everyone looked happy. The decor is very special. Dark and elaborately decorated booths. Romantic. The menu price didn't look too steep either.
Stay tuned for the dinner review!
First time I was here, during restaurant week and I had a fantastic meal. Food was fantastic, service was fantastic and the atmosphere was fantastic.
The small plates kept coming and I just didn't want it to end. The food was great. I had oyster ceviche, shrimp empanadas, short rib soup and a passion fruit/coconut ice cream dessert.
Food was great and I was impressed by how amazing the food was even though the restaurant was packed! How they were able to keep the quality was impressive.
The only downside was that our waitress didn't know what a vegetarian was.
Would go back again there was so much food that I wanted to eat
Chifa is part of Jose Garces' ever-expanding universe of restaurants, this particularone being fusion of Cantonese and Peruvian cuisines. The decor somehow manages to feel enormous (like Macchu Picchu itself!) and incredible intimate like a temple, my group and I were seated in the downstairs level at the center table. It was an odd seating choice, as there were only 6 of us in the group, and we didn't take up the whole table (which appeared to seat 10-12). Half of the table was left literally unused, and from time to time waitstaff running around the space would bang into it.
Foodwise, Chifa is a tapas-style menu, much like the rest of Garces restaurants. You can go a la carte or select the tasting menu.
I want to clarify what has been previously written about the tasting menu. There are three levels: $55, $65, and $75. The lowest priced option is a three-course tasting menu, plus dessert. The higher end tasting menus are slightly larger and offer a bit more complex options unavailable at the lower level. They arrive as amouse bouches to your table. If you've never encountered a place like Chifa or are a newcomer to Garces, these might be your best bet. The tasting menu is best left for couples or large groups; the restaurant does not advise having only part of a table do the tasting menu while the other goes a la carte. My table chose to go a la carte.
I selected the Medai (snapper-ish ceviche with green curry, chile, mustard oil & coriander), Pulpo (grilled spanish octopus, rocoto puree, purple potato & bacon salad, olive escabeche), and the Curry Goat (brraised goat, lentil tacu tacu, bananas).
At the start of our meal the table was served small bowls of dinner rolls with a burnt orange/caramel colored sauce. The rolls were half-dollar sized and similar to buttermilk biscuits; the sauce was a tangy, spicy concoction of chilis and sesame. This is definitely the one time where I'd suggest spoiling your meal and digging into the bread; I could have easily eaten a whole portion on my own! Delicious!
The ceviche was delicately spiced -- feathery light -- but until right now, I had completely forgotten I ate it. That temporal effervescence is ceviche's appeal; in this particular case it was exacerbated by the translucent serving dish. Overall, it just wasn't substantial enough.
The pulpo was splendid and a much more sizable portion than what is offered at Tinto. The rocoto is spicy and sweet, the perfect foil to the charcoaly crisp of the octopus. The vibrant purple of the potatoes were lost in the salad mixture, reduced to a grayish patina.
I opted for the small portion of the curry goat over small plates. It was a pretty standard green curry presented with chinese buns and banana on the side. This would have been fine were it not for the banana; this small fruit turned the dish from black-and-white to Techinicolor, metaphorically speaking. I could eat another serving, now that I think about it. Consider forgoing an extra dish or two and splurging on this!
Dessert at most fancy restaurants are much like the fleeting moments of the aforementioned ceviche, but dessert at Chifa may be the restaurant's secret weapon. I expected a small sliver of the Green Tea and Melon but it was clearly 2 servings and 6 inches in length. Even after passing it around the table there was more than half the dessert left, and I struggled to eke out the last bites. It was like the opposite of a tiramisu. That said, it was fantastic and one of the meal's highlights.
Our check arrived with a rice Krispy styled treat, but it was the straw that broke the epicurean camel's back. Perhaps on my next visit I'll give it a shot!
Favourite thing: the gratis bread/bun/muffin top starter. Seriously, these things are delicious. They are made with some manchego cheese in the center and served with a tasty hoisin sauce. I snarfed down two of these easily.
Least favourite thing: the empanada, with crabmeat that tasted just a wee bit too fishy. Blech.
Other great things: the desayuno, an arepa with oxtail and bacon, but the itty-bity quail's egg freaked me out. I cast it aside and plowed on. I also loved the scallion pancakes.
The arroz con pato was good - not great. I liked the cripsy duck but the rice was a little too 'herby' for me. The pork belly buns were okay too, not teriffic. The lobster noodles, while I thought would be my #1 pick, were also good, but not outstanding. Too creamy? Too something.
I hated the pisco sour I ordered and our awesome waiter took it back and brought me some Pinot Noir. Which is what I should have ordered in the first damn place.
Really good. Kinda unusual fare. Chef Jose Garces has delved into Chinese/Peruvian fusion. Didn't know what I was eating half the time. Pricey. Wouldn't go there every week; his other places are better.
Decor is dark and modern. But another place with the tables too close. The woman at the next table leaned over to go into her handbag and almost boobed me in the head.
Chifa is good...not amazing, but still a solid restaurant. I went with a group of people tonight for restaurant week and we ordered almost one of everything.
A quick run down of some of the food:
Ceviches - we had 4 different ones. All were pretty good and refreshing except for the one with the pineapple...that one was just OK. Also, the ceviches all tasted kind of similar.
Short Ribs - Ok
Pork Bun - these were delicious and juicy
Mushroom - with tofu and topped with puff pastry - this was OK
Shrimp Noodle - Good, but kind of creamy and heavy
Beef Noodle - did not like this...the meat tasted "gamey"
Chaufa - One of the best dishes of the night.. it was a "kicked up" version of fried rice
Crab Empanada - Another winner...crispy and delicious
Crab Curry - OK..tasted like typical curry
we had a few other dishes as well but nothing that was memorable. Overall the place was a big OK. The decor is nice and the service was good, but other than that, I think I might just go back to Amada.
Had my hubby's bday party @ Chifa last night, staff was very nice in arranging it for us, and we got into the Machu Picchu booth, which was fun and felt "exclusive," but honestly, food wasn't great.
I was so so excited for it, as the website and menu are exciting, but overall, ideas were not executed well, and boy were most dishes salty! We all shared many dishes and here they are:
CEVICHE:
*Hiramasa: pretty good; fresh fish, like 7 pieces, but emulsion was not strong enough to pop, as it is at Alma de Cuba
MIXTOS:
*Shellfish: most disappointing dish of the evening; deconstructed paella with a bar of rice (tasted like rubber), cold mussels and shrimp in an emulsion (tasteless and meh), couldn't taste the one tiny paper thin chorizo circle
*Duck Ceviche: cold chopped duck in uninspiring sauce
DIM SUM:
*Pork Belly Buns: pork was tasty, but the rice bun isn't as good as Chinatown's; overall salty
*Chicken Wings: 4 TINY wings and ok (salty!) but has nothing on Pearl Akoya's
*BBQ Ribs: yummy, but once again, small, salty, and nothing special
NOODLES & RICE:
*Chaufa: didn't try it but my friends said it was just overwhelming MSG
*Red Curry del General: ok; tasted like any thai dish
SPECIALTIES:
*Wagyu Skirt: wayy too salty; I'm a hypertaster but my hubby is a dull taster, and said it was a little salty. Portion small for price
FISH:
*Hot Pot: cod was yummy and delicate (as it always is), but broth full of MSG and just any other asian dish
*Chupe: solid; we all enjoyed this one
*Hiramasa: the best dish we had; fish well cooked (though honestly Marigold Kitchen does it better), clams yummy, chorizo great
DESSERT:
*Funnel Cake: it tasted...weird...powdery and with a metallic aftertaste, and grilled basil over it?! The banana sorbet was yummy though.
I seriously hope that Tinto is better. Was rooting for Garces (we think Starr is overrated and that his ambiance is better than his food), but am starting to change my mind. Amada was better.
Months later, I've returned to Chifa after hearing all the great reviews out there that I didn't seem to experience. And indeed, Chifa has made a 180' and is far better than when I last visited during it's 2nd week of business.
The menu has changed and emphasizes Chinese dishes over Peruvian much more than previously. There are now 3 types of tasting menus ($55, $65, or $75/per person), and the food is simply better and now inline with the Garces experience. It now tells a cohesive story. The tasting menu is still the way to go with price variations deciding how quality the meats will be. (ie. the $75 will get you lobster, kobe, and their signature dishes over the $55.) You'll still get the same amount of food regardless .It's A LOT of food, and you're sure to be satisfied (and wishing you wore your elastic waistband pants!)
Best dishes from our tasting menu experience this time ($75 version):
-Pork Belly Buns
-Tuna Ceviche
-Lobster Noodles (like a lobster mac & cheese!)
And the small buns they give you to start are still hands-down amazing. Like little warm pieces of heaven.
Final thoughts...
My initial concerns from my first visit have been replaced with what I hope for and expect from a Garces restaurant. Go to Chifa for a high-end Chinese style dining experience with a few twists.
As a member of the Jose Garces fan club (I could be the president), my hopes were high for Chifa -… Read more »
I went with my gf last Tuesday for Restaurant Week. We sat outside, but I think if/when we return we'll stay inside since the ambience is nicer (dimly lit, interesting decor and non-overpowering music vs. Chestnut St traffic). The staff was very helpful, and even changed our reservation for us upon request without complaint.
But enough about the service and ambience, it's time to talk about what's important. The food overall was very good. We started with empanadas and 3 types of ceviche - shrimp, sea bass and oyster. The empanadas were very good, but the ceviche were excellent. Outstanding fresh taste and very refreshing! My only complaint would be the bubbly froth on the oyster ceviche. In my opinion it adds nothing to the flavor, and looks too much like someone spit on my food (although I know this isn't the case it's still not very appetizing).
2nd course was the chupe, roasted chicken breast and some noodle dishes. The chupe was delicious but on the salty side, so we asked for an extra side of rice. The noodle dishes were nicely executed, and the chicken was good (if not a little boring in comparison with our other plates).
We split the two desserts offered, a mocha and a mango ensemble. They were a nice finish to the meal, but nothing spectacular. I may have a biased preference to really fresh seafood, but the ceviches were the star of the show.
Allow me to begin this review with a brief dissertation on "tapas style dining". Tapas may work for the Spanish, who dine late in the evenings and nibble on snacks throughout the day, but this fad will not last in America where liberty and freedom put us to bed by ten in the evening. I like the IDEA of tapas and the ability to sample different dishes, but it is difficult for me to rationalize having to order six tiny plates of food at $16 a piece just to get my Friday evening food coma. Now, onto the review.
Firstly, I was not too impressed with the decor. The upstairs area seemed nice, but we were sent down into the basement dungeon to dine. I can understand how this basement dining area "seems" nice, but in reality it was still a basement and there was not a glimmer of natural lighting in the place. It was too dark and too gloomy for my likings.
Secondly, the service was excellent as should be expected for a high end meal. Very prompt, informative and attentive, but not to the point of being intrusive.
Thirdly, the cocktails were unique and also excellent. High recommendations for both the Pisco Sour and the Lima Bean Fizz. They were both refreshing dinner drinks that would have been more enjoyable if there were some natural light in the place.
Fourthly, the cheesy bread things are pretty fucking good, but let's be honest with ourselves, it's a standard dinner roll with some creamy butter and cheeses stuffed inside. How the hell could these not be good? Also, the dipping sauce for these fuckers is delicious, but it's 90% sriracha sauce and there's no secret to that being delicious.
Fifthly, the main course . . . err . . . the tapas. We ordered five dishes for the two of us and I would say that two of the dishes were noteworthy while the other three dishes were merely pedestrian. The texture of the noodles in the Lobster Noodle dish was the highlight of the meal and the dish was solid, but wanting for a bit more genuine lobster flavor as it was somewhat overpowered by the smokiness of the bacon. The Pork Belly Buns were also quite delicious, but in all honesty, my baby's momma makes a better tasting version.
Other than these dishes, there was nothing else that stood out as warranting $15 for a tiny portion. The BBQ ribs were more or less flavorless and would have been absolutely worthless without the soy nuts and it's a difficult proposition when soy nuts save a dish. The Anticuchos featured three skewered meats paired with three types of dipping sauces. The dipping sauces were nothing to write home about and left me wanting for more flavor. Of the meats, the pork belly was of course delicious, but the chicken was a bit dry for my liking. Finally, the scallion pancake was good, but it was just good and nothing special at all.
Overall, it's another one of those meals that I found way overpriced for the quality of food and the majority of your money goes towards the ambiance and the service, things that I would be willing to sacrifice for better food. Call me a man of the proletariat if you will, but I shan't be fooled by decor, nor will I pay my hard earned factory earnings to the capitalists so that they may eat in posh environs.
Just serve me the fucking food at a dank bar for 50% the cost and I will give you four stars.
Little differs between Chifa during restaurant week and Chifa during the rest of the year. The same great tasting food, awesome service, and cool ambiance. However, I was disappointed to find that the complimentary bread and plate specials were not available during RW. Actually, that's an understatement. I was super bummed/utterly devastated! Yet, I managed. :) The food and service were still on point- maybe even coming out a bit too quick.
Hits: crab empanada, chupe
Misses: scallion pancakes (too thick/dough-y), aji gallina
I just wanted to give Chifa props (yes, I still give out props like it's 1999) for having outstanding food and service during the uber-busy RW. I've had some subpar experiences before and have always chalked it up to RW's hectic schedule/cheaper menu. Chifa proves RW is not a good enough excuse. Well done and I will be coming back for sure!
Lets keep this one short. WAY TOO MUCH SALT and everything was over complicated!
Chifa is perfect if you hold the pancakes.
A small group of my friends and I usually use restaurant week to indulge in that other world, of those with bank accounts and insurance etc. Chifa was an excellent choice that ranked right up there with previous meals that make our eyes glaze over at their mention. The atmosphere was really likable and especially since we were fortunate to land the semi private round table in the back room. It was loud though, but that made sense with all the groaning and moaning and general excitement generated from a crowd on a food high.
For restaurant week, this place works wonderfully since it's more a tapas format to begin with. They offered an expansive menu of 9 first course choices and 8 second course choices of which you get to choose two from each. Of course you had a choice of two desserts and don't forget their bar. They make some great cocktails here.
With 5 of us, we were able to cover a good portion of the vast menu and even have more of dishes that we suspected we'd favor -because we're the kind of foodies that share to try as much as possible.
-round 1: First course:
The Hiramasa Ceviche was full of fresh flavors that were so wonderful together you just went, wow.. and then again, ...WOW! The House Green Salad was spicy and tasty with a real Thai attitude. The crispy Empanadas are a must and were bursting with rich jumbo lump crab. The Pork Belly Buns certainly lived up to their reputation as a house favorite. Hell, even if you're a veggie, go for it, those buns are ecstasy in the form of carbs! Oh yeah, the BBQ Ribs were delicious and tender too.
-round 2: Second course
The Shrimp Noodle Bowl got our attention with rich tender home made noodles with a wonderful parmesan & bacon (cabanara-like) richness. VERY VERY GOOD.
We ordered 3 bowls of the Red Curry Del General since we are all fans of coconut, jasmin rice, king crab and eggplant. I love red curry, this was wonderfully rich and with a nice heat to it that kept it exciting to eat yet not burning hot. The Chaufa Rice bowl was wonderful as was the Chupe, seafood chowder. They were as good as everything else, it's hard to praise so much, really. For a little relief though, I want to point out that the Scallion Pancake order was our least favorite. It was not in the same league as the rest of the dinner. The pancakes were borderline greasy from being deep fried maybe(?) and there was no hint of scallions in their flavor. Don't wast your choices on this one since the rest of the menu seems orgasmic, at the least.
Dessert, we tried both and they lived up to the standard of the meal that preceded it.
Our server was perfect, though the bus-help seemed to clear our table between each part of each course at an efficient speed that made me think I was back at Penang in China town, especially as they started taking and replacing our cutlery before we were finished with them. My one friend got a bit protective over the right to not only to eat the last spoonfuls in our assortment of dishes but hell, she might've wanted to lick the plates clean (and who'd blame her?!). At one point, she smacked away the hand of a bus person and exclaimed "we're not done with that!". We laughed, he apologized and no one went to the hospital, big sighs all around.
Chifa lives up to the reputation it earned. Go
What a great lunch this was. Wow. Every aspect of the lunch was a delight. The pork 'Banh Mi' sandwich was out of this world, and pretty also, and big enough not to have to fret about taking another bite. It reminded me, though it was different, of the succulent chicharrones that are a specialty of Peru. I'm not sure what was in the tangy sauce, but it was exceptional. And topped with a crop of fresh cilantro.. Mm.
The ceviche was also delicious, but perhaps because I was thinking of the classic Peruvian ceviche mixto, it fell just a little short for me.
The ambiance is great, and the service was a pleasure.
Looking for an excuse to go there again.
So after a slightly disappointing experience at Union Trust, my friends and I popped in for a review of cocktails and appetizers. We were there early enough that we were able to get bar seating, and started off with a round of cocktails.
The lima bean fizz was right up my alley, and was more cucumber than anything. It was light, slightly sweet, and electric green. Fun! The lima beans added more of a viscosity than actual flavor, and if I told you it was a cucumber mojito you would have never known there were lima beans in it.
The pineapple ginger caiprinha was declared dangerously good, and the rum aloe martini was very good, though too sweet for my palate.
For appetizers, we had the peruvian ceviche, the Kobe, the lobster noodles, yucca fries, and a double order of the pulpo.
Let's start with the Kobe. Real Kobe, sliced long and thin, with braised scallions and a ginger wasabi vinaigrette. The Kobe was fantastic, but barely able to hold on against the strong vinaigrette. Sometimes less is more, and we all agreed a simple flavored salt and crack of black pepper would have been sufficient to communicate the idea without losing the soul of the dish. It was very good, but could have been fantastic. The scallions were a great accompaniment, giving it that whole beef negemaki in heaven feel.
The house buns that came complimentary were delish, and did not survive long.
The cerviche was very good, and a true cerviche versus a lime and vinegar dressed shashimi. A nice portion for the price.
The pulpo was also a good portion, but we all agreed it was overseasoned. After the subtle Kobe this dish hit like an M80 going off. It was perfectly cooked, and tasty, but just too much seasoning.
The yucca fries were delicious, perfectly cooked, and served with a lovely sauce that reminded me of thousand island dressing mixed with mary rose sauce. One of my friends was cuban from Miami, and he declared them 'perfect'. High praise indeed.
The star dish of the night was the lobster noodles. Prepared in an alfredo style versus the broth style were were actually expecting, this was a luscious dish indeed. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and large pieces of real lobster (not rock shrimp like some places use) were right there for the eye to see. The creamy sauce was perfect, not too strong, and perfectly coated the noodles, lobster, and green peas that composed the dish. A light touch of bacon gave it the final kick to put this over the top, and the crispy fried cheese lace on the top sent this dish into the stratosphere. Yum, yum, yum.
As we contemplated dessert, I noted to my friends that the layout of the place, coupled with the decor, the large tinted windows, and the dark, sexy interior completely transported me to Miami. I could easily be in that vacation mindset here, and that's a big compliment. It is a bit dark though, and although i could read the menu I couldn't see the food that well, hence no pictures. Missing the color queues from everything was, we agreed, a drawback for such great dishes.
For dessert, my one friend had the root beer float. This was a concoction of home made root beer, served in a brandy snifter, with a frozen rice pudding that was mixed in at service. Caramel candy corn accompanied and it was rated very good. My glucose meter shorted out just being within three feet of it.
I opted for an espresso martini, and wow, what a martini it was. Trumping even Giunmarellos, this big, bold drink was stunning. Using fresh cuban espresso from La Colombe, this was so far away from everything else I've had it was like the difference between color and black and white TV.
So everything was very good and we were very pleased with our experience. I'll be back, and if everything is this good again, five stars it is!
Went to Chifa tonight for restaurant week. Its my last restaurant week reservation, which is a little sad, but I ended on a high note, so...on to the review!
The ambience here is really interesting. There is a sort of Chinese restaurant quality, but by way of Distrito's wall of luchador masks. It was, however, rather loud--made even more so by the very loud couple sitting next to us. The service started off well, and was attentive throughout.
The food was very good. We started with two ceviches, the hiramasa and the peruvian. Both of us preferred the bright, citrus flavors of the hiramasa to the peruvian. The hiramasa was also more thinly sliced. The hiramasa was actually a little chewy in places, and the flavors were more muted. Next up were crab empanadas and pork belly buns. Both were simply amazing. The crab emapanadas had a lovely crispy empanada shell and the filling was just crab, without a lot of fillers. The sweet chili reduction and the cucumber salad highlighted the sweetness of the crab and they were just so happy together.
As for the pork belly buns--words fail. they were delightful. they were perfect. they enticed my vegetarian friend to eat meat. and to enjoy it.
they were that good. they were better then that good. so happy with them. I would go back to eat only those.
then came the shrimp noodle bowl. it was good--sort of grown up mac and cheese. very tasty. then the chaufa rice, which had the best fried rice flavor. the scallion pancakes were good and tasty, especially where they had plum sauce. they'd be amazing as a bar snack. we finished with the chupe, which was a nice end.
we were already incredibly full when dessert came. it was a hazelnut mocha ice cream thing and a coconut and passion fruit sorbet thing. good but not amazing.
overall, i'd love to come back again and try some other things, but keep the appetizers.
I love when evenings like this come together - a meal out with a friend that becomes a sample fest of different plates of awesomeness. the ceviche is quite fantastic, and the portions are generous. the tastes inspired conversation and a little fighting over the remaining morsels. the empanadas and jaleo were good, but overshadowed by the 3 plates of ceviche that came out prior.
the service was decent, but overwhelmed. probably saved me from getting hammered though, so that's an OK thing on a school night.
and the vibe - pretty damn styling - and the loungey downstairs just adds another layer of coolness to an already cool spot.
one of my favorite meals in Philly and I haven't even tried their entrees yet.
I didn't know what to expect when I was going to Chifa, my sister had made a reservation for our family, but it was amazing. Since none of us had never been there before, the waiter suggested a tasting menu.
It was a great idea because this was a tapas-style place, and there were so many choices on the menu that all looked delicious, it was too hard to decide. Before any of the courses came out, I was sold on their bread. They are little doughy rounds, filled with a cheese and they give you a peanut sauce which is amazing.
Then came the barrage of foods. We had about 7 courses, all of which were absolutely amazing. I don't remember them all but there were a number of dishes with raw fish that had great sauces, and some meat (lamb chops) that were the best I can remember.
If you go here, I strongly suggest the tasting menu (they have 3 variations of tasting menu--the difference is number of courses and price) because they will give you a little of everything.
Chef Jose Garces has produced a number of restaurants in Philadelphia, some of which I would say are my all time favorite places to dine. When I noticed that Chifa was participating in Philly's Restaurant Week I immediately made a reservation for the first night, eager to finally try out the fourth (and final installment) in his line of restaurants, this one a Peruvian/Chinese fusion that just begs to be explored.
My bf and I arrived for our 6:45pm Sunday reservation and the place was PACKED. It was quite surprising to see a restaurant so full on a Sunday night at all, but I guess this is what promotions like Restaurant Week are supposed to do. We were immediately seated in the front room, and almost right after we sat down a waitress approached us and asked who ordered the empanadas. We laughed off the confusion (hey, I would've taken those empanadas if they were just handing them out), and after she left our waitress came and took our order. Even though Chifa is a tapas style restaurant and the whole point is to share the plates, I told my bf to choose what he wanted instead of us ordering all together since the Restaurant Week menu gives you more than enough food to satisfy - and he loves red meat, so I couldn't deny him that experience.
However, after our first little confusion it became clear that Chifa was not fully prepared for the amount of people it had to accommodate during the first night of Restaurant Week. Our waitress came over to ask how our food was - but we hadn't even been served yet! The dishes came out in spurts, I guess based upon how quickly the kitchen was doling them out, so while overall we managed to both have dishes at the same time, towards the end there was a period where my bf had a dish but I still hadn't received one, and didn't until he had finished his plate! Worse, dishes that should NEVER wait to be served came out late, so our dessert was partially melted by the time we got it (I was so confused by the lack of espresso granita, until I noticed the water on the plate...).
Despite the poor service, the food was fantastic. I ordered two ceviches: the oyster (which had more oyster in it than I was expecting - AWESOME) was good but the 'leche de tigre' and lemon espuma were both a little sweet for me about halfway through; the peruvian one with corvina was fantastic and quite big, the spicy mayo on top was the perfect addition. My bf also had the oyster ceviche (loved it so much he finished mine off!) and the pork buns, which he said was the second best dish of the night. The best dish we both agreed was the chupe; spicy, tangy and the seafood was cooked to perfection it was unbelievable. The one bad thing is that its clear you get served from a large pot since we both had a few things the other was missing (I had no scallops, he had no potatoes - GRR). He also had the bbq lamb which he proclaimed very VERY tender and literally picked those bones clean. The aji mushrooms I was surprised to find had a puff pastry on top - and boy was it GOOD. The mushrooms were delicious and in this creamy sauce with little tofu bits everywhere, but it is FILLING. I could barely eat more than a few bites before I had to push it over to my bf. The dessert, their chocolate mocha thing, was good but nothing really special. Possibly the delay that resulted in partial melting ruined it for me, but its also that type of dessert EVERY restaurant offers. Good, but nothing fantastically amazing.
Chifa certainly offers fantastic food, but if you're going for Restaurant Week be forewarned: you aren't the only one. Hopefully, after their first night, they've fixed all the issues (we weren't the only ones who had service problems - both tables next to us had complaints), but this is sure to be one of the most popular choices this and next week. With reason, of course.
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