CHINA CHILCANO: JOSÉ ANDRES’S PERUVIAN RESTAURANT IN DC SHOWS OFF THE CUISINE’S CHINESE AND JAPANESE INFLUENCES
The Cost -$39 per person
The Atmosphere – Located in the José Andres district of downtown Washington DC, China Chilcano is set within three blocks of some of the famous chef’s other DC restaurants, Oyamel, Jaleo, minibar, and Zaytinya. The restaurant has a modern, funky vibe, with the most notable decoration being a very large neon yellow monkey that hangs from the ceiling which is made to resemble the monkey drawn into rock in Peru’s famous Nasca Lines. The restaurant is really a great setting for all types of occasions from a night out with friends to a date to a special celebration. Reservations are highly recommended for this popular DC spot.
A celebration of Peruvian cuisine, China Chilcano is one of Chef José Andres’ newer DC restaurants, opening its doors in 2015. The restaurant pays homage to traditional Peruvian dishes and the cultures, specifically Chinese and Japanese, that influence them; if you’ve been to Lima, you know what we’re talking about as these influences are everywhere. China Chilcano earned itself four Michelin Bib Gourmand awards from 2017 to 2020 and is still receiving praise from diners and critics alike.
The Order – Ceviche Nikkei, Kam Lu Wonton, Lomo Saltado, Tam Tam Noodles.
The Great – The Lomo Saltado, a classic Peruvian dish that features wok stir-fried beef, was the best dish of the evening. The tender chunks of beef were soaked in their sauce and had great flavor. The meat is stir-fried with some tomatoes and other vegetables which were nicely done. The fun doesn’t stop there though, as the layer of fresh cut french fries reveals itself from under the meat and veggies. The fries soaked up the juices from the beef and tomato and that made them absolutely delicious.
The other dish I would gladly order again is the Ceviche Nikkei. In this dish, Andres shows off the Japanese influence that shines in traditional Peruvian food. This ceviche is one of many offered on the China Chilcano menu and features large pieces of raw bigeye tuna with red onions, jicama, avocado, sesame seeds, and a soy-cured egg yolk, all in a soy-based marinate. The fusion of traditional Japanese and Peruvian ingredients here is really nice and the fish was fresh and of good quality. This was the better appetizer of the night.
The Good – The Tam Tam Noodles, hand-cut wheat noodles combined with spicy pork, and peanut was another nice dish. The noodles were tasty as was the spicy pork, which was ground into a crumbly, sloppy joes like texture. The dish had a kick to it but it wasn’t very spicy and while I enjoyed the dish, I thought it could have used a lot more peanut flavor, or something else to go with the combination of the noodles and meat.
The texture of the Kam Lu Wontons was my favorite thing about them - the top was extra crispy and the part of the dumplings that surrounded the filling was much softer, making for a nice combination. These seven pork and shrimp dumplings came on a large, round plate, with a hoisin-tamarind dipping sauce nicely presented in the center and some furikake sprinkled on top. While the wonton shells and the sauce were both good, they unfortunately greatly overpowered the filling of the dumplings which really went untasted and for that reason, I would not order this dish again before trying everything else on the menu.
The Verdict – The Verdict – China Chilcano is a great place to grab a pisco sour and some very good food without spending more than $22 per entrée. The restaurant presents a good value to diners and is one to add to your list if you like Peruvian cuisine.