CHIKO

The food is amazing, totally worth a look.Had it delivered and got what we wanted.Simply amazing and enjoyable. Shrimp in black bean sauce, chicken in orange sauce and smashed salmon. One better than the other, will have it again in the future. Hope they keep the consistency.Try it and you won't be disappointed!!!Thanks for enhancing my life!Forgot to mention the shrimp dumplings!!Yah baby life is not getting much better.

We love Chiko in my household! This is always a safe bet for take out when we are in the mood for something heavy and flavorful. I have gotten both the veggie rice and confit duck rice but the duck rice is the superstar of the menu for me! It's such a filling entree and that's really important for the eaters like myself. I also like the double fried wings, they're so tasty and they're gluten free!! The inside is pretty straight forward, I believe it's only take out.

While strolling through Eastern Market, we stumbled upon CHIKO by chance. A quick check of their reviews solidified this as our pick for dinner based on all the praise they've received. On a Sunday at 4:00P, the restaurant was empty when we arrived, but more customers arrived closer to 5:00P. The host immediately handed us a menu which consists of small plates, large plates and sides (like Korean banchan). We placed our order at the counter and then selected a table. I noticed that many customers opt for takeout, so even if you dine in during peak dinner time, you may have a good chance of grabbing one of their few tables. An employee brought over some bowls for us to share the entrées, but they were basically the size of rice bowls, so you could really only put one food item in them at a time. I would have much preferred actual plates. + CUMIN LAMB STIR FRY ($19): So good! Tender shredded lamb, mushrooms and caramelized shallots were mixed with the noodles that had a savory, slightly peppery flavor. There was also a vegetable reminiscent of bok choy, which added nice crunch. While ordering, an employee warned us about the heat, saying it's a 7/10 on the spice scale, so we asked for mild and it turned out barely spicy. If you can tolerate heat, I'd recommend leaving it as is. + ROSE DDUKBOKGI ($17): Now, this was spicy (in the most pleasant way)! Chewy rice cakes were fully covered in a rich Gochujang cream sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It had a surprising hint of sweetness to it and a generous serving of mushrooms brought some earthy notes.+ BLISTERED GREEN BEANS ($10): I love green beans and these had so much flavor from the toasted sesame oil, crispy garlic and smear of ssamjang on the side of the bowl. The beans were salty, crunchy and addicting. + NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI ($4): I'm picky about kimchi, but this was great. It had an ideal spice level and wasn't too tart. The napa still had a perfect crunch, and I alternated bites of it with the lamb stir fry. + SPIKED PINEAPPLE LIME COOLER ($11): This drink was okay, but I wish the pineapple was more prominent... it was subtle compared to the lime. The drizzle of coconut cream on top gave it a light piña colada flavor. This amount of food was the right amount for three of us, and we enjoyed everything we ordered. I wish we could have tried more off their menu!

This is a longtime standard that I finally made it to. Their online menu shows vegetarian options that weren't clear in-person, which was a bit odd because the two menus actually offered a lot of things that looked different. Eventually, I ended up with a wok-charred green bean dish that I take to be one of their signatures, as well as some cold noodles and a mushroom salad.Everything was covered in chili oil, not the worst thing from my perspective. The noodles had some included vegetables that packed a nice punch. The freshly cooked green beans with just a hint of numbing spices were indeed the highlight.I could have done with a clearer menu and maybe something that wasn't quite so oily for contrast, but this place arose in an era where DC didn't have much in the way of fresh or original Asian cuisine, and it still stands out as having something to offer.

I brought my out-of-town friend here who was craving Asian food on a Saturday night. Since it is mostly a takeout place, we were able to secure seats for 2 people without difficulty. Orders are placed directly at the cashier before seating. We ordered and shared the brussels sprouts and Lamb cumin stir fry. The brussels sprouts were unexpectedly delicious 5/5! I highly recommend this dish if you want a veggie dish. I expected the lamb cumin stir fry to be succulent based on a rec from an acquaintance and I was not disappointed! Don't be fooled by the white color of the noodles. It just was not mixed properly. So, all the noodles were on top while the lamb was at the bottom. The lamb was so tasty and tender that we almost ordered another plate! By the time we got to the lamb, we wanted more noodles but they were sadly all gone. Definitely order the lamb cumin stir fry!

So glad this place is back open for seated dining! I had gotten their salmon as take out once over a year ago and it was delicious. This was only my second time there and the menu is so intentional and diverse and original. They also have a vegetarian and gluten free menu which is awesome! My part of 4 got way too much food accidentally because thwir portions are large, but they made for great leftovers.The diakon side was a perfect starter. Then got the peanut noodles and wok green beans to share and I couldnt recommend the latter enough. they were perfectly charred and crispy!! I got the brisket for my main and it was creaming and delicious- absolutely no notes. The rest of my table also enjoyed their choices! Got this strawberry custard for dessert and I could've eaten the whole thing by myself.Staff was so kind and attentive and efficient. And gave great recs! Inside seating is limited and they get busy during dinner time, but the space was great!

The food is incredible and the servers are extremely friendly!! During our trip to DC we noticed servers in a lot of restaurants were lacking in hospitality but everyone at Chiko's is exceptional. The food is fresh and delicious, and it had us come back a second time during our trip. Service isn't horribly quick due to their high volume of takeout orders, but you can see everything happening so it's a lot easier to wait, and the staff hospitality + food quality makes up for it. Highly recommend!

Stopped by here an hour before closing in a Sunday evening. Staff were friendly. We stayed to eat but it's very utilitarian vibes, clean and functional but not much more than that. Between three of us we got 1 app (green beans), 2 mains (three pepper beef, jajang) and 1 side (spicy cucumbers) - was around $60 (with a soda and lemonade as well) and there was enough food to have leftovers! Maybe like 1 more meal. The food was actually phenomenal. Like waaayyyy better than expected given that this place is not at all a fancy vibe. Honestly hard to say which item was my favorite. Flavor, texture, freshness - everything was amazing! The only kinda weird thing is that they all the items were being cooked in the same singular wok, so the items were a bit staggered coming out. But overall, delicious, easy, cheap especially relative to the quality for sure! Would come back and recommend.

Food was amazing and service was quick. Staff were so nice and the casual vibes made this is quick yummy meal before going out.

Stellar experience. I hadn't realized that it's a very casual (counter style) restaurant, but I was fine with that. Every bite was truly delectable, from the garlic shrimp dumplings (oh my!) to the "orange ish chicken " (so good , and a huge portion). 5/5