China Chilcano

Restaurant week provided the perfect opportunity to sample some of José Andrés' must have flavor combinations at China Chilcano, for an incredibly generous price point. While the restaurant was crowded we were met at the door, checked in, and then offered complimentary glasses of wine while we waited. Despite the plethora of people it never seemed too loud, and when we were seated it was comfortable and easy to hold conversations. The meal itself was magnificent, giving my taste buds something new to relish in every couple of bites. I was told ahead of time that the Aji de Gallina was a must try and I in turn pass that recommendation on to whoever else comes here for the first time. A hearty stew packed with bursts of flavor and perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken I can't imagine having come here without having it. The Dancing Yucca was similarly a masterpiece with my only complaint being there wasn't more to share once we had a chance to dig into everything. Dessert was so creative and beautiful. Both dishes we tried brought forward their respective fruit influences without overshadowing the accoutrements in the slightest. Came for the experience, stayed for the taste!

China Chilcano is a Peruvian restaurant by the famed Jose Andres. Since this was Sunday brunch, my friends and I ordered light.The siu mais were surprisingly a standout. We ordered an assortment of siu mais - siu mai pollo, siu mai tradicional and siumai dorado. Siumai dorado is a traditional siu mai topped with quail eggs and gold flakes. The filling in the dumplings is juicy, not greasy and the flavor profile is clean. The gold flakes were a surprising touch. We also had camaron saltado maestro wong, lomo saltado and a few other dishes. We had a reservation because the place gets fully booked depending on the day. The ambience was warm and inviting. The servers were very attentive and would check in every so often to make sure we had everything we needed.For a Jose Andres restaurant, the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely be back for the dimsum and maybe try other dishes.

I have eaten at China Chilcano thrice. I would eat there again. I prefer Jaleo by the same celebrity chef, Jose Andres, around the corner. But I am glad China Chilcano exists, and I hope it thrives. I would say go with a group. I would not recommend it for a solo diner or a couple. That is not a criticism. It is a compliment. There is so much to try. The menu demands sampling.China Chilcano is noveau. It is a riff on fusion. But this is not cloying mashups, better as a concept. (There is an episode of the Frasier sitcom in which the good Crane doctors, the pompous brothers my wife told me not to model myself on, are talking about the latest restaurant to be a hit, Polynesian Scandinavian, offering coconut herring.) It is the food of Peru. Chifa is Chinese Peruvian. This has lineage. It was fusion before fusion was "a thing." That is to say, it is organic, it has roots in what peasants ate (which makes it superior in my book), and it has a set of traditions. There also is Peruvian Japanese (nikkei, which translates as diaspora of Japan).Andres is not doing straightforward chifa or nikkei. He is doing an Americanized, post-modern version. But it is not pretentious. The Crane boys would not be impressed. It is sold, hearty, flavorful, and surprisingly not too far off from what you'd be able to get in an ethnic neighborhood, but with superior ingredients.The decor is gaudy, ironically so. It is meant to be a bit much. That is the festive atmosphere. The place is always just shy of raucous. We have had a good time. I'd be others who go as a crowd would too. This is a gathering place. It is for celebrations.PS Andres also is such a good guy, with his charity work. We went with another couple and their adult son, who was a beneficiary of his relief efforts in North Carolina, after hurricane devastation. I want to support Andres. I am glad his food is so good you the noble cause is a bonus.

I didn't know anything about Peruvian Criollo, Chinese Chifa or Japanese Nikkei cooking before stepping into this restaurant. I'm not sure that I could begin to explain what any of these cuisines are, even after dining here. But what I can say is: I like them a lot.The "Lunch in Lima" option is a good value. It's 3 courses and all 3 cuisines are represented in some way.Yucca fries, a 1st course possibility, has a simple name however is anything but. The mash-up of yucca, kabayaki sauce, aji amarillo sauce, and bonito flakes is out of this world. I could eat those every day of my life. Donburi ji song, my choice for 2nd course, is a concoction of sir-fry chicken, pickled daikon radish, rice, onion, avocado, and kung pao sauce that's sprinkled with finely chopped peanuts. It's subtle and yet hearty.For dessert, 3rd course, I went with the "suspiro limeña". It's a crazy, tubular-looking sweetened condensed milk custard topped with a crunchy meringue and passion fruit. It arrives flat on a plate and seems to a piece of geometric art. At first, I wasn't sure if it was to be eaten! It's sugary and tart all at once but grows on you slowly. Also tried the "Lucky 12". This is a presentation of dainty shumai which features 4 pieces of 3 types: chicken (pollo sui); pork & shrimp (tradicional); and a combo creation (dorado). The dorado comes topped with quail eggs and gold flakes--decadent. My favorite is the tradicional shumai because of the jicama and shiitake mushroom mixed in. The black vinegar dipping sauce that accompanies rocks big time.The various dishes are carefully plated and presented. I imagine there was much experimentation to arrive at a menu that is balanced and respectful to the 3 nations (Peru, China and Japan) that are honored here. Additionally, the artwork, furniture, and layout of the space is lovely. It all adds up and becomes the space that is China Chilcano.I think it works quite well and find the food to be bold and tasty.

On the way out of the Museum of Natural History this morning, we decided to have a quick lunch. Passing China Chilcano, we noticed the Restaurant Week menu in the window and decided that would be a reasonable deal, so we stopped in and we're given a table for two by the window. But when we were ready to order, our waiter said the Restaurant Week price was not available yet. I felt cheated, but figured maybe I had missed a future date, do we went ahead and ordered. The beer list was weak, so I just had water. My wife was ok with the draft beer that she got.I chose the prix fixed brunch and found both the ceviche and the ahi de gallina to be good. Nancy had the Jalea Mixta which was OK although she hadn't focused on the fact that it was fried. The dessert was the only special dish.My wife noticed that the table at which we were sitting had seen better days...some of the varnish was flaking off and it was down to the bare wood in places. She questioned whether it met DCRA standards.

Thoroughly disappointed especially after having dined twice at Jose Andre's' The Bazaar in a month, at Jose Andre's' Jaleo also within the month. Tho food definitely needs some make-over. From the tasting menu of $79 per person, the only 2 decent dishes were: the sirloin and potatoes (French fries) bowl and the banana ice cream and mousse dessert. The ceviche dishes were way too acidic, there were a couple of dishes where the food was swimming in black bean sauce and sesame and chili oil, a combination which wasn't delicious. Even the dessert of caramel spirulina with fruit compote was overly sour.

Let's start with the piscos! They were absolutely delicious and mixed to perfection! The ceviche was fresh and flavorful, and the pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth tender, cooked just right. The dumplings were also quite good. However, the lomo, while was not lacking in flavor, it was unfortunately overcooked, which took away from the overall experience.As for the service, while I understand it sometimes may be busy, we felt forgotten once our food arrived. The server didn't check in to see if everything was okay or offer another round of drinks. Even when we finished eating, we had to look around to ask for the check. While the service was a bit disappointing, I'll attribute it to a busy day and hope for a better experience next time.

Was excited to come here because I usually love fusion food but overall the experience and quality of food was a bit disappointing. We got the lucky twelve which is a combo of their steamed dumplings and siu mai dishes, but the flavor just was not there. The meat was lacking in spice and just wasn't up to my standards for other Chinese restaurants I've been to. We also got the rice noodle dish and the portion was extremely small it was laughable. I ate family style with 3 other people and genuinely we each only got maybe the tiniest bite from this plate and it was gone. Def not worth the $.The dishes I did enjoy though were the clay pot rice and the chili wontons, and that's simply because they were better than the other dishes we had in comparison, but not something I would reorder and come back for. My portion was around $30 when we split 4-5 dishes, and I was still hungry after.

Went for restaurant week and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Was the perfect amount of food and got a good sampling of the menu, especially for the price. Some dishes were hits and some were misses (although nothing terrible!!). Favorites were the Ají de Gallina and desserts shockingly. the Pisco sours were also very good. Love the decor and vibes of the place, although can get a little noisy. Service was great and food came out quick.

This was such a busy place but well spread out to hold the popularity! A well-designed and modern place, this restaurant was delicious and awesome all around. I came here recently for restaurant week for the first time and was pleased with the amount of options. I wasn't confined to the restaurant week menu as they did have their regular menu available too. I did do the restaurant week option which was very reasonable ($40) compared to other restaurants. As a vegetarian, I had many options and they were all delicious. I love the mix of Peruvian and Asian combo! The staff were helpful and attentive as well. I would definitely come back!