Saved by the Bar

I was so excited to go to Chifa. I think I browsed the website for 20 minutes just so I could read the menu and hear its theme music. Because it was only a few hours before I desired a reservation, I didn't think we could get in but I scored one online at Opentable.com. I wanted to book for 930pm but as we sat and debated that slot was scooped up right in front of my eyes. OK, 645pm it is.

We were running a little late (we were having too much fun at Dave and Buster's), but they said they would hold the table for 20 minutes. We arrived and I noticed a virtually empty but still noisy dining room. We walked through the blindingly bright upstairs, past the partially enclosed, partially private dining area (for parties, I assume) down narrow and winding steps. I thought maybe we were being led to a sacred, sacrificial ritual chamber, but that would have been paradise compared to where we were actually headed.

It was dark like a dungeon. It was only because of my website stalking that I recognized my surroundings: the bar, the lounge, the interlaced, dark brown, wooden "walls." Initially, I was pleased with our final destination. Much less boisterous and less bright than upstairs, it made me feel like I had discovered this little treasure myself. It also helped me to forget that it was only 7pm. However, I suddenly longed for the loudness and bright lights.

Please refer to my blog entry "Pass the Crack, Please" to fully grasp the next portion of this post. I squeezed myself through an opening so small that I think I ended up with some BBQ sauce on my ass. Oh, well, I guess they will just have to eat around that section of the ribs. My remorse faded after a moment. The lady to my right was SO annoying that I wanted to sit on the rest of her food then force feed it to her. She had an ear-piercing voice and since we were lucky enough to be sitting so close I went partially deaf. Our server returned and I begged that we be seated elsewhere.

We relocated to the lounge. Otherwise a great place to hang out for a few drinks and small plates, it was no place for the meal I planned to devour. Distress must have visibly stretched across my face; our server mentioned that the bar had just cleared out. Finally, I could concentrate on the menu.

Another Jose Garces small plates restaurant, Chifa focuses on the Peruvian food influenced by a small population of Chinese immigrants. To start, we drank Pisco Sour and Watermelon Lemonade. Pisco Sour is a traditional cocktail topped with egg white foam. Interesting, but I think I'll switch to the Pineapple Ginger Caipirinha. 'Desayuno' was the Peruvian steak and eggs; braised oxtail and sunny-side up egg that poured over the tender meat and clung to my taste buds. 'Chaufa' was fried rice topped with soft, pillowy scallops. It was a little bit over-salted, maybe it was the soy, but I still enjoyed the dish. One of my favorites was the 'Lobster' with its luxurious ribbons draped in a creamy sauce of lobster, bacon, and peas. I wished we ordered two because I did not want to share. In desserts there are three things I love: chocolate, bananas, and pumpkin. Two out of three ain't bad. My second favorite, 'Banana Picarones,' is Garces' version of funnel cake; fried, swirled, pumpkin spiced dough coupled with banana sorbet. Bringing street food up to gourmet ranking was a smear of peanut sauce and a sugar crisp made with honey and anise.

Overall, there wasn't anything I didn't love, except maybe the egg white foam and the obnoxious lady in the corner.