It looks like José Andrés’s Penn Quarter mini empire of Jaleo, Zaytinya, Minibar, and Oyamel is getting larger. The Think Food Group announced plans today for a new concept at 418 Seventh Street, Northwest, called (for now) China Chilcano.
Similar to Andrés’s China Poblano, the eatery will serve Latin-Asian fusion fare. The lineup plans to differ from the breed of Chinese-Mexican found in the Las Vegas eatery, as well as Richard Sandoval’s small plates at Masa 14 and Zengo. The focus is “Chifa” cuisine, a lesser-known hybrid created by Chinese immigrants settling in Peru. Once the restaurant opens in spring 2014, you may find causas (potato dumplings) and ceviches, dim sum plates, and the namesake chilcano, both a pisco-based cocktail and a fish stew. Ironically the former is known for causing hangovers, and the latter rumored to cure them. Stay tuned as plans for the restaurant develop.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
