CHIKO

If you follow me on IG, you know that I’m currently obsessed with Asian food, so when I saw CHIKO on IG, I instantly knew I wanted to check it out. CHIKO is a fusion restaurant located on Capitol Hill and as the name cleverly suggests it is a combination between Chinese and Korean cuisine. CHIKO is considered fast casual dining, which doesn’t make this the best place to catch up with friends for an extended period, but if you’re looking for fast service, then this is the place for you. The restaurant is small, you place your order at the counter, and the meal is delivered to you at your table (the same ordering concept as Nandos). While the restaurant might be small, CHIKO is good food done well at a reasonable price.

Entrees rarely eclipse $20, and the portion size is quite generous, which is hard to gauge based on pictures. CHIKO also offers a kitchen counter experience, which is an interactive dining experience for $50. I contemplated partaking in the experience, but tickets were sold out for the day I wanted to go.

Food: The food arrived in steel bowls and sheet pan trays, which made the meal even more aesthetically pleasing. I ordered the Cumin Lam Stir Fry, which was absolutely delicious and very filling. There was a hint of spiciness, but not too much to overpower the dish and without a doubt, this was my favorite dish. My friend ordered the Wagshal’s Chopped Brisket, which contained soy brined soft egg, furikake butter, and rice. Wagshal’s Chopped Brisket is the definition of comfort food, which was perfect since we visited CHIKO on a rainy day.

We didn’t need to order any appetizers because we could hardly finish our entrée dishes, but we got the Crispy Chicken Springrolls and the Double Fried Chicken Wings with spicy soy-glazed. The spring rolls were good, but nothing inventive in my opinion. The wings were my least favorite thing I ordered. It was chewy and didn’t fall off the bone, but that might be accredited to the fact that my first taste of it was reheated ( I was too full to try it at the restaurant).

Overall, if I were in the neighborhood, I would dine at CHIKO again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to revisit mostly because Capitol Hill is a hike and I prefer restaurants that cater to you enjoying the dining experience without any rush.