Loading ...Worth The $$$$ At Chifa?
Posted by Foobooz on April 22nd, 2009
Adam Erace goes to Chifa and questions whether it is worth the price even as he spots some bargains.
Garces and Williams treat the Chifa Chicken like a duck—a Peking duck, that is. They poach, hang and lacquer half an air-chilled Giannone bird in molasses, soy, vinegar and spices for six hours straight. Roasted crisp and juicy, the chicken is paired with bok choy, almonds and soy consommé for one of the most flawless, flavorful roast chickens in town.
I washed this $22 bargain down with pastry chef Ann Giles’ clever root beer float; it foamed and fizzed like a science experiment when rice pudding ice cream met house-brewed root beer infused with molasses, sarsaparilla, vanilla and canella.
Chifa Isn’t Cheap [Philadelphia Weekly]
Chifa [Official Site]
707 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA
Related Tags: Center-City-East, Chifa, Chinese, Peruvian, Reviewed
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I agree. It’s good, but most things – including the wine list – are overpriced.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
lot of errors in the review
ceviches starts at $9
no red lights in bathrooms for 2 or 3 weeks
there are probably 6 to 8 pieces of shrimp in ceviche not two ( unless thats a typo)
You have to remember that this place is huge (2 floors) and has a lot of chefs and staff to cover expenses. It is much bigger than Amada so it is going to be more expensive.
I have never heard so many people say its the best meal they have ever had
like any place there are going to be some bargains and others that are pricey
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Was there this past weekend, the two of us shared four plates (neither of the two “big plates” as we were told they had a 35 minute prep time and preferred just to graze), I had two cocktails and a beer, my partner had two cocktails. Check came to just shy of $110 before tip. Obviously wasn’t a cheap meal, but not at all an eye-popper either if you’ve ever been to a Garces restaurant (or heck, if you’ve been to Tria, Time/Vintage, a whole lot of places around Center City, etc.). In fact, last time I was at Tinto, I think we drank about the same, ate a bit more and the tab was about twice that.
I did have a similar experience with our duck wanton to the reviewer’s noodle bowl. I found myself wanting more wantons … and I also wasn’t sure it was the sort of place where I could slurp the bowl as you normally would at a Pho restaurant.
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
it’s absolutly delicious food, but the fact is you can go to Lima eat and drink more for a price of 2 meals at Chifa. inculuding airfare Concept of chifa really is family style, large portions of chineese food in Peru, small plates fits Spanish themed restaurants well, not Peruvian. I really think Garces is a brilliant and very talented chef, but he missed the concept for Chifa and Distrito, he should’ve stayed with the tradition of the cuisines. Tapas don’t exist in Mexico nor Peru.
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Thoughts and answers:
I thought ceviches started at $9 and wrote that in the review, but someone at the restaurant must have indicated otherwise and it was changed during fact-checking.
I definitely had two shrimp in the ceviche. Maybe an accidental error?
And really, the red lights are gone? I did eat at Chifa about three weeks ago, and they were there. I kind of liked them.
I don’t mind paying the prices, particularly when Garces is clearly using some of the best fish available (those special shrimp are flown in from Ecuador–not eco-friendly, but extra-tender and sweet); but the ceviche were just so tiny you couldn’t help feel they were overpriced. As a diner, I wanted to sample all of them, but it’s not just economically sensible. Making them slightly larger or sightly cheaper would make an enormous difference.
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Maybe the word “bargain” was meant sarcastically in this instance?
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I had a similar experience, the ceviches are miniscule and overpriced, and not as good as the ones at Distrito anyway. The Chifa Chicken is an actual bargain, delicious and big enough to make a dinner out of, but it’s probably the only thing I had that I felt was really worth the money. The pork belly buns are great too.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 am
Adam – i have a couple comments but I am going to wait to post until I check my facts on one detail
Perou – Unless you are flying with a bunch of chickens and donkeys you must be out of you mind. I am going to Peru in a week, cheapest flight I have found ever ( have gone every year for past 22 years) is $520. Im assuming you are being sarcastic.
Finally Chifa is not a Peruvian restaurant. It is inspired by chifas in Peru. Chifas in peru ( I was born there) dont serve ceviche.
There are dishes that have thai influence (red currry crab) ecuador (oxtail arepa) and Spain (crab empanada). While the empanada is of Spanish decent it is made in dozens of countries. Wikipedia empanada to see. If it was Peruvian the anticuchos would be made with beef hearts. Again INSPIRED by Peruvian chifas.
I would rather eat 4 or 5 small plates than 2 any day no matter what the cuisine
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:01 am
hey adam,
thanks for taking part in this discussion. i really enjoyed reading your review today. i was wondering if you could elaborate a little bit on the comments that your article made about the service at chifa. In general, i have found the service there to be pretty good.
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
I was being sarcastic, but you can get tickets for 380… anyway I know you wanna defend where you work, I think the food is delicious, and creative with all due respect $45 salt bake fish in this economy is little to high.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Perou, I’m confused. What $45 salt bake fish? Are you being sarcastic again? Folks can let the airfare joke fly, so to speak, but eventually if your whole critique of the place gets broken down to “just kiddin” are you saying anything of substance?
I see Daytime Drinker, after quibbling over your sorta off-base kinda sarcastic in not well delivered ha-ha way bit about plane fairs, make a pretty solid argument defending Chifa’s Peruvian “inspiration.” So instead of substantially defending your point, you claim Daytime Drinker is defending his place of employment (and where do you chime off on that? Maybe I missed something).
You don’t like the prices “in this economy.” In this economy, the Garces joints obviously aren’t for everybody, and for even fewer on a regular basis. That said, I think it’s pretty established that the rest of Garces’ restaurants have been popularly deemed “worth it” and I believe the same can be said for Chifa overall. And really, what a Garces menu asks isn’t particularly outrageous compared to say, most of the restaurants ringing Rittenhouse, etc.
For what it’s worth, I generally don’t order cerviche as I’m always disappointed with the lack of fillingness to it. But I understand, in the ecology, the ingredients are naturally premium.
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
JC /Perou- its not about defending any restaurant that gets blogged about its about getting facts straight. The fish is $50 and comes with chinese brocoli by the way. thats a fact. This is why Craig Laban is the only person who really has the power to make or break a restaurant. he checks everything and talks to owner/chef before going to print.
Adam – The shrimp is from Gulf of Mexico not Ecuador. My friend works as a rep for samuels and sons. Like Pasion and Alma de Cuba you can use the name Ecuadorian to describe the dish not necessarily where its from. I don’t know if that has better environmental benefits than if it came from Ecuador.
I think service overall is hit or miss in philly. There are countless times where i get surly or mean service. Not to mention bartenders checking their cellphones while behind the bar. I dont expect my server or bartender to be “exciting” to have a good time but they should have cleared share plates. I didn’t necessarily find the review exciting (it was fair, well written) but i still read it and it served its purpose. Sometimes I have found you just have to ask for things when staff gets behind and a place is busy. I don’t think todays great review of Chifa by City Paper has any significant effect on business either.