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Chiko

Much ballyhooed Chiko was a mixed bag for me.

On the plus side:  Staff was very friendly and greeted me coming in the door.  The cold peanut noodles were delightful and included boiled peanuts and Asian pear slices (it worked).  The Furikake butter rice was listed as "vegetarian" (Furikake typically includes dried fish) so I took them at their word.  The dish was yummy and resulted in no stomach upset so I'm assuming the description was accurate and this was "Yuzu Furikake, a veggie version).  The Sichuan Spicy Cucumbers were delightfully sharp and lasted a few days.  For takeout, environmentally responsible packaging was used and they avoided the wasteful soy sauce packs I usually toss.

On the down side:  The Wok Blistered Chinese Broccoli was good but not better than the garlic broccoli offered at many Chinese restaurants in the area.  I also didn't care for the large number of mushrooms included in the dish.  The rice cakes were listed as vegetarian but I received the meat version, which I pawned off on a friend.  Tried to order online before arriving but couldn't, as the site seemed to want me to register first.  Lastly, for counter-service food in a Formica table joint the price points were a bit high.  You won't be able to fill up for under $15 here, count on $20+ with an appetizer, tax and tip.

Bottom line:  Good but didn't rock my world.  I would definitely try them again if I was in the neighborhood but not worth the trip downtown.  Unfortunately they are only open for dinners so a return visit is unlikely.

Counter service "Modern Chinese Korean"
423 8th St. SE and 2029 P St. NW
http://chikodc.com/

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