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| Thursday, March 01, 2007 |
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Fork It: Chi Bistro
By Image Mag Staff @ 12:00 AM :: 495 Views ::
0 Comments :: Food
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wordplay by Ben Simkins
images by Sean Hartgrove
I circle suburbia in my Japanese car, trying to sight a parking spot that isn’t a driveway. I do this to reach the obviously much coveted Gaylord Street near Wash’ Park. Its fairy lights beckoning like a runway for stray airplanes, this little oasis appears from out of the dark as if a rip in space and time has swallowed up a coastal high street and spat it out in the middle of this, a quiet little neighborhood. Adorning this quaint strip are a multitude of bustling restaurants serving the entire gamut of American cuisine. Each one seems a delightful romp in the vast seas and broad definitions of American cuisine, but it leads me to the question; what is American cuisine, exactly?
I’m sure you can flip open a book and argue ‘til you’re blue in the face, but, to me, it is always far too simple an answer. America’s got a vast melting pot of cultures intermingled in this “crazy” fondue of a country. We all seem to dip our skewers into the pot and pull out a piece and work from it to create a menu. Many times the straws we pull are that of Italian and French, or, for the coast-fearing public among us, let us call it Italian and “freedom” cuisine (I know I’ve used that joke on more than a few occasions, but when the material’s this good, why stop?!). This can consist of a few menu items such as Caesar salad, dispersed throughout the menu between the burgers, but for some, this means taking what’s a recognizable standard in America, such as short ribs or seafood, and infusing not only the ingredients but also the technique and the heart of the dish with another culture hopefully familiar to the head chef. The latter is the kind I savor. But what if your skewer, freshly pulled from the melting pot, reads Asian?
Chi Bistro infuses the soul of Asian cuisine and, like a true master, dresses it in packages we can all relate to. From the moment you walk through the door, the clean, 90 degree angles of furniture and art alike impart a sense of chi. Strangely not out of place, smoky cellar jazz flows across the walls of the huge, long booths. As the harmony of East meets West mingles from floor to ceiling, the same ‘chi’ makes itself instantly apparent in the menu. A wonderful thing happens with Chi Bistro and it is one of polar opposites working in balance to create truly inspired yet simple, clean dishes. Take the ‘Crispy Avocado Wontons,’ for instance. These little packages contain a creamy burst of guacamole, paired with a ‘Festive Fruit Salsa’ chock full of strawberries, red onion and mandarin orange segments. Now the thought of hot guac’ used to scoop up fresh fruit sounds odd, but the moment it hits your tongue, the curtains pull back and the light bulb illuminates. This is a fantastic example of Chi Bistro’s ability to take a step on the wild side and play devil’s advocate with some of our favorites.
To demonstrate Chi’s knack at creating simple tastes that are never one-dimensional, the ‘Baby Back Ribs’ are a great way to go. The ‘Honey-Sweet-Chile Glaze’ is always present from its slight heat at the back of the palate to its sweet finish, but it always leaves room for the meat to speak for itself. If you’re looking for the perfect balance between balance and palate-defying ingenuity, then step up to the house’s signature appetizer, the ‘Jumbo Crab Stack.’ This little beauty is as creamy as they come without ever losing its crunch, while the succulent crab loses its foothold ‘til you hit the white crockery below. Not to be outdone by other American eateries, Chi Bistro boasts a wide selection of burgers and sandwiches, displaying the same flair for the flirtatious as the rest of the menu. For me, the real prize is in the entrées. I have it on good authority that by far, the biggest winner on the menu is the ‘Kona Rubbed Pork Loin Chop.’ Comprising of a 12 oz. cut of pork, this one once again meets the standards laid out throughout Chi. The Asian pear chutney softens out the sharp smoke of the Kona rub and the sautéed spinach adds a much needed oil to the dish, but there on the dish nestled behind the Pork loin sits a ramekin full of… no it couldn’t be… yes, sweet potato brulee with a crust of burnt sugar. This creamy, to die for concoction, leaves all nay sayers full and satisfied by the wayside. For those that lay with their heart far from the shores and securely among the surf and not the turf, the ‘Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops’ puts you right at home. Each flavor plays its own signature note, from the seared scallops to the ‘Chive Potato Puree’, but it is the ‘White Truffle Miso Sauce’ that ties it all together in another triumph of clean flavor.
An important ingredient of Chi I have left out ‘til now is the service. It is the key mission statement of Chi’s philosophy. Promoting our inner chi to blossom was Josh Duignan, who paired each course with a sincere knowledge of wine. So good were the pairings, that I may be converted from my previous disposition of purely red wine to a more diverse range… er that would mean adding white to the list. If you find your way there on Wednesdays, you can take part in their free wine sampling.
If you’re looking for an American Standard that is anything but standard, look no further than Chi Bistro. It’s easy to find, just follow the fairy lights.
1066 South Gaylord St
ChiBistro.com
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