Thursday, February 19, 2009
Restaurants The Week in Reviews, Episode 1: ChaChah
Posted by Carrington Fox on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 5:51 AM
This week's dining column breaks from the standard format, in that instead of a single review of an established restaurant, it delivers several capsules of new places, some of which I'll be reviewing as soon as they've been open a little longer. This week I'll parcel out the reviewlets, like a dim sum cart dropping off tasty morsels. The first preview is of ChaChah. (The dim sum cart will circle back tomorrow with another one. Stay tuned.)
ChaChah
If you like PM, you'll love ChaChah, the second act of ever-creative Arnold Myint. "I must have been Spanish in a former life," says Arnold, the son of Patti and Win Myint, who founded the International Market Asian grocery and restaurant across the street. After putting his own contemporary twist on the Asian menu at PM, which he took over from Patti a couple of years ago, Arnold has unleashed his culinary vision on a Spanish-flavored tapas-style menu of small plates ranging from spicy gambas a la plancha to duck-and-banana-leaf tamales. Larger plates include squid-ink seafood risotto and Moroccan spiced lamb loin. The presentations are exquisite, and the small plates are ideal for sharing. (Don't get us started on the hot chocolate service for two (pictured here) poured over a homemade bruléed marshmallow. It's downright naughty.) ChaChah currently serves dinner only and is closed on Tuesdays. In March, Arnold will begin hosting a chef's table on Mondays, at which he will deliver a tasting menu of unusual items designed to attract foodies who want to explore and discuss meals such as bison marrow with cardamom-braised shank and pig-ear salad with mango-dill chili. A glowing warm house on a cold night, ChaChah promises to become a landmark for creative cocktails and tapas on the patio when the weather improves and Arnold lifts the garage doors on his newest neighborhood hotspot. 2013 Belmont Blvd., 298-140.
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sounds fantastic. too bad they put music on their site. that is an unpleasant surprise (and not very considerate) to those of us who like to think about food and eating while at work.
I can't remember what was there, but it's right next door to Tabouli's (on the right) and has crazy wings over the patio. It is a gorgeous renovation.
ChaChah is fabulous. My Valentine took me there as a surprise last weekend and it was great. I had heard good things, but wow! The tapas and raciones are all perfect for sharing. Wonderful flavors and ingredients combined and the service was friendly, fast, and knowledgeable. And yes, we finished off with the chocolate service...fantastic!! I will definitely be back and looking forward to the Chef's table!
Sounds wonderful. I think I will try next weekend. So many good choices on Belmont, but I have to admit, the parking situation often keeps me away. Any tips?
I love the food at PM but I can’t help feeling like I’m out of my element. The wait staff always seems unfriendly, almost pretentious like. I was there this past weekend with a group of 5 guys for burgers and couldn’t shake the feeling. 2 members of my party were first timers and said the exact same thing. We would love to try Cha Chah…but what’s with the cold shoulder?
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Meg,
We usually walk to Belmont, so I don't mind sharing the secrets. Turn down the alley behind the Circle K at the bend in Belmont and there is parking behind each restaurant. Otherwise, I think the garage behind the Curb Center is open to visitors.
Worried about parking? There is a huge parking garage right across the street from PM / Bongo / Etc. Just park in there, the top floor is always empty.
Think of it as Belmont's way of giving back to the area they made so overcrowded.
We parked in the lot behind Bongo Java and had no problems. On a Saturday night and Valentine's no less.
Also forgot to mention. Very cute how ChaChah uses a framed piece of art by local artist Susan Suruda to present the bill. Many of her pieces hang in the dining room and the upstairs area.
