Overview
Once you've given Woolloongabba a stylish neighbourhood-style Italian trattoria, what comes next? If you're Vincent Lombino and Jared Thibault, you branch out with a new Chinese Peruvian restaurant and bar in the same precinct. Come Wednesday, July 27, Casa Chow will follow in Sasso Italiano's footsteps, joining the inner-east suburb's South City Square.
The former Ovolo and QT Food and Beverage Directors are heroing Chino Latino cuisine, aka Chifa, in their latest 100-seat venture — a culinary style that matches Cantonese flavours with Peruvian staples. On the menu: dishes such as lomo saltado, a stir fry made with marinated wagyu, onions and aji amarillo chilli, and served over fries, as well as anticucho marinated skewers, plus a blend of dim sum and ceviche.
The full food range hasn't yet been revealed, but Executive Chef Gabriele Di Landri will focus on Chifa dishes that are designed to share. Patrons will tuck in while listening to Latin tunes spun at the venue's DJ booth, and sitting within a pastel-hued space with blue and pink walls, flowing curtains, booth seating and an open-style bar.
To wash Casa Chow's bites down with, Thibault and Bar Manager Shawn Brown are going big on pisco, the brandy made in Peru and Chile's winemaking regions. You'll also be able to sip Scorpion bowl cocktails, pick from a hefty rum list and enjoy the best vinos that South America has to offer. In collaboration with Aether Brewing, there'll also be a bespoke rice lager, which'll feature hints of Peruvian purple corn.
"Casa Chow brings a sense of escapism, and we can't wait to open our doors to bring Peru's most inspirational cuisine, Chifa, to Australia. We've poured our hearts into this place and space, to bring an energetic new dining experience to town," said Lombino.
Lombino and Thibault aren't done adding to South City Square yet, either, with more venues in the works — joining a precinct that's also set to score a cinema, beer hall, martini bar, and market filled with its own butcher, baker, deli and florist.
Find Casa Chow at South City Square, 148 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba, from Wednesday, July 27 — open from 5–10.30pm Wednesday–Sunday.