Overview
Melburnians generally love to try new cuisines. We have a long history of warmly embracing flavours and cooking styles from all over the world, which has led to the creation of our vibrant multicultural food scene — something we are a bit smug about.
But plenty of cuisines haven't made it to the mainstream over here. One of them being Chifa — a fusion of Peruvian and Cantonese cuisines.
Thankfully, hospo veterans Vincent Lombino and Jared Thibault (Lona Misa and QT's Rooftop) are now changing that with their new Peruvian-Chinese restaurant and bar, Casa Chino.
They already brought Chifa food to Brisbane in 2022 with Casa Chow — we're a bit gutted that Brissie beat us to this one — and the success of this spot has led them to create a similar version down in our fine city.
Sharing plates are the name of the game here, with diners expected to order a heap of small and large dishes to fight over. Kick off with baos, raw dishes, skewers and dim sum treats before diving into the bigger wok-cooked plates.
In just about every dish, you'll find a blend of both Chinese and Peruvian traditions. We also see quite a few Japanese influences throughout the menu. Check out how these cuisines combine in the tempura fish bao bun with aji amarillo peppers and fresh lime; the crab and prawn toast served with creamy rocoto, tobiko and bonito; and the lap cheong pipis with garlic chives, ginger and chipotle.
Big and bold flavours are on show all over this menu. We don't expect that you'll be reaching for the salt or chilli when dining at Casa Chino.
Drinks-wise, you can't miss the pisco. The team has a 20-strong list of piscos behind the bar, five different pisco sours and a plum and pisco negroni.
Beyond that, there's a heap of signature cocktails that champion both Peruvian and Chinese flavours, plus a solid collection of beers, wines and other spirits.
Either drop by for some cocktails and snacks or stick around for a Chifa feast at this new Brunswick haunt.
You'll find Casa Chino at 212-214 Albion Street, Brunswick, open 5pm–late on Wednesday and Thursday and 12pm–late on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit the venue's website.
Images: Parker Blain.