[Radar]: Chicha

 

Area: And so we go back once again to the Sinan Mansions, sidling up snugly with The Alchemist, to be more specific. There are still quite a few tenantless spaces in this development, so our work here is far from done.

What it is: 2010 was a pivotal year for restaurateur Eduardo Vargas. If an Expo pavilion, an exceedingly mediocre burger joint, a licensing debacle, a closure, and a downright strange conceptual overhaul taught him anything, it’s this: Don’t expand too fast. But he’s started to scale back his empire to a more manageable size and is approaching his latest project, Chicha, with a little more humility. This time, rather than trying to take over the world, he's just going back to his roots.

Chicha is a "Latin lounge and restaurant" concept spanning two floors. The first floor is the lounge portion, specializing in cocktails with Latin roots. Every major country in Latin America has a representative behind the bar: Tequila from Mexico, rum from Cuba and Guatemala, cachaça from Brazil, aguardiente, an anise-flavored “fire water” (that’s the literal translation) from Colombia, and pisco, the national spirit of Peru. Helming the bar is Hector Monroy, who hails from Mexico and has about eight years in Spain under his belt. That last bit should tell you a lot about Monroy's style. He is a practitioner of the molecular arts. This means the drinks list is heavily laden with reinventions and reinterpretations of familiar cocktails that are splashed with infusions and garnished with espumas, emulsions, and "caviars". Monroy is a showman at heart and he likes to incorporate a certain flamboyance to his craft. To see what I mean, ask for his Cartagena Flambe made with aguardiente and Midori liqueur. To accompany the liquid refreshment, they offer piqueos. These are basically little bar snacks like anticuchos (Peruvian style grilled skewers of lamb, beef and halibut), stir-fried octopus with ajillo peppers, and beef tenderloin empanadas.

Upstairs is strictly for dining and if you’ve been to Vargas’ flagship restaurant Azul since its recent menu overhaul, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect here. It’s largely Latin fare with Asian influences and a particular penchant for Peru, Vargas’ provenance. This means lots of ceviches and tiraditos (fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice), causas (potato dumplings topped with various meats or fish), cau cau (a potato and octopus stew), and chifa staples like lomo saltado (beef tenderloin stir-fried with onion, tomato, soy sauce, vinegar and chilies). There are also risotti and the occasional Asian-inspired dish like mushroom and cream cheese-stuffed fried wontons with a tamarind dipping sauce. There is no menu. Your choice simply hinges on your appetite -- seven or 12 courses. Vargas plans on switching up the offerings almost nightly and he says he’ll be in the kitchen six nights a week.

Atmosphere: It’s dim and intimate throughout. The first floor lounge consists of a tiny bar connected to two very narrow seating areas. Upstairs seats no more than 40 patrons. The glow of candlelight radiates warmly from every tabletop. Surrealist paintings of exotic animalistic women gaze at you from nearly every wall. In spite of the subdued feel, however, hard surfaces, stiff drinks, and a cranked-up stereo system ensure a high-energy and high-decibel experience.

Damage: Cocktails cost about what you’d expect to pay in this area, anywhere between 65 to 80rmb. Cusquena, a Peruvian brand of beer, will set you back 25rmb. Piqueos are anywhere from 40 to 90rmb. Upstairs you’ve got two options: seven courses for 180rmb or 12 for 280.

Who's going: Your standard Shanghai scenesters, Vargas devotees, and, of course, you’re not anybody in Shanghai’s wining and dining scene if this guy doesn’t show up.