Chi Chi Asian Bar and Kitchen, Canley Heights

On a rainy day, you often won't see any rainbows. You evidently feel a little let down, after hours of misery and you get nothing? What am I talking about... Anyway onward to food, Asian fusion is often fairly controversial to foodies. Along with tacos, tapas, produce markets, spit roasts and food trucks, Asian fusion is definitely in. Done right and it's exciting, done wrong it's weird. Straight forward. 

Deviate off the main street full of pho restaurants and cafe's in Canley Heights and you might come across the recently opened Chi Chi's. It's an Asian restaurant of sorts with a vibe befitting of a hip, up-and-coming Surry Hills diner and definitely not one of Canley Heights so you can imagine how eye-catching it would be from the outside. 

It also tries to bring in that other element of a trendy Surry Hills restaurant: the Asian fusion. The inside is decked out with flourescent furnishings and a black and white mural. There's a group table close to the open kitchen so you can see all the action happening along the pass. The menu itself, both the food and aperitif, evidently loaded are loaded.

Son-in-Law Eggs with House XO Sauce 5.9

Despite how widely raved about these eggs are, I can't help but feel that they're a little pedestrian. It's eggs battered and simply fried and dressed in and XO and greens but I can't help but feel that the XO was a little ordinary. Maybe it's all the hype getting to me.

Malay- Style Chargrilled Satay Chicken Skewers served with House Satay Sauce and Cucumber 16 for 12 skewers

Satay chicken sticks were really brilliant. While it's missing on some of that charcoal charriness, at least they didn't arrive burnt, were really tender (definitely not the breast) and rounds off well with the delicious satay sauce.

Fried Wild Barramundi Fillets with Green Apple Salad and Fried Shallots 22.8

Barramundi fillets were nice and crisp and when combined with the apple salad dressed in fish sauce: magic. It feels really fresh and healthy despite it feeling fried and it's a definite crowd pleaser.

Crispy Skin Braised Duck with Orange & Tamarind Sauce 23.6

Can't help but draw a few comparisons a similar orange fried duck dish I had at Billy Kwong 2 years ago to which this dish may have possibly taken inspiration. Despite being drenched in the sticky and sweet, soury tamarind and star anise sauce (5 Ss!, I should be a poet), the duck remains perfectly crisp, well rendered and mostly juicy and tender and I think it might actually be a tad better than the original one at Billy Kwong. 

Stir-fried Mixed Mushrooms with Chinese Wine and Garlic Oil 12.8

You can imagine how texturally exciting this dish was. It has bags and bags of flavour with all its garlicky goodness but suffers from a little overseasoning.

Roti 2.2

Rotis were boring and I'm not sure why I ordered them without curry but it helps alleviate the overseasoning of some of the dishes.

Kaffir Lime Crème brûlée with Coconut Sorbet 10.9

Creme brulee starts off our sweets with a nicely perfumed yet subtle creme brulee with the requisite cracking top and smooth custard that wasn't too sweet at all matched well with a refreshing coconut sorbet.

ChiChi's Tapioca Shot with Coconut Custard, Palm Sugar, Pomegranate and Roasted Sesame Seeds 3.9

Desserts were a mixed bag around the table but it was a general consensus that the tapioca shots, despite being simple, were definitely a highlight. You get a silky gorgeous tapioca and coconut custard in a shot glass dressed with a palm sugar, pomegranate and sesame seed concoction and it's absolutely genius.

Prices are definitely more than you'd expect from the south-west but so is the food. A touch more refinement and it'll be pulling in crowds. Not that it's having any trouble currently. Food comes out incredibly quickly despite a full house and is bolstered with a friendly enough service but can often be a little inattentive and forgetful, especially come bill time. For something a little different that's local to the southwest, look no further than Chi Chi's Asian Bar and Kitchen.


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Posted in: Barramundi, canley vale, Creme Brulee, Mushrooms, satay