Casa Chi in downtown Chicago brings fusion of Peruvian, Japanese flavors without the kitchen
CHICAGO (CBS) — A new spot that cooks without a kitchen brings a unique fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavors to the Magnificent Mile.
Between the prime cuts of fish and smoking cocktails, you might not even notice that Casa Chi, newly added to the Intercontinental Hotel downtown, doesn't have a kitchen.
"Obviously, we have to be very creative since we don't have a kitchen, right? So we wanted to make sure that people, you know, had some nice experience with, you know, some hot dishes."
Chef Richard Sandoval is at the helm, and Casa Chi is the latest in his 60-plus restaurants worldwide, which have opened in most major cities, including Chicago.
Although it's not his first restaurant in Chicago, it is his first attempt at running one without a proper kitchen. In doing so, he decided to choose a cuisine that could still work, even with the limited resources.
"Nikkei Bar Lounge, you know, what's Nikkei? So Nikkei is, you know, after World War II, there was an influx of Japanese people coming to Peru."
And they brought their culture along with them.
"So they kind of fused both cultures. We have this amazing, you know, fusion of flavors, ingredients," Sandoval said.
From tuna ponzu guacamole to their fresh ceviche, two cuisines come together seamlessly and rely heavily on raw fish — no kitchen needed.
"The only challenge I said was the hot thing, you know, how do we come up with hot things with not having a kitchen?"
That's where the stones come in.
"I heat the stones to about 500 degrees, you know, a little oven, and then we cook our different cuts of beef so you can buy them by the ounce," he said.
Right on the table, sizzling prime cuts of beef are both dinner and a show, but it's not just the menu that aims to entertain.
"When I opened 30 years ago, you know, it was all about the food, you know, 80% was food."
These days, Sandoval says guests are expecting to be wowed from beginning to end, with the food sharing the stage with everything else.
"I mean, restaurants are lifestyles, and people expect to see all these elements. Here, I think we've accomplished it," he said.