Chifa Titi
Iced Jasmine Tea
Deep Fried Boneless Chicken with Lemon Sauce
Stir fry Noodles with Smoked Pork
Vegetables Stir Fry in Soy Sauce
Kumquat Duck
Steamed Red Bean Buns
With the majority of Lima’s top dining destinations closed on Sunday it was in search of the city’s best Chinese Food that a taxi was bound for San Isidro, Chifa Titi at Av Javier Prado Este 1212 said to be the most impressive location for a style of Food that is quite similar to “American Chinese” in that it is the creation of an ancient culture adapting to local ingredients and palates.
Seeing the word Chifa on no less than a hundred Restaurants during a long day of walking, everything from hole-in-the-wall ten-seaters to elaborate two-story buildings included, the story of Chifa Cuisine apparently began in the late 1800s when a labor shortage after the termination of slavery saw Chinese immigrants cross the Pacific to harvest Sugar Cane, the subsequent centuries developing a fascination with Food that remains distinct though at the same time quintessentially Peruvian.
Not exactly located in Lima’s nicest neighborhood, the best route undeniably via highway as opposed to side streets, it was moments prior to a 7:00pm reservation made by phone that a table was found ready, polished black surfaces and mirrors giving the place a very modern feel while bilingual menus are thankfully provided as the staff speaks little to no English.
No doubt a popular place amongst locals, the clientele dining early largely Asian with a large table of Spanish speakers arriving around 8:30, it was after perusing a menu of 24-pages that decisions were made, a large pitcher of cold Jasmine Tea priced lower than bottled Water elsewhere and dining soon to begin with Fried Chicken that was sort of bland until dipped in a Citrus Sauce with light spiciness and a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Serving portions best suited for groups, each entrée better described as a platter, it was while sitting and listening to nondescript music overhead that three additional plates arrived simultaneously, both Stir Fries slicked in Soy and lighter in Oil than those found Stateside while a dish described as “Orange Duck” actually placed the crispy skinned Fowl beneath Kumquats with sticks of fried Yucca at the bottom.
Without doubt a better place for group dining than couples or solos, portion sizes and prices both considered, it was from a limited number of sweets that Red Bean Buns were selected as a fitting end to the meal, a thick Paste without much Sugar forming the sticky center to three Dim Sum favorites that were clearly homemade given their visible seams and textural heterogeneity.
www.chifatiti.com