Chino's

Had a surprisingly good happy hour experience at Chino's on Capitol Hill. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable, which always adds to any dining experience.  I was shocked that we were the only people in the restaurant at 6 pm on a Tuesday, but it might have had to do with the sunshine and high temps on that particular day. They do not have air conditioning, so it was a bit stuffy, but that's nothing a few well-mixed cocktails can't fix.


My two friends and I ordered the Jamaica Buck and Vicious Virgin, which were $6 each during happy hour (4-7 pm.) Most of their cocktails feature rum, and these two were no exception. I preferred the Jamaica Buck for its tartness (ginger beer, rum, lime) but my buddy who prefers sweet drinks really liked the Vicious Virgin.  Make no mistake, this is an alcoholic drink, not a virgin mocktail! Chino's prides itself on its tiki drinks, and there are many to choose from in the laminated Pee Chee folder that serves as a menu cover.


We ordered the happy hour tacos for $2 each and were satisfied with the flavors of the beef as well as the chicken, but it was the Gua Bao platter that stole the show. The plate came with three perfect portions of pork belly nestled in a bun (think hum bao) with pickled mustard greens, cilantro and crushed peanuts. The meat melted in my mouth and the pickled mustard greens added a sweet & sour, unexpected texture. 


We also had the popcorn, which was popped in popped in pork fat and seasoned with Asian spices. It tasted like pumped up kettle corn, and I kept thinking how awesome it would be to have a bowl of that stuff at the movie theater.


Finally, our waitress sold us on the chicken wings, which were recently named some of the best in Seattle.  I can understand why -- the fish sauce/garlic glaze makes them pop in your mouth as you salivate for the next bite.


Besides the lack of air conditioning, the issue I have is with the branding.  Their tag line is "Urban Tiki House and Taiwanese Cantina," and their logo is a picture of an old car with the Space Needle in the background. None of it melds together, and when I originally read the tag line, I was confused about how tiki drinks go with Taiwanese.  Add the word 'cantina' and my mind goes to Mexican, so put that all together and you might have some befuddled customers who would rather go across the street to Quinn's or next door to Poquitos where they know what to expect -- a straightforward concept.