China Chili

The concept of a "poster child" has become controversial in recent years. Efforts to fight a specific disease by highlighting a child with that condition have lost favor in an era when it's no longer seen as appropriate to view people as disabilities first and individuals second. Still, the concept of the poster child endures in popular culture, and if there were a poster child for the effects of light rail construction on restaurants along the train's route, China Chili would be most likely chosen for the role. Several years ago, China Chili established itself in a small space on Central Avenue in Midtown. It was a shoebox of a restaurant with a limited menu, but it received glowing reviews and gained a loyal following.

Unfortunately, the timing wasn't good for China Chili's original location. When rail construction started, many restaurants experienced temporary downturns in traffic, and one, Jordan's, even claimed its eventual closure was due to the effects of construction outside its doors. China Chili was a little different, though. For that restaurant, traffic disruptions were not the issue. Instead, China Chili was among a number of buildings that actually had to be demolished to make way for rail. Fortunately, China Chili reopened several months later in a nicer space than the one it left behind. The restaurant is now situated in much bigger quarters, still in Midtown and still near light rail at less than half a mile's walk from the Osborn / Central Avenue station.

The new space has two entrances, one facing Third Street and the other facing a rear parking lot. They both lead to a cavernous dining room with a simple but effective look. There are chandeliers and some nice Chinese artwork on the walls, but the feel is more bustling than formal. The restaurant's noise level comes not from music, but from the steady din of conversation and platters of food being passed back-and-forth as dining companions share in the family-style dishes. Circular tables for large groups occupy the center of the room with smaller four-tops lining the edges. A sort of command center at the front is where diners wait to be seated or pick up orders to go. High chairs are available, and kids are not an usual sight in the dining room.

Like most local Chinese restaurants, China Chili's food is primarily Cantonese, although the restaurant's menu boasts numerous choices based on regional cuisines throughout China. American Chinese classics such as beef chow mein and a particularly succulent version of orange chicken are available; however, the menu also rewards diners with more sense of adventure. China Chili routinely features a daily soup and off-menu vegetables such as snow pea leaves. Make sure to ask if a favorite item is not on the menu. To enjoy the restaurant even more, stop in sometime during Chinese New Year. The restaurant offers an annual set of specials, and unlike prix-fixe Chinese New Year menus, no reservations are needed; customers can mix and match items from both the standard and the holiday menus. 2009 Year of the Ox specials included flounder with yellow chives and garlic sauce (right photo below), Peking duck, and honey-walnut prawns (center photo below).

Both the familiar and the exotic are generally prepared with high quality. Vegetables are fresh, crisp, and prepared in ways that accentuate their natural flavors and textures. Spicy garlic eggplant, although not really all that hot, is a full-flavored dish. Even a dish as seemingly dull as braised tofu comes with a zesty sauce. The kitchen also displays a lot of talent with seafood, matching flavorful sauces to popular choices like shrimp and scallops, and even the less common option of green mussels. While China Chili's dishes do not necessarily pack the heat implied by the restaurant's name, each table is adorned with a container of red chili sauce for those who want to add some spice to the food.

China Chili does not have a full bar, but offers a selection of wine and bottled beer. Service is friendly, efficient, and quick. While diners are welcome to linger, it's also possible to have a two-course dinner within the span of one hour. China Chili is open seven days a week for dinner. Lunch is also served every day except Sunday. In addition to its standard menu, China Chili offers over a dozen lunch specials for under $8. Each one includes soup, an egg roll, and steamed rice. As at most Chinese restaurants, the lunch specials do not necessarily showcase the peak of the kitchen's talent but are meant more as quick, inexpensive choices for nearby workers.

Although the traditional meaning of "poster child" has become politically incorrect over the years, the phrase has more recently taken on a generic meaning similar to the word "epitome," an ideal example of something. In that case, China Chili is indeed a poster child for rebirth in the face of light rail construction. The building of the starter line consumed version one of the restaurant, but the restaurant has come back better than before.

302 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ, 85012 | Map
602-266-4463
http://www.chinachilirestaurant.com