Our Story
About China Chilcano
The brainchild of Chef José Andrés and his talented team, China Chilcano celebrates the rich culinary diversity of Peru and brings an exciting exploration of this multicultural cuisine to our Nation’s Capital. The restaurant honors Peru’s deeply rooted and diverse heritage, including its native Criollo, Chinese Chifa and Japanese Nikkei cuisines; its name an homage to Peru’s renowned fish stew and its popular national drink, the Chilcano. China Chilcano ranks consistently as a top DC dining destination, and has been awarded a bib gourmand in the 2017-2020 Michelin guides to Washington, DC.
At China Chilcano, Criollo exists in every single dish on the menu, whether it’s joined by Nikkei, with nigiri served on a bed of causa, a signature dish of puréed Peruvian potato, or Chifa, through a chaufa dish made with fried bananas. Also present throughout the menu are dishes that have come to embody the native style of cooking. Chifa is where traditional Chinese techniques meet the exotic flair of Peruvian ingredients, while Nikkei features Japanese-inspired dishes using native techniques and ingredients.
China Chilcano welcomes you to discover José and team’s unique take on contemporary Peruvian cuisine, an intriguing amalgam of authentic and innovative dishes that are, in a word, unforgettable. Bold flavors, heady aromas and the buzz of excited diners take you on a sensorial journey that is anything but everyday.
José Andrés
José Andrés is a Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning chef, and was named among Time's "100 Most Influential People." He is the founder and chairman of World Central Kitchen, the NGO behind #ChefsForPuertoRico, and cofounder of José Andrés Group, which has more than thirty restaurants around the world. He is also the author of three cookbooks and the New York Times best-selling We Fed An Island, which describes how Andrés and his team cooked for hundreds of thousands of hungry Americans in Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.