Chin Chin
Chin Chin Street Side Kitchen originated in West Hollywood over 35 years ago.
The menu consists of build-your-own bowls and wraps with Chinese-American influences, and everything is completely gluten-free and halal with plenty of vegan and dairy-free options.
Apparently a hit with celebs like the Kardashians, the Street Side Kitchen is a more casual spinoff of full service locations in places like Las Vegas and Beverly Hills.
As much as possible is cooked in a wok and local, all meat naturally raised.
An Orange Chicken bowl ($11.88) is from the "Street Side" section of the menu, where you can choose a base of jasmine rice, vegan grains, spiralized veggies, or a gluten-free tortilla wrap. From there choose a protein and two veggies, then complete your order with any additional toppings.
In this case we go with a base of jasmine rice plus spicy garlic eggplant and edamame succotash, mandarin orange and stir-fried mixed veggies. Blended potato starch used to batter chicken here results in a nostalgic spongy springiness, and the flavour is on point, held up against typical Chinese takeout.
Mama Tso's Tofu ($10.88) is dressed with a similar sauce to the General Tso's Chicken, and for this bowl we have a base of vegan grains (brown rice, wild rice, lentils, and split peas) accompanied by stir-fried sesame ginger kale, spicy garlic eggplant and mild Peruvian sweety drop peppers.
General Tso's Chicken ($11.88) and a tortilla are both quite decent for being gluten-free, a nice malty heat to the chicken. Stuffed with vegan grains, kale, sweety drop peppers and edamame succotash, this is a surprisingly satisfying way to eat this dish.
Chin Chin's Signature Chinese Chicken Salad ($9.88) is supposedly the Kardashian fave, crisp shredded iceberg topped with chilled wok-poached chicken breast, carrot, green onion, toasted almond, and "crunchies," given a red ginger dressing.
Poke bowls can be topped with salmon or ahi tuna ($13.88) plus four veggies, with options of sushi rice, salad or a soy paper sushi rice wrap for a base.
Fortune cookies ($1.48, $2.28 dipped) are provided by local company Baked by Lulu, in unusual flavours like mandarin orange, wild strawberry and dewberry.
A Blue Butterfly Latte ($5.88) is essentially a soy tea latte coloured with butterfly pea flower. I don't know if I’d necessary recommend this with food, as it's a little chalky and rich.
On the other hand, Blue Butterfly Lemonade ($4.88) is refreshing and tart in a way that works well with the mildly spicy, eclectic food.
The space seats about 50, with a flow that guides customers through an assembly line ordering process, tabletops made from reclaimed butcher block.
Hector Vasquez