Chica & The Don is a new Latin restaurant that opened in the Flatiron district. Despite their Yelp site pointing to Flatbush, it really is located in Manhattan. When you walk in, the restaurant has a long corridor to the main dining area. They just opened 3 weeks ago, so I was interested in checking this out before the hype were to build up. We were able to make a reservation relatively easy for 5:45 PM on a Friday early evening.
Ambiance & Service
I’m not sure if they are still figuring out service, but we walked in 15 minutes after their opening, and it was dark. There was no music and no lights. It seemed like the staff was still getting things ready. One of the staff approached us and told us to wait by the bar while they are getting ready. Once we were seated and instead of staggering out spacing of the tables, they seated us next to another couple.
We were the only two parties in the dining room, so it was odd of their decision to do that. What exacerbated the vibe negatively, was that there were no lights above us, so it was very dark. Much of the food was already hard to see with a single candle, so I think this was an incredible service misstep.
Due to the very few diners in the room, there was an expected disproportion of waiters to diners ratio. Many of the waiters were just standing around staring at us or casually conversing amongst each other. I had to flag a waiter down for the bill, albeit it was instantaneous.
Food
The Electrico cocktail ($20) came with Santa Teresa rum, lime, Inca Cola, and buzz button flower. The buzz button flower gave a little tingle and numbness. The bartender mentioned that if we touch that with our lips then drink the cocktail, it will give you an interesting experience. The drink itself was just OK. I don’t think the ingredients, albeit an interesting combination, worked well with each other especially after the ice melted a little. The ingredients all sort of clashed together at the end.
The Don cocktail ($20) came with toki, mamajuana, tamarind, banane, aromatic bitters, and cinnamon. This was to be a play on an Old Fashioned. This was just OK as well. It tasted decent at first sip, but as the night progressed, the ingredients were not complementary to each other.
The Tuna ceviche ($27) came with yellowfin tuna, soy citrus marinade, avocado crema, and cucumber. This was pretty good, and it felt Asian influenced due to the soy marinade. The chips broke very easily, so it was hard to use it effectively as a vessel for the ceviche.
The side of Yucca Papas ($12) came with crispy yucca fries and salsa rosada. The yucca was crispy on the outside and delicious on the inside.
The Langosta y Camaron empanada ($10 each) came with lobster, shrimp, manchego mornay, oaxaca cheese, and lobster bisque. I was underwhelmed by this. The empanada was decent, but the filling was just not memorable.
The Lomo Saltado empanada ($8 each) came with prime steak, yukon potatoes, tomatoes, red onions, and soy cumin sauce. This sounded better than what it was. There wasn’t a lot of steak, and it just wasn’t bold in flavors.
The Carne Asada ($41) came with a 10 oz. pan seared strip steak marinated with citrus and jalapeno, and it was served with a side of chimichurri. The carne asada was cooked a perfect medium rare, and it was very tender. This tasted like most steaks served with chimichurri, so there was nothing original about this dish. However, it was good.
Final Verdict
Chica & the Don was surprisingly very underwhelming. Perhaps, it’s still working out its food still, but it doesn’t feel like this restaurant will last long. The food was mediocre at best, and the service needs some work still.
Yelp Jabs
I do not know about the food but I know the drinks are amazing. The place is really nice and I will be back to update the review with the food. I had own drink and took some pictures in the Photo Booth. The music was good and I love the decor; I felt like I was on vacation. I would definitely go back to have the food. The guy next to me said his food was delicious.
At the high price for mediocre cocktails, this Elitist may have a false sense of what is good.
Revisions
- May 5, 2024 - Initial revision.