12.23.08
Review of Barrio Chino, Sunday September 2008
253 Broome & Orchard/Ludlow, 212-228-6710
Great for: cocktails, making new friends in close quarters
It was the worst of times, it was a dark and depressing night… My beloved Chanel 2.55 bag was stolen. I’d had it for all of three months and some bitch apparently decided to go shopping when we were at the same bar. Thank goodness I had renter’s insurance, which covered it and its contents. Nevertheless, I was still distraught 24 hours later, and my best friend E offered to take me out to dinner to take my mind off it (and feed me, since I had no access to funds). She’s a sweetheart.
She had already kind of eaten before we talked, so she just shared stuff with me. For an app I tried the arrachera tacos with avocado, cilantro and onion. They were pretty good, though the soft taco and enormous avocado slices were a little much for me. I liked the steak cubes the best.
The camarones borrachos, fresh shrimp sautéed in tequila, guajillo chiles and garlic over green rice with avocado and tortillas, was likewise decent. I was surprised to find myself really liking the rice. I think the shrimp could have been cooked a tad less but it was still quite yummy. I didn’t see any chiles. Overall the food was okay; not great, certainly not bad either, just a cut above middling.
I liked my strawberry vanilla margarita a lot. It tasted very strongly of vanilla, which I love. E’s coconut mojito was good at first but then not so much. Perhaps too much soda water? We also thought the sangria had too much red wine. It was fine, but definitely not worth waiting even if I didn’t hate waiting.
Rating: 6 / 10
Our cost: $55 (1 person eating, 3 drinks)
Noise level: the music is fine, the people are loud
Chance of walking in: Ha! Good luck. Sunday 9pm wasn’t too bad, but it’s always hopping whenever else I walk by.
