restaurant review: chimu

chimu in williamsburg, brooklyn

the other night, my significant other and i dined at a wonderful local eatery, chimu (a peruvian steakhouse). i had never been, but she had been numerous times and that was enough to convince me to go. and besides, i love steak in all forms.

the place was packed and i really didn't get much of a feel for the decor other than "welcoming." it's a small space, but they manage to pack the people in, without feeling like you're eating on top of your neighbor.

instead of the chips and salsa you might receive at a mexican restaurant, as we sat down we were given a small bowl of crunchy corn kernels (i'm not sure how they were prepared). somewhere between a "corn nut" and an unpopped kernel at the bottom of a bowl of popcorn, they were salty and crunch and completely addictive.

next up, a pitcher of sangria. refreshing. fruity.

an order of tostones, with a garlic & butter dipping sauce was the only appetizer needed. and good thing too because the entree portions were huge. with encouragement from my date, i ordered the "tacu tacu de carne" (rice and beans risotto topped with grilled steak and creole sauce). side note: peruvian risotto is completely different from italian risotto. and "tacu tacu" is apparently "grilled steak" but it didn't come as risotto topped with steak, it came as a mound of risotto (the size of half a cantaloupe) with a slab of steak (the size of an ipad) next to it. it could have easily fed two people. over the past few weeks/months, i've often felt like a competitor at an eating competition, and this was no different. i ate the whole thing by myself (minus a bite given up to my companion... in exchange for a bite of her grilled chicken).

not to be overlooked, my companion's grilled chicken was tender and flavorful, but i only had eyes for my tacu tacu.

there was no room for dessert.