Chifa brings some of Lima’s lively Chino to Central’s Peel Street

The newest addition to the Pirata Group is a dumpling house that serves a combination of Peruvian and Chinese cuisines. Its casual setting brings the culture and character of Lima’s lively Barrio Chino to Central’s Peel Street. We were seated in the Dumpling Room, which can be reserved for larger groups, while the Bamboo Room features an open kitchen.

We started with Juanito’s green dumpling (HK$70), filled with prawns, chives and shiitake mushrooms - not your ordinary har gow. They were so good that diners might be advised to hold back a little, and leave space for the rest of the meal. The spring roll (HK$95), filled with duck, carrot, onion, bell pepper, oyster sauce and a creamy Peruvian corn purée, was a perfect follow up. If you’re a fan of hot food, Chifa’s spicy dumplings (HK$85) will satisfy your needs. The char siu bun (HK$100) was fluffy, and served beautifully in a dim sum basket topped with a colourful carrot slaw. However, the pork neck was too tough.

For mains, we devoured the stir-fried prawn cheung fun (HK$120), which was served in a flavourful XO sauce that included the Peruvian chilli, aji panca, which is worth coming back for. The winner was the meat and rice (HK$100) - the rice was fried with a delectable roast chicken, pinto beans and crispy wonton. The crispy texture in the rice seemed addictive, and at least one diner kept spooning more into her bowl.

The refreshing cheesecake, topped with blackberry compote and coconut sorbet (HK$75), was a delightful end to the meal.