Chifa: The Best Chinese-Peruvian Restaurants in Los Angeles

Chifa isn't Chinese food. It's Chinese-Peruvian cuisine — a genre born when Cantonese immigrants arrived in Peru in the 19th century and started cooking with local ingredients. Arroz chaufa, lomo saltado, kam lu wantan, aeropuerto: dishes no Chinese restaurant in Beijing would recognize but that are as Peruvian as ceviche.

What makes a chifa good?

• A genuinely hot wok. We're not talking lukewarm stir-fry. The wok must smoke.
• Peruvian sillao — more concentrated and sweeter than regular American soy sauce.
• Ají amarillo optional. Some traditional chifas add it to the final lomo saltado sauce.
• Chinese tea served cold in a pitcher. A Peruvian touch no regular Chinese restaurant does.

Must-try chifa dishes

Arroz chaufa

Peruvian fried rice. White rice stir-fried in a wok with sillao, egg, scallion, ham (sometimes chicken, sometimes shrimp), and a touch of ginger. The rule: rice must have rested a day (chaufa with fresh-cooked rice turns mushy).

Chifa-style lomo saltado

Classic lomo saltado made in a chifa wok with green pepper, sweeter soy, a touch of sesame oil. More savory-rich, less citric than the Peruvian classic.

Kam lu wantan

Deep-fried wontons with orange sweet-and-sour sauce, pineapple, and vegetables. Radioactive color, addictive flavor. Kids' favorite.

Aeropuerto

Literally "Airport" on the menu. A mix of arroz chaufa + tallarín saltado + beef + chicken + vegetables — all together. A dish for 2 or 3 people. Called that because "it has everything, like an airport."

Tallarín saltado

Wheat noodles (lo mein style) stir-fried in a wok with vegetables and protein. Peruvian take on chow mein.

Where to eat chifa in LA

Pure chifa (not modern fusion) is hard to find in LA. Most Peruvian restaurants have a couple of chifa dishes on the menu — look for:

• Seafood arroz chaufa at cevicherías like El Rocoto (Gardena) or Peru's Taste (Northridge).
• Chifa lomo saltado at Mario's Peruvian (Hollywood) on weekends.
• Aeropuerto at the bigger Peruvian restaurants — ask even if it's not on the menu; many will make it.

To understand chifa better

In Peru there are entire neighborhoods of chifas in downtown Lima and Pueblo Libre. The country's oldest chifa (Wa Lok) opened in 1925. If you visit Lima, doing a chifa tour is one of the most authentic culinary experiences you can have.

Meanwhile in LA: ordering arroz chaufa at any Peruvian cevichería is the start. Check the directory for the nearest one.