Chino Grande

The food at Chino Grande could be just okay, and the Williamsburg birthday celebrators would still fill up the green leather booths to wait their turn for after-dinner tableside karaoke. But the Chino Latino-inspired food also happens to be birthday-worthy, like a mountain of sizzling black pepper beef and a milk bread crab toast (a cross between shrimp toast and crab rangoon) that’s so rich you might actually utter the words “oh, sh*t” after your first bite. It’s everything you need to begin an evening that will likely devolve into a touching rendition of Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous” in between swigs of Henny Colada. 

If you're strictly looking for platters of Chino Latino classics, consider going to one of these spots instead. But if you're in need of a celebration that might involve two types of chicharrones, make a reservation on the later side (8:30pm or 9pm), start your meal with the sauce caddy (plantain chips and three sauces), and then get comfortable—there’s a good chance you’ll be here all night.

photo credit: Ben Hon

photo credit: Ben Hon