Brasa y Chifa Adds a Unique Fusion to Providence with Peruvian and Chinese Cuisine and Tradition

The Brasa tray comes with chicken, pork ribs and picaña served with lo mein, chaufa rice, fried yucca and pico de gallo. Photo courtesy of Brasa y Chifa/Instagram.

The owners of Los Andes in Providence have bestowed another irresistible eatery to the Creative Capital. Brasa y Chifa in Providence blends Peruvian and Chinese cuisine in a fast casual dining setting, serving a range of menu items from twenty-four-hour marinated pork ribs to chaufa de pollo — Peruvian wok-fried chicken rice with scallions, eggs, ginger and soy.

Cesin Curi, the executive chef at Brasa y Chifa, has always been in the hospitality business. His titles evolved from busboy, dish washer and line cook before ultimately becoming the chef and owner of a local restaurant. Los Andes on Chalkstone Avenue in Providence quickly won the hearts of those who dined in the restaurant (and outside in the gorgeous patio), and brothers Cesin, Omar and Diego Curi wanted to bring something new and different to the community that showed them so much appreciation for the first sister location.

“Providence is a great city that has a great diverse dining scene,” says Curi. “You can find any sort of cuisine within a five-mile radius.”

The inspiration behind Los Andes’ name is the Andes Mountain, the central mountains that run along the western coast of South America. The cuisine reflects the mountain range, which passes through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Brasa y Chifa offers a twist to that cuisine as it blends Cantonese, Chinese and Peruvian culture within its menu.

“For example, pollo la Brasa is one of the most popular food items in Peru, which is known throughout the world for many things but pollo la Brasa is one of them that rings up high with ceviche,” says Curi. “You get the traditional Peruvian rotisseries (chicken, cremas, etc.), white rice, French fries and a salad – that’s what you’re going to get when you go to Peru and order a pollo la Brasa.”

Pair your meal with a beer or cocktail of your choice. Photo courtesy of Brasa y Chifa/Instagram.

The Chifa side of things presents a little bit more fun into the concept. Between Peruvian-style lo mein and the chaufas —Peruvian Chinese fried rice — there’s plenty of freedom for the Curi brothers to be playful and inventive with this unique fusion. Dishes like the chijaukay and tipakay have a great story behind them (the meals came about with the arrival of Chinese immigrants in Peru during the nineteenth century) and are the two staple dishes offered on their fast-food menu. “We deliver the flavors and the colors that correspond to the dish,” says Curi.

“With Brasa y Chifa having this concept, it opens up to not just having rotisserie chicken, it gives us that opportunity to be creative and also bigger and better creatively down the road, as the concept develops,” says Curi. Perhaps some Chinese wontons or crab rangoons can be found in the casual eatery’s future.

One of the many qualities sister restaurants Los Andes and Brasa y Chifa have in common is the level of hospitality. Despite its more intimate interior, Brasa y Chifa serves up hefty portions and a welcoming energy. If you’re craving fast food but are also in need of a margarita or a smooth Peruvian beer, Brasa y Chifa is the ideal setting to achieve that.

“You see all walks of life and every single ethnicity you can think of,” says Curi. “The hardest part is making [the fans], the easiest part is losing them. So that’s what it’s all about: Maintaining and making sure things are always good.”

Whether you’re on a lunch break or stepping out for a casual date night, visit Brasa y Chifa for wok dishes, a selection of irresistible meats and more. 712 Admiral St., Providence, 401-421-0440, brasaandchifa.com, instagram.com/brasaandchifa