Chiko co-founders Danny Lee and Scott Drewno wanted to do something completely new with the tasting menu at their award-winning Asian counter in Capitol Hill, which is to say they wanted to cook pancakes fit for a king.

The chefs debuted a new royal menu this week for their four-seat prix fixe, introducing two large format dishes — one Chinese and one Korean, of course — taken from the regal kitchens spanning as for back as the late 1300s. Both of the new dishes include an Asian wrapper.

CHIKO’s growth spurt continues, this time at Capital One Arena. The casual restaurant that made its debut on Barracks Row in 2017 specializes in clever, comforting dishes that pull from both Chinese and Korean cuisines. Founders Danny Lee, Scott Drewno, and Drew Kim are excited to bring a selection of dishes to the sports and entertainment venue starting Friday night.

SlidingSliding into one of the four seats right on top of the frenetic kitchen at Eater DC’s editor’s choice for Game Changer of the Year remains the most exciting way to experience most of what modern Asian eatery Chiko has to offer.

But co-founder Danny Lee wants everyone to know that it’s not the only way to be a part of Capitol Hill’s experimental dinner spot.

ome of the year’s most thrilling cooking can be found on a metal tray at this new-breed fast-casual spot from chefs Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, who follow a host of chefs around the country who have embraced the quick-grab genre. First, you order at the counter—load up on the Korean and Chinese stews, rice bowls, and noodle dishes (most leftovers keep beautifully, and you’ll want them). Then grab a picnic table and go to town. Inexpensive.

Also great: Marinated clams; “half-a-cado” salad; chicken spring rolls; rib eye and rice cakes; cumin-lamb noodles; kimchee stew; chopped brisket over rice.

The last time I ate Scott Drewno’s food was a year ago at the Source, Wolfgang Puck’s haute-Chinese dining room in Penn Quarter, where Drewno spent ten years leading the kitchen. I was tucking into a $79 roasted duck for two and playing an is-that-or-isn’t-that game with my dinner companion as we stared at someone who looked a lot like Nancy Pelosi.

Chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno have been immersed in Asian cooking for years, and both are responsible for some of D.C.’s best Chinese- and Korean-inspired dishes. Now, along with Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, they’re working together to re-imagining what casual Asian food can be.

The culinary adventure is going down at Chiko (423 8th St. SE) in Barracks Row. DCist was recently invited in to try our way through the menu.

Chiko, the combination Chinese-Korean restaurant spearheaded by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and The Source by Wolfgang Puck alum Scott Drewno, joined the Barracks Row dining scene July 7.

While sampling the Chinese- and Korean-inspired fare created by Chiko co-founders Scott Drewno (alum of The Source by Wolfgang Puck), Drew Kim (co-founder of Matchbox Food Group), and Danny Lee (co-founder of Mandu) piecemeal is certainly an option, adventurous diners should splurge on a $50 tasting tour that features just about everything.

The debut restaurant from the recently formed Fried Rice Collective (the name the trio of hospitality vets gave this collaborative venture) opened July 7 in the former DC-3 space on Barracks Row. Kim told Eater that switching things over from the gourmet hot dog stand to the self-styled Asian spot required little more than a fresh coat of paint and some new signage.

One of the most exciting openings of the summer is—yes, really—fast-casual. Of course this isn’t just any restaurant serving food on metal trays. Chiko, which debuts tonight on Barracks Row, brings together a mix of Chinese and Korean flavors from three esteemed industry vets: Mandu chef Danny Lee, former The Source chef Scott Drewno, and Matchbox co-founder Drew Kim.

Chiko, the combination Chinese-Korean restaurant spearheaded by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and The Source by Wolfgang Puck alum Scott Drewno, is offering up the first taste of what the fledgling Fried Rice Collective team plans to bring to the D.C. dining scene on July 7.

Fledgling restaurant group The Fried Rice Collective — helmed by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and Scott Drewno, the award-winning, dim sum-making chef who left The Source at the end of April — plans to introduce itself to the D.C. dining scene via a collaborative project slotted for Barracks Row.

The inaugural restaurant, Chiko, is scheduled to move into the space formerly occupied by gourmet hot dog haven DC-3. A member of the Matchbox family of restaurants (Ted’s Bulletin is also in there), DC-3 closed up shop at 423 Eighth Street SE last June.