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Chi's Bistro in need of an energy boost
Contributed by: Anthonette Klinkerman on 3/8/2007

Chi's Bistro
1066 S. Gaylord Street, Denver, CO 80209
303.733.3702

If the Chinese word "Chi" means energy, somebody needs to get the bistro of the same name a bucket of Powerbars, and quickly. Located in Washington Park in the former Las Margaritas spot, this Asian-Fusion-I'm-not-really-sure restaurant was our destination for our annual trek into the "$52.80" dining out week. (It was this, or a $52.80 cheeseburger, fries and rootbeer float deal at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Could that say any louder that they weren't happy about participating?)

Washington Park looked beautiful that chilly night; its trees still festooned with white and Halogen-purple lights. Finding a parking spot turned out to be the least of our worries, though it took a few laps and then a numbingly cold footrace to the door.

Once inside, we quickly discovered there was not a single spot to sit, stand, or breathe. You were either out in the cold or standing beneath a blast furnace. As we waited, I watched the hostesses alternate between frantic gesticulations and plastered-on smiles as more and more people tried to cram into the tiny entryway.

Our friends found us, smartly choosing to valet their cars. When our beeper finally went off, we were lead to the very back to the restaurant and seated by the fire door. The cool of the room was a welcome change from the heat of the "waiting area", but soon began to feel like we had been seated in the meat locker. My husband remedied the situation by spotting a small space heater and plugging it in to blow on our frozen feet. Ten minutes later, an employee came in to adjust the heat for the whole room. He apparently took notice of diners now eating in their parkas.

The waiter must have been having a particularly bad night. He alone was responsible for the entire Siberia Zone, and was often gone for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. My friend's request for sweetener for her tea went unfulfilled until, again, my husband got up and did something about it - got it himself. (He used to work in a restaurant so this didn't bother him.)

Our other friend had a taste of a particular wine, and decided to order it, but again was left with an empty glass for twenty minutes. When he did get his wine, a Beaujolais, it was ice-cold. The manager then came over and tried to explain the flavors he was supposed to taste if the wine were at the proper temperature. I love being treated like I just fell off a turnip truck, don't you?

Orders were taken haphazardly, and we waited endlessly for extra plates, water to be refilled, and our entrée orders to be placed. When our food did arrive, it was served on over-sized trendy square plates. This only led to the food cooling off that much faster, and silverware constantly sliding into the sauces. My pork chops were lukewarm, and I'm pretty certain underdone in the center. I had to search for the sautéed spinach beneath them. The sweet pear chunks combined with the spinach and a bite of pork worked nicely once we figured out the process involved in eating the dish. The accompanying sweet potato brulee was almost dessert-like in flavor and made up for the flaws elsewhere on the platter.

My husband's basic steak and potatoes dish with green beans was the winner of the evening, though I'm still puzzling over what was Asian about it. The meat was tender, lightly salted, and the mashed spuds that came with it were enjoyable. I have yet to come across an eating establishment that can mess up mashed potatoes, fortunately.

Dessert choices included Chai Tea Chocolate Mousse, Ginger Vanilla Ice Cream, and a Ginger Vanilla Cheesecake. Our table opted for the mousse and cheesecake, which turned out to be the second stars of the evening. Regrettably, they came out on top of the plate my friend was trying to finish. Oh, and this after the waiter tried to take the dish away earlier while my friend was still chewing.

The real capper of the evening, though, was when the valet came in to our table with my friends' keys and announced he was trying to make "last call". Where do you go from there, really, when the valet comes into the restaurant to give you your keys so he can go get a drink?

Management was nowhere to be found as we were headed to the door. The hostess asked how everything was, and my friend inquired if she wanted the "real" or "pretend" answer. The real one was we didn't have the time to explain as we had already been sitting there for over three hours.

Thankfully, the conversation was lively -at that point all we could do was laugh as time ticked by while waiting for the bill, or for our payment to be picked up. Chi's Bistro admittedly overbooked that night, and offered $20 vouchers for every couple in the place.

I don't think I'll be using mine unless, as chi's definition reads, "the natural energy of the universe" achieves better harmony at Chi's Bistro.

Grade: D



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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Anthonette Klinkerman

Castle Pines North

Anthonette Klinkerman has posted 71 stories and 43 comments since joining on 4/14/2006. Anthonette Klinkerman 's average story rating is 4.94.
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