Chao Chi: Destination Dining in Northern Fairfield County
Amy Kundrat
Chao Chi is a collaboration between Elaine Chao and Prasad Chirnomula, the man behind Thali restaurants. Together they have transformed a former Pan Asian restaurant, into something of a modern American destination for northern Fairfield County, an area better known for farms than fine dining.
The reinvention of this restaurant begins squarely with Prasad Chirnomula. If you know and love his Thali restaurants, the depth and breadth of Chao Chi’s inventive dishes, which are more like global compositions, begin to make sense. The restaurant also comes with a talented team – in the kitchen is Executive Chef Adam Roytman, a fearless young chef who has worked in the kitchens of Matt Storch (Match) and Bill Taibe (LeFarm). In the front of the house, manager and sommelier Steve Garret is a knowledgeable industry veteran whose 
staggering and constantly curated wine list matches the depth of the Chao Chi menu.
The restaurant inhabits an old mill building in the center of Sandy Hook, a skinny and tall brick building perched along side the Pootatuck River with a wrap around porch that takes advantage of the sounds and view of the river and a quaint town center. Inside the restaurant the decor has vestiges of the structure’s factory provenance, its recent Asian past and its modern American present and future. The lower level is divided in two, with a bar area at left and a dining area with a raw bar to the right. The upstairs dining area continues into a loft-like space with another bar and ample seating for more dining and private parties.
We began our meal at outside at dusk, with a few small plates that put any notion that the restaurant is anything but modern American to rest. We chose the marinated beet salad, a deconstructed salad composed with hefty chunks of red beets, frisee, ricotta salata, pistachios and a drizzle of white balsamic dressing. A prosciutto and fig bruschetta with ricotta, arugula and sweet balsamic was divine – a late summer/early fall comfort food. The standout was seared foie gras served atop toasted brioche with crushed walnuts and a jammy drizzle of blueberry syrup. Like Chirnomula’s Westport Thali, you could make a wonderful meal out of this menu’s small plates, and have fun pairing selections with the restaurant’s ample wine list and Garret’s recommendations.
However tempting it was to continue with small plates, we forged on and ordered entrees. The caramelized sea scallops sat atop a sweet corn, snap pea and peach hash; a local and delectable composition of late summer flavors and 
textures. The stand-out was the Alaskan Halibut with a chorizo crust, served with squash, roasted fingerling potatoes and finished with a romesco sauce. Halibut can be a rather ordinary fish, but give it some love in the form of a dapper suit of panko and chorizo, and it sings. The third entree was a Long Island Duck Breast served atop a creamy polenta, rainbow chard and a heaven-sent blackberry-foie gras emulsion. I found myself reaching back to my companions plate to scrape and taste the remnants of the emulsion, a sweet and savory concoction that paired elegantly with the flavors of the seared duck breast.
I don’t know what possessed us to order dessert after our breathless variety of dishes and flavors, but I’m glad we did. Chao Chi nailed a pineapple upside-down cake, a semolina-based cake paired with banana ice cream, caramelized bananas and a drizzle of coconut rum syrup. A decadent dessert triumph.
Chao Chi is the latest stop on the journey of Prasad Chirnomula, a restauranteur and chef of talent and vision. Known for challenging our notion of Indian food with his Thali restaurants, Chirnomula has now broken his own mold to create modern American destination dining in our own backyard.
Chao Chi 1 Glen Road, Newtown. 203.364.9393
Reader Comments (9)
sounds well worth the drive. let's go!
Seated right on the Pootatuck River, with overlooking balcony and outdoor bar, this restaurant is in an almost idyllic location. Hopefully, it will fare better than its predecessor the Red Brick Tavern. Obviously, this is an entirely different venture, however.
Although I have not had the opportunity to have dinner there yet, my friend and I met on the deck to enjoy a beer and a bite on the river before heading out to a tasting at another establishment in the area. It was early, so we were the only ones there, but once we let them know that we would be outside, the waitress came right out to take our drink orders. The selection of drafts was above average, including Dogfish 60 minute IPA. The raw bar looked very fresh and diverse, so we asked the waitress for a description of what they had in, and she was very well informed. Additionally, she was very honest when we asked what was "just in". They come served with a ginger sauce, which I wished they had provided on the side, as I'm a purist when it comes to oysters. To be fair, I did notice later that it does state this in the menu. None the less, the quality was terrific.
We had an excellent experience, and upon reviewing the menu, we both decided that we would need to bring our wives for a nice evening out, and soon.
closed
Here is the word on the street:
Prasad loves that space - but knows that in order for such a lovely and semi seasonal location to make it there, the concept must be enduring, and perhaps a little more mainstream. He has a few ideas in the works.
So, Prasad Might open something else in that building at some point?
I can't speak for Prasad, but I hear it's in the cards. Keep your fingers crossed.
crossing them now, maybe the new establishment will be decent
I'm not surprised an eatery serving foie gras has been shuttered.
CT Bites should be conscious and aware not to promote restaurants that serve controversial food provided at the sacrifice and torture of the animal on the menu.
Dear CLG:
We post reviews and news on restaurants that we consider to be great dining & food experiences in Connecticut and generally regardless of their cuisine or ingredients. They may span raw vegan cafes, burger joints and delis, to traditional Italian or French restaurants, the latter which often rely heavily on animal products. CTbites is first and foremost a blog about great food and dining in CT and we do our best to share as much of this as we possibly can so diners such as yourself can decide if a restaurant/cafe/deli is appropriate for you.