What happens when you put two of DC’s most respected chefs in one kitchen? Danny Lee and Scott Drewno prove with CHĪKO that two heads (and sets of hands) can be better than one.
“We just enjoyed each other’s cooking, and we thought that we could eventually work together. And that’s how CHĪKO was born,” says Lee.
The name refers to Drewno’s specialty of Chinese food and Lee’s Korean heritage. Together, the chefs form The Fried Rice Collective, the foundation of which is the growing CHĪKO brand, which launched in DC in 2017. Though they occasionally prepare Korean-Chinese dishes such as jajangmyeon at their fun, casual restaurant chain, the chefs explain that it is Chinese and Korean, not a fusion.
In February, CHĪKO debuted in Sterling’s Cascades Marketplace, the first location with a full-service bar. Though the menu is mostly the same as the four other CHĪKOs (including one in Shirlington), dishes include the Sterling-exclusive steak-and-kimchi fried rice. “We really like how the kimchi caramelizes a little bit in the wok and has this really delicious flavor,” says Drewno.
But there’s nothing wrong with ordering the brand’s forward-thinking favorites. Orange-ish Chicken would never be accused of the excessive sweetness of its takeout cousin. Instead, it features crispy slices of chicken tangled with candied mandarin peel and chiles. The lightly spicy sauce is on the side, so as not to overcome the crunch.
Other can’t-miss items include double-fried wings in spicy-sweet soy glaze and bulgogi tots that combine the Korean beef and fried potatoes with lots of spicy kimchi.
Lee and Drewno are semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur — and their creativity isn’t limited to the restaurant menu. The duo says that some of their best work is on CHĪKO’s catering menu, which features roughly 14 different types of dumplings, including versions not found at the restaurant.
Eating all that? Well, that could take some collaboration, too.
46308 Cranston St., Sterling
Feature image by Rey Lopez
This story originally ran in our May Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
