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| - I gave Chima (pronounced "Shi-ma" for those of you, like me, who didn't know...) 4 stars for its solid and flavorful food, its very attentive waitstaff, and its relatively wide array of food selection.
Ever since I moved to Charlotte a few months ago, I was really excited to hear that there is a Brazilian Steakhouse in close proximity to where I live because: 1. I am obsessed with the general premise of buffets or AYCE; 2. I am a carnivore to the core; and 3. Having fresh meats cut before your eyes according to your heat preference is a superb idea. Coming from Fogo de Chao around the block from where I lived in LA, I had solid expectations for a Brazilian steakhouse and Chima did not disappoint.
Nice ambiance. Chima is located in the heart of Uptown and for those of you who are lazy or wear crazy high heels like I do, it's nice to know that complimentary valet parking is at your fingertips. The restaurant has a very cool semi-modern, semi-contemporary vibe, is dimly lit.
Good service but definitely room for improvement. We came on a Thursday night; therefore, there wasn't a wait even though we were early for our reservation (thanks Open Table). We were seated within 5 minutes of arriving. The waitstaff works as a team, the implication being that multiple people waiting on you means that the ball rarely will get dropped as far as being attentive to your dining needs.
However, we had to ask our waitress for A1 sauce (Yes, they have A1 sauce!!!) three times before she finally remembered to bring it. Another waiter introduced himself to us and even asked us if we wanted any more food. We asked for a sirloin, which they never got around to bringing (you can either order specific meats from your server or from the guys bringing out the different meat options). I ordered a very specific drink and although the server got it right the first time, she did not get it right on the refill and didn't bother to offer to bring another one even after I mentioned that it was wrong.
TIP: careful not to load up on the salad and fried foods that they deliver to your table because you will be too full to enjoy the meats.
Great salad bar selection and quality.
+ The big thing I noticed missing was a good selection of seafood. Usually, there are a few shellfish options available; however, Chima only had a seafood salad with calamari and shrimp available. They were both subpar in their quality and freshness.
+ Salads.
DELICIOUS:
_ Caesar salad (phenomenal dressing that is thick, creamy, cheesy, lemony and a very, faint, subtle hint of anchovy -- just the way in-house Caesar dressings are supposed to be made) with crisp Romaine lettuce leaves;
GOOD:
_ the California salad was pretty good although the leaves were wilted from sitting in the salad for a bit too long;
_ the potato chicken salad was pretty good; a step up from grocery store-made potato salad.
SKIP:
_ the Waldorf salad was a little too sour for my taste (even though I love the tartness of green apples) where they could have added more raisins to counterbalance the sour;
_ the endive salad was bland and forgettable.
+ Fruit. The fruit was extremely fresh, especially the very sweet cantaloupe.
Appetizers. They deliver fresh bread and other fried vegetables to you as well. None of these struck me as very remarkable. However, the creamy mashed potatoes are TO DIE for!!! They are almost puréed and delicately salted with a great balance of milk that melted in my mouth.
The meats are generally good and very well seasoned.
+ baby and Picanha top sirloin. The sirloin was very well seasoned (especially if you prefer medium like I do because then you get more of the marinated outside), tender and very juicy.
+ ribeye. The ribeye was juicy, tender and also very well marinated and seasoned.
+ ribs. The ribs were tender, not quite fall-off-the-bone, but solid delivery. The bbq sauce was sweet and tangy.
+ lamb. The lamb was absolutely delicious; not too games, very well marinated in rosemary and probably my favorite meat.
+ lamb chops. Knowing that there is a cherry sweet sauce out there, I wish that there was a sauce for the lamb chops but the flavor by itself with a salty and rosemary undertone was pretty good.
+ garlic Parmesan pork. Very dry, so much so that I skipped the bacon wrapped chicken.
The desserts were very delicious and light. We had the papaya cream and key lime pie. Both were whipped with a very subtle sweetness that weren't too rich.
Overall, if you are looking for solid Brazilian steakhouse with a decent salad bar, flavorful and quality meats, where the price is commensurate to your dining experience, I recommend Chima.
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