CHICA has been a local favorite for Latin flavors since its opening. Located inside Restaurant Row at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the stunning restaurant reopened last month following an upgrade to the space and some fun new menu changes. We chatted with Chef Lorena Garcia about the new menu and what diners can expect from the newly upgraded CHICA.

Chef Lorena Garcia (Courtesy CHICA Las Vegas)

What Diners Can Expect at the Newly Remodeled CHICA Las Vegas

What is your favorite new item on the menu? 
Garcia: I’m really excited about the new dishes we’ve added to the menu. They are all so exciting and delicious… so it really depends on what you are in the mood for. For example, The Ribs al Pastor is one of my favorite additions. The ribs are marinated in an al Pastor sauce then cooked low and slow, so they fall off the bone. They are then topped with our pineapple gastric, roasted pineapple, house taro chips, pickled Fresnos, and cilantro and presented in a smoke-filled dome served tableside.

What items did you keep from the previous menu?
Garcia: We have kept the dishes that have come to define our cuisine at CHICA. Some of my favorites have remained, like Lorena’s Arepa Basket, Grilled Octopus, Peruvian Ceviche, the Parrillada, and the Roasted Meyer Lemon Chicken, to name a few.

What inspired the changes at the newly designed CHICA?
Garcia: There are design elements that are consistent throughout all of our beautiful restaurants, and it is important to us that as soon as you walk into CHICA, you will recognize it no matter what city you are in. At the same time, you’ll definitely feel our home city influence in the overall ambiance and design of the restaurant.

Al Pastor at CHICA Las Vegas (©Shawn O’Connor)