Gran Chifa Chung Yion

Touted one of the best chifa (Chinese) restaurants in Lima, think big at Chung Yion, which is also known by the moniker Unión. It's best to arrive hungry, the better to take in the vast, steaming vats of wonton in multi-meat broth and mountains of chaufa rice. If you can gather a group, upgrade to a cozy booth outfitted with mustard yellow-curtains for the ultimate private dining experience.

Don't let the unremarkable facade fool you: the food at this historic chifa can hold its own with the best in Lima's Barrio Chino. Soups are a standout, as are delicacies such as chancho asado (roast pork) and pato al ajo (garlic duck). Locals typically refer to this joint as "Chifa Unión," after the street on which it's located.

Those after an authentic chifa experience should make their way to Chifa Chung Yion, the best Peruvian-Chinese fusion outfit in Barranco. Hordes of hungry customers pour in each night to sample delectable dishes such as wonton soup and fried rice, all served in mammoth portions from a team of personable waiters.

Head to old school Gran Chifa Chung Yion in Barranco or Gastón Acurio-helmed Madam Tusan in Miraflores (there are two locations: here and here) to try traditional chifa cuisine: a unique marriage of Chinese and Peruvian flavors rooted in the 19th century arrival of East Asian immigrants to Peru. Arrive hungry, as portions are typically served family style and come notoriously heaping.

Peruvians love Asian food and you’ll see Chinese restaurants (called chifas) all over Lima (not to mention the country’s signature mash-up of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine called Nikkei–more on that below). Chifa Chung Yion in the Barranco neighborhood offers an enormous array of delicious dishes in big portions at small prices. Expect a packed house and a line out front on weekends.

If I had Union in my barrio, I’d probably make it my go-to Sunday brunch pit stop. I’m not sure if this is the best Chifa in Lima, but it’s pretty damn good. The place is everything I want in a gritty Chinese restaurant: odd decor, packed with screaming families and impatient waiters, and serving an extensive menu with massive portions that come fast out of the kitchen.

Además de sus hermosas y pintorescas calles y museos, Barranco también alberga verdaderos clásicos de nuestra gastronomía como el tradicional restaurante Mi Perú, huarique que lleva más de cuatro décadas ofreciendo lo mejor de nuestra cocina marina. Otro imprescindible es el chifa Chung Yion, mejor conocido como Unión, famoso por sus platos de sazón oriental.

More commonly known as “Chifa Union,” Chifa Chung Yion is one of Lima’s best restaurants for the Peruvian-Chinese fusion known as chifa. Located in the heart of Barranco, Union is a more casual experience than, say, Restaurante Royale in San isidro. So if you’re looking for a less expensive option that doesn’t compromise on flavor, Chifa Union is your place.

This is probably the oldest continuing operating “chifa” – a Peruvian-Chinese restaurant – in the country: it turned a hundred years old in March, 2023. The story, in a nutshell, starts with a Chinese butcher, surnamed Tong, who became a cook. He fled from his native Guangdong province and immigrated to Peru during the first decades of the 20th century.

Chifa Chung Yion is a gem in Barranco, blending Chinese and Peruvian foods like no other. The flavors here are bold, thanks to their traditional cooking methods and high-quality local ingredients. Their vegetable lo mein stands out with its generous serving size and mouthwatering fried noodles.

Sprinkled throughout Lima are Chinese restaurants known as Chifa. They range from holes in the walls to elaborate dining halls with Chifa playing an intricate part in Lima’s food culture. In Barranco, Gran Chifa Chun Yion is one of the prominent Chinese restaurants in the area.

It will be teeming with locals at large round tables sharing massive plates of Chinese-Peruvian food such as pollo chijaukay or tallarin saltado and drinking the fusion food’s signature side beverage: Inca Kola, a made-in-Peru yellow soft drink with a cream-soda-esque flavour.

For a budget-friendly version of local fusion, head to Chifa Chung Yion in Barranco, a Chinese-Peruvian favourite. You can expect queues of locals outside the door ten minutes before it opens for dinner service which is a great endorsement of its food.

And if you want to explore one of the most traditional chifa restaurants, one that has been open for several decades, head over to Chung Yion in Jirón Unión, Barranco.

Chung Yion: This no-frills take on Chifa dishes is a master class in fusion food, which has made it a cult hit for locals for years.