An interesting mixture of Peruvian and Asian cuisine – a pop-up to visit: Restaurant Chifa Izakaya (22. April 2026)
The Chifa Izakaya is located in the same location as the Püente was located, but I feel like it has experienced an upgrade. Two chefs had decided to pair up and create the best of both cuisines – Peruvian and Asian. We decided to try a few different dishes and started with the “salmon tiradito (sashimi, tiger milk, aji amarillo, herbs, sweet potato)” (CHF 29.00), which was absolutely enjoyable. The “pulpo Gangnam style (baby octopus, chipotle, gochujang honey, potatoes)” (CHF 25.00) was definitely something for itself. I mean, the pulpo was actually tasty, but mentally it needed a second to be able to eat ‘baby octopus’ – once they were in your mouth, they turned out to be absolutely delicious. The “arroz blanco (crispy shallots, smoked onion aioli)” (CHF 6.50) was really just white rice with a little bit of shallots and aioli. Frankly, the intensity here could have been much more.
That’s what I meant, when I said that it took you a little persuasion in your head to eat that pulpo :)
Next in line were the “duck tacos (beef ragu, five spice, sesame, onsen egg, brioche)” (CHF 26.00) which were not actually “duck” but beef. I mean, sure, they are served as a duck, but the meat is beef, which is really something you wouldn’t expect. They were good, but I find CHF 26.00 for two tacos too much – in any world!
The “pork belly sando (crispy skin, pickles, dashi mayo)” (CHF 24.50) was overall good, but also here I found the price for the amount of food, too high.
The “chicken kaarage with pineapple sauce” (CHF 28.50) on the other hand was a generous portion – and it went surprisingly well with that pineapple sauce. So, this one is definitely one I would recommend you to order if they have it on the menu again (it was the special of the day).
Very unfortunately, the last dish was a major disappointment. The “chicken szechuan (chicken a la brasa, wild mushrooms, aji amarillo, szechuan demiglace)” (CHF 26.00) looked promising, but it was burnt. Wherever you would take a bit, the flavor profile was “burnt”. So, after having taken something like three bites, we gave it back. A pity really, but I would highly recommend to make sure that it’s not that burned.
Other than that, the place is relatively small and the tables are close to each other, which gives you only limited privacy, but it’s still fine from an atmosphere perspective.
All in all, besides the last course, the experience at the Chifa Izakaya was a pleasant one as they have a few interesting combinations in terms of food. However, some of the dishes are definitely too expensive for the amount of food you get (and it’s not like the actual cost for the ingredients are superbly high for some of these, e.g., the pork belly). So, while it’s up and running, I can recommend you to give the Chifa Izakaya a try.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Chifa Izakaya
Baumgasse 10
8005 Zürich (CH)
Tel.: +41 77 444 73 13
E-Mail: info@chifa-izakaya.ch
Homepage: https://chifa-izakaya.ch
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
