With no signs indicating its name except the shimmery sequins above the doorway, Chino Latino, located in the heart of Uptown, serves a wide, and strange, variety of food.

Chino Latino is known for its “street food from the Hot Zones,” or in other words, foods found along the equator. The menu covers foods originating from the Caribbean, Polynesia, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. Uniting the assorted dishes on the menu are the powerful flavors, freshness, ingredients, and cooking styles used along the equator.

With dishes ranging from chips and salsa, to shrimp lollipops, to guinea pig, Chino’s delicious meals can be both common and unusual . Most of the items on the menu possess an element of spice, but if a “good” waiter is assigned to your table, he may tone down the spice with glasses of milk for the table.

Chino Latino consists of two levels for dining. The first level is regular seating, with tables for two or tables for ten. The downstairs consists of large booth seating for groups of about ten, and a long table for even larger groups. Those dining in the lower level have the privilege of sitting in view of the kitchen where the chefs constantly cook and serve up orders.

Dishes are fairly expensive, ranging from $4 side dishes of rice to about $25 for dishes to share between four to six people. Despite the cost and unusual names of the dishes, such as si tenemos cuy disonible, the food will experiment with your taste buds, and will most likely have you holding the water glass every time you take a bite of food.

Chino is open until two in the morning on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Whether you’re going just for fun, or for homecoming dinner, there’s a dish for every occasion and every sized party.