Café 88

Café 88
923 Preston Avenue
Charlottesville, VA

I have long complained about the dearth of good Chinese food in Charlottesville, but the opening of Café 88 requires me to revise my assessment of the town's offerings. True, Charlottesville doesn't have large Chinese restaurants like the ones I grew up with in California, but Café 88 - a small, spunky, innovative little restaurant - substantially raises the bar.

Café 88 offers - as its menu attests - Dim Sum, Snacks, and Chinese Bento Box.

I've tried a range of their dim sum offerings.

Crispy Chicken is a delicately fried chicken, spiced with basil. As with all of their other offerings, the food is handled with extreme care and attention.

I loved their Scallion Pancake, which had a perfect finish to it.

Spring Rolls are another strong suit - a wonderful contrast to the factory-made rolls I've encountered elsewhere in town.

Under Bento Specials, there are a variety of chicken and pork dishes. I've tried Wonderful Chicken and Amazing Chicken. In both cases, the chicken was prepared just right - with a crisp, thin crust on the surface and tender meat inside. Also - Bento specials are served with rotating side dishes, most memorably fried eggplant.

I'm consistently impressed with the degree of attention each dish receives. The chef holds herself to high standards.

Café 88 is, in short, must-eat Chinese - and an ideal lunch stop. It is located at 923 Preston Avenue, next door to Integral Yoga.