Chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno have been immersed in Asian cooking for years, and both are responsible for some of D.C.’s best Chinese- and Korean-inspired dishes. Now, along with Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, they’re working together to re-imagining what casual Asian food can be.

The culinary adventure is going down at Chiko (423 8th St. SE) in Barracks Row. DCist was recently invited in to try our way through the menu.

Chiko, the combination Chinese-Korean restaurant spearheaded by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and The Source by Wolfgang Puck alum Scott Drewno, joined the Barracks Row dining scene July 7.

While sampling the Chinese- and Korean-inspired fare created by Chiko co-founders Scott Drewno (alum of The Source by Wolfgang Puck), Drew Kim (co-founder of Matchbox Food Group), and Danny Lee (co-founder of Mandu) piecemeal is certainly an option, adventurous diners should splurge on a $50 tasting tour that features just about everything.

The debut restaurant from the recently formed Fried Rice Collective (the name the trio of hospitality vets gave this collaborative venture) opened July 7 in the former DC-3 space on Barracks Row. Kim told Eater that switching things over from the gourmet hot dog stand to the self-styled Asian spot required little more than a fresh coat of paint and some new signage.

One of the most exciting openings of the summer is—yes, really—fast-casual. Of course this isn’t just any restaurant serving food on metal trays. Chiko, which debuts tonight on Barracks Row, brings together a mix of Chinese and Korean flavors from three esteemed industry vets: Mandu chef Danny Lee, former The Source chef Scott Drewno, and Matchbox co-founder Drew Kim.

Chiko, the combination Chinese-Korean restaurant spearheaded by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and The Source by Wolfgang Puck alum Scott Drewno, is offering up the first taste of what the fledgling Fried Rice Collective team plans to bring to the D.C. dining scene on July 7.

Fledgling restaurant group The Fried Rice Collective — helmed by Mandu co-founder Danny Lee, Matchbox Food Group co-founder Drew Kim, and Scott Drewno, the award-winning, dim sum-making chef who left The Source at the end of April — plans to introduce itself to the D.C. dining scene via a collaborative project slotted for Barracks Row.

The inaugural restaurant, Chiko, is scheduled to move into the space formerly occupied by gourmet hot dog haven DC-3. A member of the Matchbox family of restaurants (Ted’s Bulletin is also in there), DC-3 closed up shop at 423 Eighth Street SE last June.