Chen Chow Brasserie

Chen Chow Brasserie (Credit: Annie O'Neill/Special to Metromix)

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If Hollywood built a restaurant designed to evoke a sexy, modern, monied Chinatown, it would probably look a lot like Chen Chow Brasserie, a downtown Birmingham see-and-be-seen spot. Yes, there's food, but what you'll remember most is the dramatic style and ambiance. Set on Old Woodward, where the short-lived Pampas Brazilian Grille was located, Chen Chow is equal parts bar and restaurant, each with its own look and personality. The multilevel dining room features many dramatic, Asian-inspired decorative elements, and when Chen Chow's tables are filled and the bar is jammed, the place is charged with energy. The menu offers 28 kinds of nigiri -- bite-size, fish-topped mounds of seasoned sushi rice. Prices are on par with those elsewhere: mostly $5-$6 for two pieces. Regular and deluxe sashimi platters are $25 and $35. The 31 sushi rolls, or maki, range from simple classics ($6-$8) to more creative combinations ($12-$14) such as the Kamakazi with eel, tuna and cucumber wrapped in rice and topped with avocado and eel sauce. --Sylvia Rector

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