Imagine a Chinese restaurant without chicken and broccoli, dumplings, or a fish tank. Or, you could just head to Chao Ku, now open on 9th Street, and experience it for yourself.

The fast casual spot, which opened this week, does not resemble your typical Chinese restaurant. And with nothing on the menu over $15, the receipt doesn’t resemble many other meal checks you’ll get in D.C., either.

Arrive at Chao Ku, which means “super cool” in Mandarin slang, and you’ll see a first floor dedicated to pick-up service and an upstairs for dining in. Much like at a sushi spot, you mark which dishes you want on a paper menu. (If you’re picking up, there’s online system.) Dishes arrive at the table as soon as they’re ready, fulfilling both the “fast” and “casual.”

The menu is broken up into “small plates,” many of them served cold, and larger “dishes.” Head chef Paul Pelt says that the menu resulted from “a journey” dead set on discovering what separates Chinese and Chinese-American fare. He brings up the example of Kung Pao chicken. In China, “Kung Pao is just chiles, chickens, and peanuts, all in equal amounts. In the U.S., it’s this sweet dish with a corn syrup sauce.” Chao Ku endeavors to be a lot more like the former than the latter.

In a very American move, though, some of the small plates were … not exactly small. Not that I’m complaining. The pressed tofu, edamame, and black rice with vegetables could have been a meal on its own for $6. It had a funky, fresh taste, and, like most offerings at Chao Ku, was light on sauces.

The Broken Rice Noodle more closely resembled a small plate and reminded me of a Chinese take on pasta salad. With tahini rather than mayo holding the noodles together and a ginger-filled kick, it’s the kind of airy side that’d be perfect for a picnic.

An incredible standout was the lamb “Chinese burger.” (My notes read “Lamb burger … more like DAMN burger.”) A cumin seasoning and bun that resembles crispy pita bread give the burger a Middle Eastern taste, but Pelt says it’s more inspired by Northwest Chinese food, which uses a lot more wheat in its cuisine. Pelt says that the dish is his favorite, “but that’s just this week.” And it’s a gobsmacking $5.

The Dan Dan Noodle with vegetables, on the other hand, left something to be desired. Despite a delicious aroma hitting my nose as I served myself and a flavor that lingers in the mouth after swallowing, there was something missing during that key moment when I actually held them in my mouth. Only then did the relatively sauce-lite ethos of Chao Ku leave me cold.

While the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings did not remind me of China, necessarily, the breaded chicken was gargantuan and almost impossibly juicy.

This week, Chao Ku is only offering lunch service, though next week they will begin serving dinner as well ( the menu is the same all day). Also forthcoming: alcohol, as soon as the restaurant squares away its liquor license. For now, diners can order fountain drinks or a variety of bottled juices.

Chao Ku brings a new kind of Chinese food to the neighborhood. Is it authentic? I don’t know. But will I be back to try the rest of the dishes? You better believe it.

Chao Ku is located at 1414 9th Street NW.