China Poblano’s Yu Xiang eggplant is a flavor bomb of fresno and shishito peppers, ginger, shallots, Chinkiang vinegar, and garlic chile oil. | China Poblano/Facebook Chef José Andrés’ Las Vegas stalwart China Poblano pops up in D.C. through Sunday, October 6 Penn Quarter slightly resembles the Las Vegas strip for the next 10 days, courtesy of superstar chef José Andrés. China Poblano, one of the Cosmopolitan’s busiest restaurants since opening in 2010, pops up at its even-older D.C. sibling Oyamel now through October 6 (401 7th Street NW). China Poblano specializes in both Chinese and Mexican cuisine, with a dual menu full of noodles, dim sum, wok-roasted vegetables, and fried rice served alongside tacos, guacamole, and coconut ceviches. Oyamel Oyamel chef Claudio Foschi (center) invited China Poblano’s Laura Vargas and Carlos Cruz to come cook in D.C. China Poblano’s Vegas chefs just came to town to show off casino hits like steamed Chinese eggplant flanked with fresno and shishito peppers, ginger, shallots, black vinegar, and garlic chile oil ($14). The temporary menu also features fried Gan Pung Ji wings ($16) tossed in a homemade chile sauce, served with cucumbers and fresno chiles. Oyamel’s new head chef Claudio Foschi had the idea to host China Poblano’s cross-country chefs in his own kitchen. “The idea was you guys come spend a weekend with us and we cook together,” says Foschi. “You show us your dishes and we show you ours.” He decided to take the plan a step further and keep the dishes in D.C. a little longer as part of an extended pop-up menu. Just three days in, Foschi is now considering putting China Poblano’s quesabirria on the menu for good at his bustling, Bib Gourmand-designated D.C. restaurant. “I think it’s winning people’s hearts already,” says Foschi. The crowd-pleasing import ($24) features an heirloom blue corn tortilla stuffed with braised lamb and beef in a guajillo chile mixture, melted Monterey Jack and Oaxacan cheeses, onions, and cilantro, all served in its own consomé. Foschi, who took over the kitchen at Andrés’ 17-year-old Oaxacan staple earlier this year, has quite the backstory; born in Barranquilla, Columbia, he went on to play drums in a rock band before pivoting to a culinary career. Regional Mexican dishes under his watch include huevos enfrijoladas, crispy chilaquiles, and gorditas. Rey Lopez/Eater DC Oyamel’s dining room is covered in colorful butterflies. Pairing the flavors of Mexico and China makes perfect sense to Foschi, as the two cuisines have a lot in common; they’re meant to be shared and make ample use of ingredients that have been around for centuries. “The story of China Poblano was that José wanted to pay homage to when the Spanish came to Mexico they brought with them the spices from Asia, from China,” says Foschi. “And then they also took Chile from Mexico and New America and brought them to China.” Foschi plans to pay back the favor and take his Oyamel chefs to out to Sin City to bring its best sellers to China Poblano, leaving the door open for more Andrés restaurant collabs down the line. —Tierney Plumb contributed to this report