Lucky 8's China House A Chinese joint rolls... the dice on Cap Hill

When faced with something foreign, it often helps to have an interpreter, unless that interpreter grew up in the fictional African country of Matobo, and has secrets not even Sean Penn can decipher... until later in the movie, when he figures them out and still totally doesn't bang her. Interpreting Chinese food for American folk without the help of Nicole Kidman, Lucky 8's China House.

Opened last week by a pair of takeout-and-each-other lovers, L8CH's serving a selection of cheerfully Americanized Chinese eats, in a recessed 30-seat space lit by an artful cluster of paper lanterns, and boasting a projection screen constantly showing '70s-era Kung Fu flicks. The menu starts with apps ranging from chili-glazed Szechuan Spareribs w/ pickled vegetables, to pork belly steamed buns, to chicken spring rolls that're tea-smoked (potentially explaining why Mr. thinks his mohawk still looks good). Heftier eats mean General Lucky Tsao's Chicken w/ garlic, chili & hsing wine; egg noodles w/ beef, garlic & sweet chili sauce; and the broth/stir-fry-based Buddha's Delight, which seems like it was mostly just sitting on his ass all day.

L8CH is also turning out specialty 'tails from behind its six-seat bar, including the rye/Aperol/ginger cookie Hong Kong Snap, and the Tiki-style Villepique w/ three different rums, which is six less than Nicole told Sean she'd have to drink for him to have any sort of chance in hell.