I think a rotisserie is like a really morbid ferris wheel for chickens.
It’s a strange piece of machinery.
We will take the chicken, kill it, impale it and then rotate it.
And I’ll be damned if I’m not hungry because spinning chicken carcasses
make my mouth water. I like dizzy chicken.
– Mitch Hedberg
Comedian Mitch Hedberg may have meant it in a funny vein, but it’s no joke that Americans are finding rotisserie chickens not only sexy and sumptuous, but convenient, flavorful and oh, so easy to prepare. The latter three were reasons most cited by consumers for liking rotisserie chicken. In 2015, the National Chicken Council survey estimated that 900 million rotisserie chickens are sold each year in the United States, a number that’s expected to exceed one billion by 2018. According to Lohud, a trade publication, nearly 700 million of those birds will be sold in supermarkets. At $5 a pop, that’s $3.5 billion in sales.
Since 1980, the per capita consumption of poultry–and not just rotisserie chicken–in America has increased significantly. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Chicken Council, Americans are eating more chicken than ever. The per capita consumption of chicken has risen from 48 pounds in 1980 to an estimated almost 91 pounds in 2017, an increase of more than 75-percent. This increase is attributed to consumers desiring to eat leaner proteins.
In the coastal nation of Peru, restaurants and roadside stands featuring pollo a la brasa (an entire chicken prepared on a rotisserie charcoal oven) are as ubiquitous and beloved as burgers are in America. In the world culinary stage, this is significant because Peru (yes, Peru!) has been widely recognized by the cognoscenti as a delicious dining destination and a culinary trend-setter. In fact, Frommers Travel Guide recently proclaimed Lima, Peru as the “top food and drink destination for 2012,” declaring that “Lima is now drawing a new flock of visitors who travel all the way to Peru just to eat.” Peruvian cuisine. In 2005, Bon Appetit declared Peruvian “the next hot cuisine,” extolling its “vibrant ceviches, crispy, spiced rotisserie chickens and packed-with-flavor empanadas” then encapsulating its declaration with “this is one cuisine we could eat every day.”
What’s surprising is not that the culture-rich cuisine of a small, multi-ethnic nation rarely on the world’s stage is receiving such acclaim, it’s that it’s taken so long. Peru’s culinary traditions, after all, began in pre-Columbian times. Peru was home not only to the oldest known civilization in the Americas (the Norte Chico civilization flourished as early as the 30th century BC) but later to the largest civilization in the Pre-Columbian Americas–the Incan empire. Immigration melded the culture and cuisine of the Spanish, Basque, African, Moorish, Sino-Cantonese, Japanese and in the 19th century, the Italian, French and British with Peru’s indigenous peoples, the descendants of the pre-Incas and Incas, to combine the flavors of four diverse and distinct continents.
With our typical “land of mañana” attitude, Albuquerque hasn’t been as quick to embrace Peruvian cuisine as have larger American metropolitan areas–not that we’ve had much opportunity. In the year Peruvian was declared “the next hot cuisine,” the Duke City’s first (and only) Peruvian restaurant both opened and closed. Albuquerque–you’ve got a second chance! In 2011, Rene and Monica Coronado launched Pollito Con Papas on the southeast intersection of Broadway and Avenida Cesar Chavez. In August, 2012, the Coronados moved their restaurant to Gibson Avenue, just east of San Pedro. The specialty of the house is Peruvian style chicken. It’s addictive!
The Coronados have the pedigree to make this delicious concept work. The vivacious Monica is originally from Peru. Her face practically glows with pride as she discusses the cuisine of her place of birth and the successes of her family in the restaurant business. One cousin owns the fabulous and famous El Pollo Rico Restaurants in the Arlington, Virginia area. El Pollo Rico is one of the highest rated rotisserie chicken restaurants on the entire East Coast where Peruvian style chicken has been all the rage for years. One of her brothers, Enrique Servan is the chef at Restaurante Serrano a highly regarded Peruvian-Spanish fusion restaurant in Berlin, Germany. Chef Servan is considered an ambassador to the world for Peruvian cuisine and has been pegged to showcase Peru at the 2017 Peru to the World Expo in New York City.
The Coronados are new to the restaurant business, but they did a lot of homework prior to launching their eatery. Before embarking on their restaurant venture, the couple visited Peru (where Rene admits to having gained 12 pounds on one visit). There Rene visited several rotisserie chicken restaurants, gleaning as much information as he could from the owners. Because local ordinances in Peru tend to be somewhat more liberal than those in America, Rene quickly recognized he would have to modify his method of preparing rotisserie chicken. He wouldn’t, for example, be able to bring onto the premises and use the 18 outdoor grills–ranging from smokers to barrel-style–he used for years to prepare chicken in his backyard.
One area in which the Coronados don’t have to compromise in the least is in the uniquely wonderful marinades and sauces used in the preparation and serving of the chicken. More impressively, they do not serve frozen poultry–apparently an anomaly because city inspectors were nonplussed over the fact they had never before seen a restaurant launch its operation without a freezer. Each chicken is simultaneously brined and marinated for at least ten hours in a bath of several ingredients (vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper are discernible, but that constitutes fewer than half the ingredients in the marinade). The chicken is served with a creamy light green Ahi sauce of medium-piquancy and maximum addictiveness. If the ahi sauce doesn’t have enough heat for you, the terrific staff at Pollito Con Papas can bring you sauce made with the incendiary rocoto chile. For true volcano-eaters, an even more combustible chile piquin is available, but only those of us with asbestos-lined tongues can handle it.
The entire Pollito Con Papas menu is comprised of whole chickens; boneless, skinless marinated chicken thighs; fresh, hand-cut wedge fries with ketchup; chicken- or vegetarian-style potatoes; and chicken engorged chimichangas all served with that wondrous green sauce. By design, the restaurant does not serve tortillas, pico de gallo, or other popular New Mexico extras. Rene’s objective is “to keep it super simple but incredibly delicious.” “We just give our customers a taste and explain how our chicken is prepared and how we are able to provide a delicious meal at a reasonable price due to the fact that we have minimal waste. Where else can you feed four people good quality food for less than ten dollars a person-our price includes tax.” Where else indeed?
Pollito Con Papas’ new home as of August, 2012 is in a much more heavily trafficked street and in a much more capacious building with generous parking than its predecessor. One thing that won’t change is the friendliness of the affable owners. When my friend Ryan Scott, the dynamic host of the galluptious Break the Chain YouTube program and I discuss what we love most about mom-and-pop restaurants, near the top of the list is the warmth and hospitality of mom and pop themselves. The Coronados didn’t need years of restaurant experience to understand this formula very well! It comes from the heart!
Consider the chimichangas your appetizer. Reminiscent of egg rolls on steroids, the chimichangas are sliced diagonally and are engorged with the restaurant’s wonderful marinated chicken. There’s no scrimping on the chicken which is so very finely chopped that the chimichangas become very dense and tightly packed. You’ll want to deluge the chimis (an Arizona diminutive) in the Ahi sauce or maybe one of the other sauces only New Mexican fire-eaters will appreciate.
The half-chicken–breast, wing and thigh–is an even better way to enjoy the marinade in which the chickens are prepared. The lengthy marinade process ensures deep penetration of flavors so it’s not just the skin which absorbs the ten ingredient melange of flavors. The brining and marinade process ensure every single bite is redolent with deliciousness while the process of slow-cooking makes a moist, delicious, non-greasy and very healthy chicken that doesn’t rely solely on salt for its flavor (as grocery store rotisserie chicken tends to do). The fact that each chicken is fresh and never frozen further seals in flavors and gives the chicken a texture you won’t find in poultry previously frozen (which tends to become desiccated after thawing). The accompanying papitas are fresh and hand-cut on the premises. They’re Texas thick and golden hued, better with the green sauce being a better condiment than the ketchup. Peru, by the way, is where potatoes were first domesticated. There are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes grown in Peru today so it stands to reason Pollito Con Papas fries are among the very best in Albuquerque.
8 May 2017: The boneless, skinless marinated thighs are a best bet for bone-phobic diners. Chicken thighs, not breasts as is the common misconception, are the most moist, tender and flavorful piece on a chicken. These thighs are oh so mouth-watering moist and the flavor profile is a nice balance of spiciness, savoriness, and peppery qualities with discernible hints of sweetness and tanginess, too. The discernment of flavors is an adventure in pure deliciousness. French fries aren’t the only papas with which those wondrous chicken breasts. The chicken stuffed potato is an amazing marvel of culinary creation–poultry perfection enveloped by seasoned mashed potatoes all nestled under a coarse cassava breading. Texturally, the exterior is somewhat reminiscent of tater tots while the fluffy interior is cloud-like and creamy at the same time. These stuffed potatoes are in a class of their own. Vegetarians appreciate the vegetarian stuffed potatoes, easily the best in Albuquerque.
8 May 2017: Make sure to follow the restaurant’s Facebook page to find out what the specials on Thursday and Saturday are. Consider yourself blessed if that special is Lomo Saltado an exemplar of the Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine. A century or more before Asian fusion cuisine became a culinary fad, Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru looking for work. They integrated their own culinary techniques and ingredients to Peru’s diverse culinary vernacular. The most visible aspect of the Chinese influence on the Peruvian table is Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian stir-fry. The bravado of this dish is that it dares offer two starches–rice and potatoes–in one dish, a juxtaposition Americans might find a bit strange. This hybrid stir-fry is made with thinly sliced beef, tomatoes, peppers and onions blended in a pan with soy sauce and get this, French fries (another Peruvian passion). It’s a very interesting dish made even better with the Peruvian condiments (ketchup need not apply).
16 September 2017: Rene congratulated me on being the first guest ever to try a new special, seco de pato with yuca and rice. If my inaugural experience is any indication, this is a very special special. Interestingly the term “seco” translates from Spanish to “dry,” but this decadent duck is anything but dry. Seco de pato is a duck stew prepared with cilantro, Peruvian yellow pepper and Peruvian spices served with a side of white rice and yuca. As with all confit duck dishes, the unctuous duck fat penetrates deeply into the rich, delicious duck meat (and by the way, there’s no such thing as white meat in duck). The spice blend elevates the duck flavor, imbuing it with even more finger-licking personality. Even after polishing off the duck, there’s plenty of sauce left with which to enjoy the white rice.
16 September 2017:Picarones may resemble donuts, beignets and even onion rings, but they’re uniquely wonderful and addictively delicious. Known as “Peruvian donuts,” these golden-hued rings are made from sweet potatoes and squash then drizzled with fig syrup. Consider it heresy if you will, but picarones are better than just about any American donuts you’ll find. Texturally, they’re a delight to eat with a crispy exterior which contrasts perfectly with the doughy interior. Then there’s the fig syrup–sweet, but not cloying. Because the picarones themselves are on the savory side, the syrup imparts match made in heaven qualities.
16 September 2017: My beverage of choice during my first four visits was Inca Kola, a yellowy, sweet, slightly fruity carbonated beverage which invites you to “immerse yourself into a micro vacation.” As with RC Cola, it’s a terrific departure from the usual Coke and Pepsi suspects. Perusing the menu, I saw that Pollito Con Papas also offers Peruvian chicha, a purplish-black beverage made with Peruvian purple corn and infused with pineapple, lime and apples as well as cloves and cinnamon. When the weather turns colder, chicha is served hot. It’s the perfect winter beverage, but it’s equally delicious any time of the year. As with the stuffed potatoes, chicha is a process- and time-intensive item to prepare, a labor of love so to speak.
In its October, 2014 issue, Women’s Day magazine named Albuquerque as home to one of the country’s up-and-coming food scenes. Taking input from Yelp, the magazine evaluated cities with a large proportion and variety of highly rated new restaurants, delis, grocery stores and other purveyors of comestibles. The article didn’t cite the usual suspects in the pantheon of outstanding New Mexican restaurants. Instead, Women’s Day touted a “handful of new Peruvian, Costa Rican and Cuban spots” which have “reenergized local palates.” Three Duke City restaurants were singled out: Pollito Con Papas, Guava Tree Cafe and Pasion Latin Fusion.
A Nogales native, Rene joined the Air Force several decades ago in hopes of being able to travel across the globe. The Air Force sent him to Kirtland Air Force Base, a few hundred miles away. He’s been in the Kirtland neighborhood ever since. Among his most faithful and most frequent guests are officers and airmen from Kirtland, some of the finest gentlemen you’ll ever meet…which reminds me it’s time for a very special public service announcement:
| The Team Kirtland Home Away from Home sponsors “Adopt an Airman,” a terrific program that matches first-term Airmen and enlisted students at Kirtland Air Force Base with volunteer civilian host families. For many of these outstanding young men and women, it can be their first time away from home and families can offer friendship, mentoring and engagement with larger groups. Host families provide home-cooked meals, recreational activities such as Lobo or Isotopes games, recreation such as hiking, fishing, or golf. Families and airmen are matched based on mutual interests. If your family is interested in adopting an airman, visit the Kirtland Home Away From Home site to learn more and apply. |
In November, 2018, Rene and Monica launched the second instantiation of Pollito Con Papas. In a Jeffersonian (George, not Thomas) move, their new restaurant was located in Nob Hill at the former site of the Korean BBQ House and Sushi Sake. Pollito Con Papas II was just a bit more capacious than their initial venture. The Coronados festooned the space with Peruvian trappings. It was a classy, attractive milieu where the music of the Andes played in the background. Diners who enjoy a cold one–beer, not Inca Cola–were thrilled to learn Pollito Con Papas II got its beer and wine license on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Those of us who enjoy our meals with our four legged children loved the capacious shaded patio with great views of Central Avenue. Sadly, Pollito Con Papas II closed in May, 2020.
28 April 2019: Ceviche is Peru’s national dish. In the capital city of Lima, it’s sold from mobile contrivances pushed along the dusty, pockmarked roads of the city’s shantytowns and at the finest of fine-dining establishments in the most affluent residential areas. It’s such a part of Peruvian culture that in 1991 when the country was in the throes of a cholera outbreak, cevicherias continued to flourish. If you’re wondering “what’s the big deal about ceviche,” you’re probably assuming Peruvian ceviche is just like Mexican ceviche. Not so, grasshopper. Peruvian ceviche is to Mexican ceviche as diamonds are to cubic zirconia…and I happen to like Mexican ceviche very much!
28 April 2019: Ceviche isn’t on Pollito Con Papa’s daily menu so if you find out it’s offered as a special, you’d better get there quickly. Savvy diners do! What makes Peruvian ceviche so transcendent is its concentrated deliciousness. Picture pieces of raw tilapia cut into squares a bit larger than croutons siting on a pool of leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), an intensely flavored citrus-based, spicy marinade also used to cure the fish. The heat-bearing component of the marinade comes from the incendiary rocoto pepper. If the leche de tigre isn’t piquant enough for you, Pollito con Papas provides an additional spoonful of the marinade for you to add to taste. If even that additional spoonful isn’t enough for you, try a slice of the rocoto (resembling a tomato in the photo above). At 30,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units (SHU) the rocoto can be anywhere from four to forty times hotter than the jalapeño. Save for volcano-eaters among us, most diners won’t add the additional heat elements and will enjoy the ceviche as is…and what it is, is the very best ceviche in New Mexico.
28 April 2019: The ceviche is served with Peruvian corn in two forms: choclo, the bigger IS better Peruvian corn whose kernels would kick sand in the face of American corn and a toasted version of the choclo similar to large corn nuts. Both are delicious accompaniment to the ceviche. Moreover, they’re great foils for the concentrated intensity of the ceviche. Also on the plate are two slices of a boiled sweet potato called camote. Tender and sweet, but not cloying, the sliced camote is so good you might lament not having an entire camote in front of you. As with the choclo, the camote lends a palate-relaxing quality to the plate.
28 April 2019: The Land of the Incas is also the land of the potato, producing more than three-thousand varieties with probably a million ways to prepare them. In fact, most meals are served with potatoes—sometimes hot, sometimes cold. One of the most famous Peruvian potato dishes is called “causa” which translates from Spanish to “cause,” though it’s also argued that the dish is actually named for the Quechuan word “kausaq” which means “gives life.” Americans will find a natural affinity for causa. Not only does it feature mashed potatoes (an American favorite), it looks a bit like a sandwich fashioned in the pinwheel or roll-up style. Causa features cold mashed potatoes seasoned with lime juice and Aji Amarillo with some kind of a salad (chicken or tuna are common) forming the spiral shaped filling. Pollito Con Papas version is made with a moist tuna salad. While tuna and cold mashed potatoes may not sound especially appetizing, the Aji “gravy” just enlivens every element, making a great composite out of three things you just wouldn’t think would go so well together.
30 March 2019: Though New Mexicans have taken a well deserved pride of ownership with the flan we prepare at home and enjoy at restaurants, this fine custard dessert actually has its genesis in ancient Roman times. Romans initially concocted a number of savory flan dishes including an intriguing eel flan you definitely won’t find at any restaurant in this area. Instead of a quivering mass of eel, we tend to enjoy sweet flan. One of the very best you’ll ever have is Monica’s coconut flan, a wondrous cool and creamy concoction with the classic combination of bitter, milky and sweet flavors. Picture a generous topping of toasted coconut atop a Goldilocks level “just right” firm mound of custard in a sweet lagoon of caramel. Picture holding your beloved’s hand. That’s how contented you’ll be with every morsel of this alchemy of eggs, sugar and milk made with love by the beautiful Monica.
There is nothing fancy about Pollito Con Papas. It has none of the over-the-top veneer, flash and panache of the well-financed corporate chains. What it does have is a wonderful product–likely the very best chicken you’ll have in New Mexico. This is four-star quality food prepared by very nice people and served in the most humble surroundings. Whether you order it for take-out or enjoy it at the tiny eatery, the operative word is enjoy and you WILL enjoy it immensely.
Pollito Con Papas
6105 Gibson, S.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
505-765-5486
Web Site | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 28 April 2019
1st VISIT: 26 November 2011
# OF VISITS: 9
RATING: 24
COST: $
BEST BET: Boneless Thighs, Half Chicken, French Fries, Chimichangas, Inca Kola, Lomo Saltado, Seco de Pato, Peruvian Chicha, Picarones, Pomegranate Cheesecake, Chicken Stuffed Potato, Coconut Flan, Causa, Peruvian Ceviche
Does anyone know if Monica and Rene Coronado are still owner operators here? It’s been a few years since this review and other comments. Also during that time we had the Cabrona virus. The current menu has some noticeable differences. Thanks!
Monica’s last Facebook post was on 28 January 2023. There is no mention in her Facebook page of ownership changes.
I go there quite a bit. I had not been in awhile, but recently “rediscovered” them. I don’t know why, just hadn’t been and started going again. So I can confirm that Monica and Rene are still owners (if they are not, they still work there at least! 🤣) They are as warm and accommodating as always.
If you’re considering going, go. If you aren’t, you should seriously consider it…
Eating here in July ’20 , I found the Chile “piquin” salsa is no longer available.
I enjoy their Cilantro Rice.
>Chicken thighs, not breasts as is the common misconception, are the most moist, tender and flavorful piece on a chicken.<
I couldn't agree with you more. The big curse of America, to me, is skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They’re banal and relatively flavorless. The rest of the world’s trying to get some fat to eat, and we’re trying to ban it from our diet.
Haven't made it to Pollito Con Papas yet, but will, as it's still on my Social Security lunch list.
Amen! Couldn’t agree with you more! Chicken breasts need so much, be it cheese or sauce, to make them edible, while chicken thighs need very little to make them delicious.
Rotisserie chicken is one of those seemingly simple foods that is difficult to execute well. Roasting a bird so that the fatty, flavor-laden skin becomes crispy but the breast meat remains juicy is one of a cook’s great challenges. Which is just one of the things that makes the swirling brown birds of rotisserie chicken specialists immensely appealing. This place has just been added on my *social security* lunch list.
2nd location open in Nob Hill
https://www.abqjournal.com/1277587/back-to-delicious-basics.html
Haven’t been in quite awhile! Need to go back soon, and no excuses because it’s just down the street from my work. Thanks for the reminder, Gil!
I will have to try this. I just moved to ABQ from Arlington. If the chicken is close to El Pollo Rico’s, I will be in heaven. To those in Arlington buy the orange Picante sauce at Crisp and Juicy, and use it with El pollo Rico’s chicken. There is nothing better on the planet.
They are moving to 6105 Gibson SE – opening on August 15! I thought they were closed for good but I called them and was so happy to find that they’re just moving!
So happy that Jen put up the move information. When I spoke to Monica and Rene about their move 2 weeks ago, they were both so excited after a hot summer in the old location. We will definitely be at the new place on Gibson as soon as it opens!
They have a Facebook page, too, so make sure and Like it. We want to keep this treasure in Albuquerque.
The chicken was outstanding, the green sauce was curiously yummy and addicting, the potatoes were cooked exactly the way I like them: dark, crispy, and just a little greasy – but GOOD greasy! I love the simplicity of this place and hope that it survives. The family that owns it were so warm and welcoming, I felt like I was at my tio & tias house eating a homecooked meal…can’t wait to go back I just might go today!
Ryan, I would love to connect with other foodies who read this blog. We should form a little dinner club.
I had lunch with Gil here today. We both had the chicken chimichanga. It was crispy, full of moist chicken, and delicious. The Peruvian “green sauce” was bright, creamy, and a great compliment to both the chicken and also the fries.
I am thinking that as faithful readers of this blog, we should all go en masse next week and support this fantastic little restaurant. Pick a day and time. I’m game!
Who’s in?
Went there on Saturday and had the thighs. One word…AWESOME!!! I’m looking forward to trying the whole chicken (rotisserie and grilled).
Rene and Monica were very inviting and friendly. As we were the only patrons there, parking was not an issue, but with only 4 regular spots, I can see how it might be. Talking to Rene, he mentioned that they are really trying to make a niche for themselves with the take-out special (2 whole chickens and fries for $20). He also mentioned they might be offering the thighs as a take home and grill yourself option. I would love this for summer cook-outs!!! I really hope they make a go of it, because warm welcoming people like Rene and Monica should be successful.
Bottom line – the chicken is awesome and owners like Rene and Monica are the epitome of how restaurant owners should treat their patrons!
I traveled to Peru for a month when I was 18 (9 years ago) and have been craving the food ever since. I was very happy when I found out a Peruvian restaurant had opened in Albuquerque. I was even happier to find out it had opened just up the street from my house! The Peruvian chicken is far better than I expected from my nostalgic memories of eating chicken late at night in Lima and Cuzco. I’ve been going back almost once a week for 2 months now. It really is an amazing place despite the limited menu.
Pollito Con Papas – Albuquerque, New Mexico
The caption under the first picture says, “Pollito con Papas on the southeast intersection of Broadway and Avenido Cesar Chavez”
Then further down you say, “In 2011, Rene and Monica Coronado launched Pollito Con Papas on the southeast intersection of Gibson and Avenida Cesar Chavez.”
The first one is correct, except that it’s Avenida. The second one mentions two parallel streets.
Thank you, Michelle. I have corrected my SNAFU. Despite my spatially challenged directions, I hope you stopped at Pollito con Papas for their excellent chicken.
Hi Gil, my name is Sara I work with your sister in Arlington, she gave me your link, I am originally from Peru, and actually lived 37 years in Virginia, firstable I am very glad that you included with your review a little bit of history about Peru, and you did excellent on the information, Peruvian food is very diversed, we have many dishes from sea food, and all diferent types of meats, also in 2005 I purchased the Bon Apetit magazine where talk about “next stop Lima Peru”, I have been to Pollo Rico since the first day they opened, is very simple, the menu is limited to chicken, papas o lluca and salad but is worth the wait and you do wait specially around lunch, I know the owner’s before they even had pollo rico, when I go back home my family and I stop there on the way to the airport to get our pollo a la brasa, I know that if Pollito con Papas makes the chicken the same way as Pollo Rico they will do well. Next time you come by Arlington let me know and I can make a peruvian dish for you. Great article I have forward it to my family and friends in Virginia. Thanks
I went there tonigh and the chicken is really good. The papitas are burn with no flavor. I will go again just for the chicken.
I can still taste the spices from the chicken. What an explosion in my mouth. My meal was just delicious and I will be coming back. The owners do the best job at making you feel like your family and the food was ready so quickly. This kind of chicken is very unique and different. You have a very good product and I know it will become very popular. Thank you very much!!!
Sensei took me to this awesome restaurant today and I left a very happy man. The couple who own it spent time talking to us and made me feel like I was home away from home; extremely very friendly people. Then I sample a selection of their ware starting with chicken chimichanga which was packed with their marinated chicken of which I dipped into their special green sauce that was excellent. We then shared 4 pieces of chicken marinated in some delicious spices that had a hint of garlic, cumin and other seasoning that could be found in the heart of Peru. We also sampled some chicken thighs that were basted in that marinade and oh so tender, unbelievable. Then out came the french fries, or should I say Peruvian Fries which were large longitudinal cuts from a whole potato made very crispy with seasoning; probably the best fries I have had in a long time. This is a must for those here in New Mexico. My only recommendation is to provide some Peruvian dessert (Sensei suggests alfadores) as I needed something sweet to follow. Oh, also tried some Peruvian software drink (Inka Cola), a mixture of creme soda and coke, sweet but good. Thank you Sensei for bringing me and making me a happy eater!
I am so excited to hear about this place. Exactly one year ago (seriously), my cousin and his wife took me to El Pollo Rico in Arlington you mentioned above and I’ve been craving this ever since!! (They had two sauces, a white and a green, that we mixed together.) I’m hoping to stop by this place soon. Thanks!!
This location is truly unfortunate. I drive by it at least 3 times a week, and cannot count the number of restaurants, tire shops and clothing stores it has been in 10 years. Here’s to hoping they can last there, because I remember that other Peruvian restaurant. It was dynamite.