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"This decades-old Peruvian rotisserie in Pico-Union turns out wood-fired chicken that can convert devotees of other perennially packed chicken joints; the star bird emerges with crispy, charred skin and juicy thighs, and reaches bliss when paired with piquant aji verde that’s good enough to eat on its own. In the simple, sparse dining room—laminate flooring, a few booths, and the smell of flames and chicken hanging in the air—dining in works, but the food travels just as well for takeout. Order the half chicken to split; it arrives with fluffy rice and beans plus an iceberg lettuce salad, and acts as a delivery vehicle for the bright green, jalapeño-spiked aji. Any rotisserie chicken order comes with a handful of small sauce containers—ask for extra; you’ll want them. The lomo saltado satisfies with thin, tender slices of beef tossed with onions and french fries alongside a scoop of rice, and like the chicken it’s best with generous dollops of aji on top. Sip an ice-cold Inka Cola or the sweet maracuya (passion fruit) juice, a Pollos El Brasero specialty." - Rebecca Roland