Faoud K.
Yelp
I have been coming here since they were in the back of a Middle Eastern store handing off chickens through a small window, back then you had to pre-order as everything was made to order. Fast forward a few years and a pandemic and the consistency and flavors are the same, that's why I keep coming back. I watched this business grow into a small location of their own and hopefully eventually they get to open up a full size restaurant and bar where they can shine even more and expand their menu to include other Peruvian dishes.
Service : There is no waiter here, you pull up to the counter, place your order and wait for it to be ready perhaps 20-30 minutes. I skip that process and call in my order about 40 minutes out. About the time it takes me to drive there. I drive so far because it is just that good. I don't like eating the food cold as it loses some elements when cold, like the fries aren't as crispy, the chicken gets cold, the salad remains the same. When I get there, I pay and usually my food is ready, so I sit down at one of the tables there and eat. They are always nice about giving me extra plates, utensils.
Food : I go there for the Whole Chicken, Fries, and Salad. $31.50 for everything to me is a fair price, if you consider the pricing at other restaurants, if you were to feed a family of 3 it would cost you alot more. I get it's not a nice sit down restaurant with full service, but at 10.50 per person for a decent meal I would say it is a good deal.
Chicken : Comes out of their Rotisserie dripping with the juices and flavor. Some have compared it to Costco chicken, but I disagree. Costco chicken is soaked in salt and other stuff, this one is soaked in Dark Beer and Huacatay ( Black Mint ) among other seasonings. Pair this with their Mayo/Jalapeno/Cilantro based sauce and it is a match made in Heaven
Fries : When I order ahead, they always make sure to cook the fries close to the pickup time as my fries have always been fresh and crispy, I also like to dip my fries in their sauce and I can't stop eating it.
Salad : The salad is a basic Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado salad w a few onions thrown in, perhaps a cucumber or two. I feel they can make improvements like add a bit more tomato and cucumber, shaved carrot. but the lettuce gives a nice freshness to the meal.
Green Sauce : This is why I keep coming back. I always get a $5 container to go with my orders because you can put it on anything and it will taste amazing.
Alfajores : A good size of two shortbread cookies w/ Dulce De Leche and powdered sugar on top. These are really good, wish they weren't so expensive. They should do a deal where you buy 3 for 10$ or something.
Drink : Inca Cola, my favorite drink to wash down the chicken and fries. It is like a golden champagne cola.
This still remains one of my go to spots on the weekend when I have time to take the 40 minute drive there. The food is what keeps me coming back, and the consistency. I know the people have been complaining about the prices lately, but they have to keep up with inflation, plus I did notice their Rotisserie must have cost alot of money. Where else in the Bay area can you feed 3-4 people for $31.50 ? I'll wait. Not many places exist. Alot of the other peruvian places are 15-17$ per plate and the food is like a high priced dining experience where they only give you a little bit of food. This is a mom and pop shop that started from the ground up.
It would be nice if they eventually expand their menu to include a few other Peruvian favorites : Lomo Saltado, Bisteck ala Pobre, Papa a La Huancaina, Arroz Chaufa. They may even want to upgrade their location as alot of local restaurants have been forced to close due to the pandemic, maybe they can move into one of those spots and provide a better experience, ambiance, but that would also drive the costs up so who knows. They do the Rotisserie chicken right and it is always so good.
Que Viva el Peru !!!