1/2 Not too long ago I was craving South American pollo a la brasa of any type. I ended up at one of the numerous Marios because it was on the later side and they were open. But slightly preferring Peruvian over Colombian, my original intention was nearby La Casa del Pollo. Now, I’ve had a chance to try both.
Awkward looking yet delicious half chicken
What I didn’t know was that this bustling restaurant was nearly half-Chinese. Sure, rotisserie chicken meals with rice and beans sit at the top of the oversized paper menu, but if you look at the combo options pork fried rice appears. Then, as you skim downward, chop suey, lo mein and sweet and sour pork appear too.
At least I was able to finally try lomo saltado, a true fusion dish of stir-fried beef, onions and tomatoes that I’m pretty sure contains soy sauce. It’s the neither Peruvian nor Chinese addition of french fries that’s kind of strange and compelling (I’m fascinated by non-American recipes, or heck American ones too, that call for fries. Maltese Bacon has a Vietnamese rendition that actually sounds edible).
Cheap and simple, Casa del Pollo is totally the kind of thing lacking in my immediate neighborhood. As much as people think Smith St. is the shit (culinarily speaking), that’s not really true and doesn’t help those in the hinterlands. I would gladly take roast chicken and soy sauced french fries over bad Chinese and mediocre pizza.
Read my nymag.com review.
La Casa del Pollo * Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, NY
There's a great rotisserie chicken place on 3rd ave and 12th st in Gowanus. It's more of a take-out/delivery operation, though they do have tables. I haven't gotten the 1/2 chicken with rice and beans there in awhile, but it used to be inexpensive and crazy yummy, sometimes sold out by 5pm. I think it's called the flower of paradise or something... but in Spanish...
The "Nearby Subway" feature on you NY Mag article says F at 15th st and I got all excited for a second that it was in the hood, but no... once again, thinking it might be time to move to Queens.
Posted by: ckc | December 03, 2007 at 07:54 PM
ckc: I wander through Gowanus every now and then--I'll look for chicken next time. I think there's also an old hold out on Smith St. called El Nuevo Portal that does cheap chicken, but I rarely go above Union St.
Posted by: Krista | December 05, 2007 at 06:23 AM