Andes Chicken

04/08/07

You *want* the chicken

by at17thirty at Citysearch

Really. You want Andes Peruvian style chicken. After trying it, you will probably even *need* it. I've taken a few whole birds home, and recently eaten their tallarin verde (a chicken leg quarter on a bed of pesto pasta) and, even though the pasta could have been closer to al dente, I will be ordering that again. Still, it was all about the chicken, and how its flavor interacted with the pesto. I have no idea how they get such amazing, smoky flavor all the way down to the bone... but they do. It's like a soft, subtle scotch, with fragrance and complexity. Their whole birds cost more than the ones you can get at Zankou or Al Wazir (both very good), but Andes chickens taste more like love found a way into the flesh, like you're paying for the work that it took to make them taste as good as they do.

Drop in on this very friendly, apparently family-run joint. Enjoy the calm that is the patio off of Hollywood Blvd., which is bounded by other restaruants and a Thai massage place. Order the chicken. If you want fries, though, get them from Skooby's and bring them over. Try the green hot sauce, of course, but first try the chicken without. Also, check out the Peruvian condiments and spices for sale on the shelves next to the counter. Pick up a menu. They deliver.