Pardo's Chicken

Pardo's Chicken offers Peru's most delicious and famous dishes, most notably the Pollo a la Brasa.  This chain has several locations, and we stopped at the one in Plaza Mayor in downtown Lima, Peru for lunch.

I ordered a limonade - which is Peruvian's style of lemonade but made with limes.  It was very refreshing and the perfect balance of tartness and sweet.  Keith ordered a Cusqueña Premium beer, which is an American Adjunct Lager style beer brewed in Peru.  It was very light and tasted like Budweiser.

As for our meal - we knew we needed to order the chicken.  Keith has been to a few Peruvian chicken places in Virginia before, so was familiar with this style.  But here at Pardo's the chicken was much more simple, with less seasoning than he's had at the American establishments.

I ordered a Quarter Chicken, which came with fries and their "salad" of canned beets, green beans, and carrots.  I specifically asked for the breast and wing meat, and found it to be juicy and tender.  There was seasoning slathered under the skin that added great flavor.  Additional mayonnaise-based sauces were available ranging from plain to garlicky to spicy, that were meant to dip the meat into.  But I liked it better with my fries.

Keith ordered the Half Chicken, which came with fried slices of golden potatoes.  He had a breast, wing, thigh, and leg.  While everything was fresh, Keith preferred the chicken he's had at El Pollo Rico to the Pardo's version.

Later on in the week, Keith returned to the Pardo's in San Isidro to get another plate of Pollo a la Brasa and some anticuchos of beef heart.  He found them chewy, but flavorful.  He thinks the beef could have been seared a bit more, but thinks his poor Spanish lead him to receiving the lighter cooked meat. Nevertheless, Pardo's is a great spot to stop for lunch after a day of sightseeing.

Total Rating: 3.85
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5