Kiko's Peruvian Kitchen — Restaurant in Collingswood

[UPDATE ADDED BELOW!]

My son and I drove 15 minutes to try out Kiko’s Peruvian Kitchen, a place I had been wanting to try for a long time now (but live too far away for delivery). From the moment we stepped foot inside, Allison (hostess/waitress) treated us so kindly/thoughtfully, and she went above and beyond to ensure we were happy and comfortable. We truly appreciated her so much! Our other waiter was also very attentive and nice! The food itself was out-of-this-world. We each got the “Arroz con 1/2 pollo a la brasa” and it was seriously the best Peruvian rotisserie chicken I’ve ever had. It was thoroughly seasoned, with each bite of skin and meat bursting with pure Peruvian flavor. The chicken meat was soft, tender, juicy, and mouth-watering, cooked to perfection. The cilantro rice was hot, tasty, and complemented the chicken so well. We got the salsa criolla on the side and let me tell you: This seasoned/prepared garnish of onions was unreal – unique flavor that paired so, so well with everything else. Not even done yet: The chimichurri sauce and the house-made hot sauce were also fantastic (all sauces are complimentary when dining in). Add to all this the yuca fries, picarones (sweet potato/squash doughnuts), and crema volteada (Spanish flan), I can honestly say that this was one of the best, most delicious, and most satisfying meals I have been blessed to enjoy. But once again, the best part about all this was the 5-star service and wonderful staff. As we were walking to the restaurant from the parking lot in the back, I told my son, “I wonder if this’ll be worth the drive.” On our way back to the car, we both looked at each other and said, “YES, it was DEFINITELY worth the drive!!!” We can’t wait to come back with the rest of our family and believe me – it will be soon! Thank you again, Allison and staff, and shoutout to the amazing cooks/chefs!!!

9/13/2024 UPDATE: We came back for my birthday - this time with the whole family. So many people have been raving about their ceviche, and guess what - they were not wrong! We got the Clasico Ceviche Mixto and it was the BEST ceviche I've ever had. Fish (corvina), octopus, shrimp, and squid - all fully cooked. Also tried the Causa de pollo after seeing intriguing photos - SUPER unique. It was our first time having it and it was crazy delicious - incredible textures and tastes! For drinks, we tried the chicha morada and it was very good (my wife said it was so much better than the first time she tried it at a different restaurant). Of course, we got the Peruvian chicken which was slamming, as always. The Peruvian fried rice was excellent. For dessert, we were introduced to alfajores cookies and let me tell you: I thought I was too stuffed for dessert, but these cookies are addicting! Last but certainly not the least, Gerson, our host and waiter, and member of the family business - he was so welcoming, thoughtful, attentive, and patient (with all our questions and requests). He never made us feel like we were a burden, and we had wonderful conversations with him! Gerson, thank you for making our birthday celebration so unforgettable. We greatly appreciate you, Kiko, and the...

So, I have been waiting for a Peruvian restaurant to open in South Jersey for a while. This restaurant is really close, and I had the privilege to try it today. Although they sold out of the things I wanted to try, I was able to try the Seco, Chaufa de pollo, Chicha Morada (That’s made in-house by the way!!), and crema volteada.

Seco is usually how I test out Peruvian restaurants. Slow cooked dish with complex flavors. I usually go for goat, as this is how it’s traditionally made (or how my family and other families around me have made it) but they opted for beef here. Took me by surprise! It was delicious!! Super tender, beans and rice were perfect.

Chaufa was great, I tried chicken this time around but will be trying pork next. Not over salted either which other places get wrong.

Chicha was great! Not too sweet like some places make it to compensate for lack of flavor. Had the right amount of lime and cinnamon.

Crema volteada is not difficult to make, but it is difficult to get right. They also really surprised me here. They were able to get the sweet top on the crema volteada right, with the soft flan textured middle, and the most important part of it all, the bottom layer. The bottom part was a little more cooked, which is the way it is meant to be! It gives it a textural difference that makes it perfectly balanced.

Overall, I can happily say I have found a new favorite place. The place is small, so I highly suggest calling in before dining in. Some things are sold out, I think they did not expect the influx of customers so if you do decide to give this place a try, make sure to have some sympathy and patience with everyone there.

To the restaurant: Thank you for bringing our cuisine to a spot in New Jersey that desperately needed it. I understand the start of this journey will be difficult, but if you keep up the quality of the food and the hospitality you showed everyone in store today you will be successful. Do not lose this, as this is something I have seen with plenty of Peruvian restaurants. When you guys have time, expanding the menu would also be great (Yes I understand you guys just opened, don’t worry).

Give this place a try, you...

My family and I visited this restaurant on our way back home after visiting the aquarium about 10 minutes away. We aren't locals so we found it through a Google search and trusted the reviews. The restaurant has only been opened for about 2 weeks which explains why it doesn't have many reviews at this time.

Rating our experience 5 stars because of the young lady (server) who we learned was the daughter of the owners was an ABSOLUTE GEM of a person. She made my family and I feel extremely welcomed and right at home. I have a 7 month old baby and from the beginning made me as a new Mom feel welcomed, considering I was traveling with a baby stroller. The restaurant isnt that big and there was another worker there that was not so nice to the whole situation unfortunately but the young lady said it would work and didn't make us feel like we were a bother.

Young lady took our orders, checked in on us often, even correcting a mistake on an order that she noticed herself and not charging us for the mistake. We ended up meeting her Mom and she was also extremely nice and welcoming. They chatted with my Mom and it just felt so nice that the family was making an effort to conversate with their customers. Made us feel at home, something that is rare and hard to experience just anywhere. We truly wish this family all the best on their new venture of this restaurant. It's beautiful to see a family working together towards fulfilling a dream of owning their own business.

The food was good, restaurant is quaint and cute. The causa was soooooo delicious!! Aji de gallina was also really good! Great restaurant for a date night. I believe its BYOB too, which is cool. The picarones were absolutely delicious and a must have!! Probably one of the best picarones I've ever tried and I've tried many throughout NJ Peruvian restaurants.

Of course, restaurants are about eating good food but when they can also provide a good service and offer a welcoming experience that can make you feel like you're a part of their family and not just another $$ sign or customer - now that's worth a 5 star rating.

If you're in the area, please be...