Caravan Chicken — Restaurant in New York

A food reviewer that I know of did a review of an Asian fusion place so it sparked an idea of where to go for lunch today. This place was only a 4 minute walk from the Blink Gym I frequent so not a hard decision to head there.

Small gripe I'd have to address before I get to the meat of the review. I'd strongly advise paying cash at this establishment. They do have a card/cashless option but the machine they got is very dated. I initially used one of my cards with digital currency which doesn't have a PIN as a prompt, it should be instant access but it kept asking for a PIN and by how old that card reader was, didn't have the option to bypass that so I had to use my credit card, which I didn't want to at the time but went with it. Thankfully I didn't have the uncomfortable situation a lady after me had when she ordered her food by card, having an issue about being charged $45 for her food saying the card reader charged her a different price than what her order was initially supposed to be. Thank God my card wasn't robbed like that but for real, that place needs to invest in a newer and better card reader.

Wow that was a lot I got out of my chest, I apologize that y'all had to read all of that before I got to the review, lol. Payment struggles aside, I got something simple, half a chicken w/ pork fried rice and salad. The rice is okay but it's nothing some hot sauce doesn't fix and the place has that in spades. Salad is salad, nothing more, nothing less but the Chicken is absolutely delicious. Pretty tender, juicy and none too dry. Well worth the $16 I paid it for. That also included the soda I picked, Inka Cola and it's absolutely spot on, definite recommend.

Also the place in general, fairly narrow but plenty of seating, pretty middle of the road. You can get a good meal but do take note to bring some cash with you, so you won't have to worry about any card mishaps from their very obsolete looking...

My family used to live in Astoria, circa 2002~2008. This was one of our favorite places, & my parents knew the owner back then quite well! He was/is a Peruvian Chinese man, & there are still some Chinese Spanish speaking cooks, so I think that explains why the chifa inspired menu here is so good.

I came back for the first time a year or two ago, & returned yesterday with an elderly white friend who had never tried Peruvian food. The place has downsized a bit in comparison to what it was in the 2000s (it was always small tho), & has gotten more simple (for ex, guests now have to order food at the counter, & the nice divider between tables that used to be in the back is gone, & the food portions are smaller & have slightly fewer ingredients); but it still has the same essence that it had 20 years ago.

Flavorful & juicy dishes that are still reasonable/good prices, a handful of chifa style menu items that are hard to find in most Peruvian restaurants, & quick + polite service. A nice cherry on top is that the Chicha Morada is still homemade!

My friend's face lit up as she tried the pollo a la brasa, lomo saltado, the wontons & the sauce, & especially upon trying the Chicha.

Astoria is vastly different from the neighborhood it was when I was a little girl, to the point I have actively avoided visiting or befriending any of the young upper-middle class people that live there now as an effort to preserve the home I knew; but it was so comforting to see Steinway is mostly the same, & it especially warmed my heart to experience delectable food at this neighborhood staple again.

TLDR; If you have the opportunity to eat here, order a mini feast & enjoy a full tummy for the rest of your day! They accept credit cards!! It won't be the most delicious Peruvian food you can find in Queens nor does it have any cute or pretty vibe by any means. But if you want a quick bite, this is...

I've been getting chirped on my IG/Tiktok for never branching out of Manhattan or Brooklyn... lowkey a fair criticism though so I gotta take it on the chin.

My homie, who lives in Astoria, has been hyping up Caravan Chicken for the past 6 months. "Bro you gotta try my chicken spot I swear..." This past Saturday, our schedules finally aligned.

After a 52 minute journey on the N train, I arrived at what I could immediately tell would be an all-time Chicken spot:

The uniquely Latin American smell of fresh roast chicken hitting your nostrils as you open the door, an overhead menu straight out of 1999, signs in both Spanish and English for "No Comida ni bebida del afuera", yellow walls littered with Peruvian decor, table seating in the back, and a worn in industrial kitchen with Latinos working overtime. What else can you ask for?

I went with the half chicken with pork fried rice and a salad ($13.50). I'm normally a yellow rice kinda guy, but the pork fried rice seemed to be their thing.

This chicken exceeded my expectations, which were in the stratosphere at this point. Perfectly charred and seasoned skin, and tender juicy meat (haha) accompanied by a Peruvian green sauce that was to die for. It's damn near at the top of my roast chicken rankings in the city. Casa Adela still my p4p #1 though.

The pork fried rice was good, but didn't blow my mind. Should have stayed true to myself with the yellow rice, but I'm trying to grow as a human being so I regret nothing.

I'll probably get chirped now for "only going to Astoria... these food influencers never set FOOT in Jackson Heights..." but that's okay, I'll get there. I take pride in proving people wrong, and proving myself right.

Shoutout to my guy Marinos for the Caravan Chicken rec. I'd be here 2x a week if I lived close.

IG @jnov_ Tiktok...