El Chullo Peruvian Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Phoenix

Authentic Peruvian food is finally in Phoenix and it is as good as home gets. Now don't get me wrong, the valley has 2 other Peruvian spots that are decent but their dishes have been hit or miss. After pigging out at El Chullo, I am super excited to give it 5 stars. BTW a "chullo" is a type of hat we wear in the winter. Most common in the Sierra (highlands) and it covers your ears and usually has 2 long straps at the bottom. Anywho, the restaurant is run by Esperanza (the cook), Omar (the GM) and a couple others. Its very small, family-owned, super simple and unpretentious. Its prices are moderate for the size of the plate and the quality of the ingredients. Here is what I ordered: (1) Pisco Sour. As typical as it gets, it is NOT an easy drink to make (trust me i've been making them for 2 decades). Theirs was a little on the sweeter side but they completely nailed it- super smooth and as always, the Pisco (our liquor) sneaks up on you. (2) Papa rellena. This appetizer literally translates to "stuffed potato". It is minced meat with onions, olives, egg and raisins (sweet and savory) covered in mashed potato and fried to resemble a stuffed-potato. It was served with some pickled red onion with lime juice. The dish was perfect- filling was hot and savory, potato was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside and the onions were a refreshing taste on top. (3) Ceviche de pescado. I was surprised they asked me for a spice level as usually peruvian places just serve "as-is". I asked for medium which had a good amount of heat without taking away notice from the fish. The fish was super fresh and was served a bit on the crudo side (i like mine a little tougher) but its a matter of preference- just tell them that you want the fish to stay in the lime juice a minute longer. They had Peruvian corn (yay!), fresh onions yet the yam was yellow- something i've never seen before but didn't take away from the dish. (4) Tacu-Tacu con Lomo Saltado. This is a medly of two dishes: tacu-tacu (a fried torta made from rice and beans) and lomo saltado (a saute of beef loin, red onions, tomatoes and french fries). This plate was huge but really it was as expected for the same dish I eat back home. The Tacu tacu had a great crisp on the outside and a soft texture on the inside. The flavors were great and the lomo saltado was seasoned great. I shared this plate with another person and still took leftovers home (which are best reheated back in the frying pan to get the most flavor out of!). I was too full to order dessert but was completely satisfied with the menu, the taste, the environment and the super friendly staff. Can't...

As usual, from our various visits, Chulo is very, very good – almost excellent! This little, quaint, homey and tight location feels like you’re at your Peruvian Grandma’s kitchen having the typical Peruvian meal. Every visit has been a journey into excellent Peruvian Cuisine offerings. If familiar with this gastronomic marvel, the seasonings are unique. Although it can be spicey hot, they can taper it down for you – I prefer the hot (it’s one of those things where the basic taste and savoring of the meal does not get lost in heat, it merely enhances it). We started the group’s appetizer selections with a terrific rendition of Ceviche Mixto in an assorted Seafood & fish compilation in Leche de Tigre with with sweet potatoes, peruvian corn and canchita (Peruvian Popcorn) – guess what that is (the ceviche’s juices leftover essences of marinating raw fish in fresh citrus fruits, Peruvian spices and seasoning and infusing for a few hours before serving) – Yum, Yum! Their Aji De Gallina is incredible, this is shredded chicken in an ultra-creamy sauce made with Aji Amarillo, and garnished with parmesan cheese, then served over white rice is fabuloso. The main ingredient Aji Amarillo is considered a primary mainstay when it comes to Peruvian cooking. Their Anticuchos (skewers), my fave dish, in the Peruvian case, it is perfectly seasoned and grilled thinly sliced beef hearts served skewered - Mmmmm. As appetizers we enjoyed the fantastically prepared Yuca Frita served in huancaina sauce (a concoction of garlic, garlic, queso fresco, onion, crushed crackers, evaporated milk and aji Amarillo). If you’ve had their Papas (potatoes) ala Huancaina, you’ll know how good this sauce is. My wife enjoyed her fave of Lomo Saltado, super delicate strips of Beef tenderloin sautéed in red onions, tomatoes and cilantro served up over tender white rice & French fries – as always, fabulous. While there, I got wind they are opening another location, supposedly much larger than this location over on 7th Avenue. This will give more options, reducing waiting lines or availability, and be able to offer more people the opportunity to enjoy their fantastic food, hooray! Esperanza Luzcando and her husband, Jose Ramirez Buen, the owners, are responsible for this gastronomic marvel. Buen...

After passing by this neighborhood restaurant, I decided to give it a try after an invitation from of a couple good friends. We arrived around 6:30 on a Saturday and were seated quickly. Our drink orders were taken and settled on iced water, since the only offerings were liquor, canned sodas or a corn tea. No iced tea, Strike 1. We all decided on the Lomo Saltado. My friend and I chose the chicken, the other the beef. Two of us selected the options with fries and rice which sounded odd, the other with spaghetti. When our plates arrived, they looked nice in presentation and portion. My chicken pieces were tender, but with no "Wow" factor flavor. There were plenty of red onions and a few sauteed tomatoes. I was really hoping that my taste buds were going to get some excitement out of this chicken dish, but it fell flat. Strike 2. There wasn't really a flavor to the chicken, but there was plenty of soy sauce under my fries and pyramid of rice which gave it the salty flavor. The fries would have been tastier if they had been freshly cut, but they were the kind you can get at your local grocery store freezer section. Strike 3. The only good thing about this dish was the few sauteed tomatoes. If I want good marinated chicken with some soy sauce, I can get that at my favorite Asian restaurant. My friend who ordered the chicken in spaghetti just picked the chicken and tomatoes out and left the pasta, prompting the server to ask him if anything was wrong with his food when she picked up our plates. He being polite said it was good, but he was full. My other friend took the onions off his plate and took the beef and rice to go. I have to say I'm glad I tried this place, so I can let others know to save their $$ for somewhere else. I am always happy to give my business to local independent restaurants, but as my friend said, "it was just Good, but won't be back" and the same goes for me. If you're looking to watch your carbs, this place isn't for you. This disappointing experience now leaves me looking for a true Peruvian restaurant here in the valley. I should have trusted the other two...