Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Recession Obsession: Peruvian Chicken
Lunch at Pollos El Brasero
The Official Recession has enveloped us for fifteen official months. It’s still no reason we can’t enjoy life. This is LA -- we have a million inexpensive options! A Recession Obsession is somewhere fantastic, whether times are good or bad, because it's that damn good. We last loved on Leimert Park's Papa West and Santa Monica's Tacos Por Favor. Today, we...
Los Angeles knows Peru for two chief exports. One, Peruvian Marching Powder, is illegal and dangerous. The other, Peruvian Chicken, is nutritious and delicious. Peru's wood-fired bird is significantly less expensive than their nasal fuel -- only part of the reason it's LAist’s latest Recession Obsession.
Marinated in a variety of spices and roasted delicately, Peruvian Chicken is as much a feat as it is art. Complimented by a highly addictive green chile sauce called aji, and a variety of sides, it's a delicious and hearty meal. As California unemployment has passed 10%, this taste of South America is welcomed at $5-$7 per person.
Support for LAist comes from
Barbecued by a team of rotisserie cooks, each tender, juicy bite packs a smoky wallop. The chicken’s near-crisp skin seems to guard the flavor which sets this meal apart from other nation’s efforts of poultry.
Pollo A La Brasa
My two favorite Peruvian-style chicken joints are Koreatown’s (un-Korean) Pollo a La Brasa (Chicken on a Spit) and Pollos El Brasero, found in the Pico Union neighborhood. Should the Manhattanization of Downtown continue, Pico-Union may one day be Downtown.
If you have trouble locating Pollo A La Brasa then you’re missing the building-high pile of wood which surrounds the eatery. If that visual clue doesn’t help, your nose will serve as guide. This all-value, takeout-friendly joint is densely aromatic. It's also one of the most wallet-friendly meals on Jonathan Gold’s 99 list.
Pollos El Brasero
If you park more than a few feet from Pollos El Brasero’s door, you may not make it inside. This stretch of Pico offers a strong variety of alluring Mexican food. Duck your head, ignore the Oaxacan birria-rias, steaming hot tamales, and taco trucks. Pollos El Brasero is worth your while. For $6-$7 a quarter-white meal can be had. Expect a full tray as combos feature a side of beans, salad, soda, and choice of french fries, white rice, or tortillas (as pictured above.)
Support for LAist comes from
- Pollos El Brasero 2281 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90006 | (213) 381-6060
- Open: 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Everyday except Monday
- Pollo A La Brasa 764 S. Western Avenue | Koreatown | Los Angeles 90005 | 213-382-4090
- Open: 11 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. daily | 'Til 8:30 Sat+Sun
Photos by Caleb Bacon for LAist
What do you think about Peruvian Chicken? Comment below
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist