1030 Aviation Boulevard,
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 372-1522
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-chicken-shack-hermosa-beach
Rating: 3 stars
Typical cost for lunch: $$ - $$$ ($7-14)
What was ordered: The Classic Cut, Saltado de Pollo
Date of visit: 11 February 2011 (1st visit)
Review: When you are looking for a place to eat lunch the brightly painted red and yellow Chicken Shack naturally draws you in like a moth to light. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this place is a Peruvian restaurant. We here at the Aerolunch Blog are big fans of Peruvian food. In fact we refer to El Pollo Inca (just down the street from the Chicken Shack) as “the Standard”.
Perusing the menu, the Shack’s main focus seems to be on their rotisserie chicken, so I ordered the Classic Cut for $9, which is half a rotisserie chicken with two sides and two sauces. I got garlic rice (based on the server’s recommendation) and mixed vegetables on the side but could have alternatively chosen golden fries, potato salad, or garden salad. The chicken was excellent but not significantly better than most rotisserie chicken I have had. The garlic rice was good, but the vegetables were excellent. They were a steamed mixture of carrots, broccoli, and green beans and came with an Italian type dressing to give them some flavor. They were not over-cooked and maintained a slight crunch.
My compatriot ordered the Saltado de Pollo for $14. This is a classic Peruvian dish of stir-fried chicken breast and onions served over fries and a scoop of garlic rice on the side. The chicken was expertly cooked and well seasoned. The fries were not really incorporated into the dish as I am used to in a saltado. Instead of absorbing the delicious sauce they were an independent part of the meal. The saltado also came with two sauces.
The Chicken shack has three sauces to choose from: 1) the classic Peruvian green sauce made from jalapenos and lettuce, 2) yellow sauce made with Aji de Amarillo (a yellow Peruvian chill pepper), and 3) white sauce, a non-spicy yogurt sauce. The green sauce is the normal sauce you get in every Peruvian restaurant. The yellow sauce was spicier and creamier (due to the presence of yogurt). I thought the yellow sauce had great flavor and highly recommend it. We didn’t try the white sauce. My friend was disturbed by the fact that you don’t get a big bottle of the green sauce here. Each meal comes with two little cups of sauce and if you want more they are $0.50/each. It was enough sauce for me, but not him.
The food here was excellent; I would call it 4 stars. My main gripe with the Chicken Shack is the cost. The rotisserie chicken was several dollars more than their competitors and might be able to be justified with the steamed vegetables and delightful yellow sauce. The Saltado de Pollo however is twice the cost of El Pollo Inca just down the street and El Pollo Inca throws in a cup of cilantro, chicken, and rice soup. They might be nominally better than El Pollo Inca, but the cost/benefit is just not there. 3 stars.
-Ben
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