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Authentic Peruvian Tastes in the Heart of Port Chester

Pollo a la Brasa Misti offers down home Peruvian flavors at a reasonable price.

Before entering my freshmen year of college at Boston University, I took a year to travel and explore places outside of the country. My first stop was a three month volunteer trip to Peru with Cross Cultural Solutions. Two and a half of those months were spent in the capital city of Lima, and the remaining weeks in the Andean town of Ayacucho.

Lima hugs the coastline and is patched together like a quilt – each square of the city with its own personality amidst social and economic differences. Ayacucho, cradled in the Andes Mountains, is a singular community living in the present, and securely attached to its Quechua roots. (Quechua are the indigenous people of the central Andes. They speak the language of the same name.) Two unique places of a diverse country, Lima and Ayacucho gave me a bit of city life and rural living I was not accustomed to. Luckily, living in two distinct regions allowed me a sampler of some of the countries best foods.

In Peru, lunch is the big meal of the day. Breakfast is usually bread and juice, while dinner is one medium size course. There are plenty of varieties of beef, chicken, and fish dishes, but there are two staples of any Peruvian meal – rice and aji.

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As my program director told me, “Peruvians must have rice with every meal. Not having it is like having red wine with white fish. You don’t do it.”  

Aji is what gives Peruvian food a kick. A spicy pepper, it is used in numerous dishes and it makes a popular side sauce or garnish.

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Having the luxury of a coast, mountain range, and jungle, in a small area, Peruvian food consists of many different tastes. Ceviche, the national dish, is a popular seafood mixture throughout South and Latin America. The Peruvian version takes a combination of white fish cured and marinated with citrus, usually lemon or lime, and spiced with chilies. Other notable dishes include Pollo a la Brasa – grilled or roasted chicken, and Papas a la huancaina – sliced boiled potatoes served over lettuce with a spicy cheese sauce.

For more adventurous eaters Peru offers more exotic meats such as Alpaca. While in Ayacucho I had the chance to try a Peruvian delicacy – Guinea Pig. Raised and killed for consumption the animals get to a fairly big size. It is served whole - head, tail, and all on a clean white plate. It looks the least bit appetizing, like a burnt, sticky rodent shocked in rigamortis. The taste is a bit better than its looks. Gamey and chewy, it is a tough meat to get through, and the flavor completely depends on the seasoning and sauce. Not to be missed, but never to be tried again.

Since returning from Peru I have sampled a handful of Peruvian restaurants both in New York and Boston. Out of the six or so I tried few match Pollo A La Brasa Misti on Main Street in Port Chester.

Walking into Pollo a la Brasa Misti felt different than a typical ethnic restaurant. With white shingles and small windows the restaurant sticks out like a house wedged in between fancier eateries.

A homey feeling from the outside matches a modest décor on the inside. White walls wrap around the floor with mirrors placed in strategic spots – giving the already substantial dining area an even bigger feel.

One positive is that there is no sense of “fake authenticity” – a desire to over decorate interior spaces with international symbols of a foreign place. The only decorations are textbook size pictures of unknown Peruvian houses and landscapes. Gone are oversized photos of Machu Picchu, posters of the Nazca Lines, and traditional garments draped from the ceiling. Instead, the most noticeable feature is a huge rotisserie in the back corner rolling ten whole chickens per skewer.

Even when one sits down and takes in the ambient Peruvian music and conversational Spanish from other tables it is not convincing that this is a “Peruvian” restaurant. The green and white tiles, match the green table cloths, which match the green polo shirts of the waiters. As my friend pointed out – the inside looks and runs like a diner without booths. Except, instead of a buffet of choices from breakfast to dinner served throughout the day, Misti specializes in one cuisine

At 9pm on a Friday, the place was packed. Mostly Hispanic, there were tables of couples, families, and friends. The volume was loud, but not noisy. I and two friends were able to carry out a conversation without yelling.

Before ordering food we sampled different Peruvian drinks. Cusquena, the Budweiser or Coors of Peru, is a refreshing light lager. Chicha Morada is more off the beaten path. A purple corn based soft drink, it has a bitter taste not similar to anything in the States. Misti also does popular combinations of smoothies.

In terms of food, I am a seasoned Peruvian eater, already knowing my favorites to choose from. To start I tried a Ceviche Mixto and for a main I got Bistec a la Milanesa (breaded beef with rice and salad). My friends, not completely trusting my gringo advice, asked the waiter for recommendations. One settled on a Chicken cutlet (subbing the rice for fries for a more American flavor). The other Lomo Saltado  (beef slices fried in onions and tomatoes with rice.)

All of the plates were plentiful. Nobody finished their entire course and I easily made two meals out of my Ceviche and Bistec. Looking around there were numerous grilled chickens (Pollo a la Brasa) on tables being devoured to the bone. Almost all the dishes around us were varieties of simple chicken and beef renditions with rice and salad.

That is not to say a range of dishes do not exist. The table next to us got shrimp in a yellow aji sauce, which looked like a big curry with rice on the side.

By the end of the meal we were all full and satisfied. Good, simple dishes, with a Peruvian seal of approval. The only lag time came when waiting for the check. Still at capacity at 10pm it took our waiter some time to bring the check to our table.

The final bill came to $53 for three people, four dishes, and three drinks (tip not included). When the waitress gave us the tab I asked if this was a busy weekend for them, and if it gets this crowded on weekends. She placed the check down and in an exhausted and hurried response said, “Every night here is like Friday night.”

 

 

Pollo a la Brasa Misti is located at 110 N. Main Street. Open everyday for Lunch and Dinner until 10pm. Take out is available.

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