Crispy skin, tender and juicy meat—authentic Peruvian-style charcoal-grilled chicken!

Text and photos bySan Gao Chi Han

The most well-known dish in Peru is probably cuy (guinea pig), but grilled chicken is said to be a common street food there. This Peruvian charcoal-grilled chicken spot on Guling Street—I’m not sure if it’s currently the only Peruvian grilled chicken specialty store in Taiwan, as I haven’t heard of any others elsewhere. If you’re nearby, it’s worth a try.

At first, I thought this was a fast-food-style place using Peruvian grilled chicken as a gimmick, but then I realized it wasn’t. The owner is Peruvian and doesn’t speak Mandarin. There’s a grill rack for the chicken right at the entrance. When I asked if I could take photos, he cheerfully pulled open what I assume is the charcoal storage area next to it, letting me take a look inside. The chicken is cooked in this large metal grill using charcoal.

In the evening, there were only two other tables besides mine (one of them had foreigners), so it was pretty quiet. Reservations probably aren’t necessary. The shop plays fairly upbeat music. A young teenager who might be the owner’s child can speak Mandarin—you can ask him to take your order.

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I ordered the Peruvian-style grilled chicken set meal (NT$299) and paid an extra NT$90 to switch the drink to purple corn juice. The set includes a quarter chicken. Most people prefer the drumsticks, so if you’re "unlucky," you might get the front half. I guess I got lucky—but the back quarter actually only has that drumstick bone; the thigh and surrounding meat are missing. Otherwise, there’s some salad, fries, and spicy sauce.

Purple corn juice is Peru’s national drink. Served in this glass, it can easily be mistaken for red wine—it’s actually non-alcoholic. The usual preparation involves boiling purple corn in water until it turns purple, then adding sugar. Sometimes other spices are added, but here it might just be imported canned drink (not sure). It’s served cold, with the sweetness level of a regular fruit juice. The taste is somewhat like beetroot mixed with grape juice minus the grape acidity and aroma (what kind of description is that?). Anyway, it’s very smooth~

The star—the grilled chicken drumstick—has a perfectly crispy edge, almost like it’s been fried, but without being greasy. Peruvian grilled chicken is marinated, so the meat inside is quite tender and flavorful, though the marinade flavor isn’t strong. The main appeal is the outer skin, which has a slight sweetness and a delightfully crispy, aromatic taste that oddly reminds me of Dongshan duck head.

The side fries are freshly cut potatoes—not fluffy in the middle but rather solid and chunky. The orange-red spicy sauce has a sharp, spicy kick from fresh chili. A little dip on the fries or chicken works great.

Overall, the meal tastes really good, though considering the contents, the price seems a bit high. But since Peruvian-style grilled chicken isn’t easy to come by, it’s still okay~

Polleria Peruvian Charcoal-Grilled Chicken
Address: No. 61-5, Guling Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Business Hours: 4:00 PM–9:00 PM (Friday–Sunday 12:00 PM–9:00 PM, closed on Mondays)

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