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One glimpse of the chicken in a chef’s hat statue peering from La Casa del Pollo’s window and there’s no mistaking the specialty of the house. During prime lunch and dinner times the takeout crowd huddles at the back counter while nary a starkly lit table in the bare-walled dining room goes unoccupied. Everyone’s anxiously waiting for Peruvian rotisserie chicken. Available in numerous portions and combinations, the mahogany birds glisten with a salty cumin-laced spice rub. The moist flesh is only enhanced by the fresh pureed jalapeño aji dispensed in juice glasses with a spoon. Soy sauce as companion condiment near every paper placemat is a testament to Peru’s sizable Chinese population, though Chino-Latino versions of out-of-fashion Cantonese dishes are more likely to appeal to South Americans who grew up with them. Those without a nostalgic taste for chop suey might be swayed by lomo saltado, a stir-fry of thinly sliced beef, onions, tomatoes, and French fries served with rice (beans are optional). Soda of choice is yellow bubblegum-sweet Inca Kola in a can. — Krista Garcia

Whole chicken, $8.50; lomo saltado, $6.50