Jerusalem Chicken - Los Angeles

It's been a long time since I've really reminisced on my days in the Bronx. I think I've left it all behind but then I stumble upon a place like this and the memories come flooding back. 

It's assembly-line style, an original fast-casual, a set-up stolen by the likes of Tender Green and Chipotle. You start with your protein and build your bowl or pita as you go. The plates remind me of my beloved meat-and-two-sides platters you get on any south Bronx street, just easy-peasy pieces of perfection with so many not-so-simple savors. 

Sitis Original Chicken is this beautifully baked bird stuffed full of the best rice I've ever eaten, catching all the chicken drippings, aromatic with mushrooms and beef. It sits in a lemon sauce that tingles with its tartness, a wake-up for sleepy tastebuds to cut through all that fat. Sides of fried eggplant and pickled red cabbage are rad. 

A separate side of Cauliflower Fritters is impossibly crispy, fried with gooey rice flour. 

Lemon & Garlic Chicken is another favorite, a drier but no less juicy iteration with a fantastically chewy skin. The hummus is on the blander side, but they got those bitter greens just right. Slather every bite with their sharp and sour garlic sauce, and you might never stop eating. 

Wow, I really love good food. And while I do love my fine dining, I LIVE for buried treasures like Jerusalem Chicken. 

El Pollo Inka - Torrance

I know, I know, it's a chain. But it's a Socal chain and I love their lomo! It's Peruvian stir fry, and what's not to like? A fusion of Peruvian potato with veggies and fried Chinese-style, it's my people's cultural contribution on a plate, a melting pot in a wok. 

My favorite is the Saltado de Camarones, though the fish is quite good as well. The fish is more fishy so make sure you like that, otherwise stick with the shrimp if you want some seafood. They're not stingy with the shrimp, which are pretty tender and fresh. The red onions are sauteed sweet but still have some crunch and bite. Tomatoes are tangy, peppers are crisp, and I love that they throw in the french friess. 

Lomo Saltado is the standard, and they do a good job cooking the meat through without making it tough. Throw on some green sauce no matter what you're eating. It'll add a little singe, but it'll make your stir fry sing. 

Wow, the Pollo a la Brasa! Tender, juicy oven-roasted masterpiece of a chicken. Get all dark meat if you can - it compounds the flavor and seals in the savor. I rarely order chicken, and it's hard to do a roasted chicken well, but El Pollo Inka has earned their name. 

A side of Platanos because I just have to. They do a decent job on these, though I prefer them more gooey and theirs is the firm and starchy approach. 

The Ceviche Mixto will make you cry. SO much lime juice, too much. The fish, shrimp, and calamari are fine, but there's just so much acid they burn your mouth, and it actually takes a moment to recover your sense of taste. 

I'm curious about a few other items, and I may have to try the beef heart next time the craving hits. I would probably avoid the other apps after my misstep with the ceviche, but I won't stay away from the lomo for long.