Along Seventh Avenue, a sign strung across a black iron fence proclaimed "coming soon!" for what felt like an eternity. Promises of the second location of El Chullo, a tiny Peruvian restaurant on Seventh Street, teased customers yearning for a peek inside the mural-covered building.
The first location of El Chullo opened in 2014, three years after the owners, husband-and-wife team José Ramírez Sánchez and Esperanza Luzcando, moved to Arizona from Peru. Through serving recipes from their home country, the duo built a following of loyal customers who frequented their popular eatery.
The couple planned to expand their business for the past few years, but suffered a series of setbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and then in early 2022, a fire damaged the building on Seventh Street, forcing it to close for four months. El Chullo made it through with the help of donations from a GoFundMe campaign and by selling cookies and other treats online during the closure.
The original location reopened in August 2022, and then in late June of this year, the second restaurant finally opened its doors in the Melrose District.
Inside the new location, the decor instantly transports guests to the South American country. A string of tiny Peruvian flags runs the length of the restaurant, golden Incan-style masks are framed on dark walls, almost neon-colored wool textiles wrap bar stools, strings of rainbow-hued pompoms hang throughout the space and wall tapestries made from fluffy alpaca wool read "Peru."
Behind the counter, an electric orange mask bares its teeth and next to a cluster of tables is a large Peruvian retablo, a style of folk art in which scenes are depicted by wooden characters inside portable boxes. Upbeat music fills the space as customers sip pisco sours and fluorescent yellow Inca Cola.
And if the atmosphere doesn't transport you to the Andes, the food definitely will.
The menu goes so much deeper than pisco and lomo saltado — although the famous dish is on the menu and served with a choice of fries or spaghetti. The kitchen dives head first into Peruvian cuisine, churning out bright ceviches, hearty potato dishes and combos that display how Chinese influences have become intertwined with Quechuan and Incan cultures through flavors and ingredients.
One dish that celebrates the long history of Chinese immigrants making Peru home is the Chaufa Especial. Described on the menu as Peruvian and Chinese fusion-style shrimp and pork covered with chijuakai chicken, the dish is a hearty bowl of fried rice packed with bites of meat. The small chunks of chijuakai chicken are fried in a craggy batter and crown the steaming bowl of savory rice.
For a classic Peruvian snack, try the ham and cheese empanadas. One order comes with two small empanadas fried to a bubbly golden brown. Break the crisp but pliable shell, and a wave of molten mozzarella spills out. The flavors blend to create a comfort food that can be jolted to life with a dip in the accompanying aji verde. Acidity and spice from the light green sauce are softened by the richness of the cheese, resulting in a balanced and delicious bite.
For those visiting for the first time, those who may be unfamiliar with Peruvian food or those who want to try a little bit of everything, El Chullo's sampler plates are the perfect option.
There's a Causa Sampler with chicken, shrimp and tuna; a combo plate with a trio of different ceviches; and a section on the menu dedicated to dishes designed for sharing. Anticuchos and Papa a la Huancaina can be ordered separately. But the Piqueo on 7th Ave comes with both, plus pickled red onions, two salsas and a Papa Rellena.
The individual bites work together perfectly. The anticuchos, or skewered and grilled beef hearts, are tender, served medium-rare and offer a savory, salty burst of flavor. The skewers rest on a small pile of fried potatoes, which mix with boiled potato medallions under a blanket of yellow sauce made with Peruvian yellow chile in the Huancaina.
The Papa Rellena holds its own on the plate and features a crisp fried shell that gives way to creamy mashed potatoes spiked with ground beef and spices. Choclo, or big, juicy kernels of Peruvian corn, are scattered around the plate and soak up any extra sauce.
Salty and savory bites beg to be accompanied by a drink, and El Chullo has a long list of options.
Many of the cocktails showcase the regional favorite spirit, pisco, including frothy pisco sours in a multitude of flavors. In the Chicha Sour, pisco, lime and egg whites get a soft pink hue from the addition of purple corn syrup, an ingredient that also makes an appearance on the nonalcoholic menu.
Try the bright purple Chicha Morada, a traditional drink made with purple corn, pineapple, cloves, cinnamon, lime juice and sugar. El Chullo's version features a strong scent of cloves and is similar to a dark fruit punch. Wine, beer and Peru's best-selling soda, Inca Cola, also are available.
This restaurant will bring back happy memories for those who have visited Peru and inspire travel plans for those who haven't. For the Melrose District, the upbeat and energetic spot filled with colorful decor and enthusiastic customers is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
El Chullo
Now open: 4414 N. Seventh Ave.The original: 2605 N. Seventh St.
