just a block off the beaten path of the foot traffic of Steinway Street, history has proven that success on that block is certainly possible, if the juggernaut that is Queens Comfort is any indication. Will the worshipping place of seafood and ceviche be able to draw the crowds required to sustain the same success Warique enjoyed on Amsterdam Avenue? We certainly hope so. Warique is a place where everyone should feel welcome, from any ethnicity, background, or walk of life. Although you may find several familiar dishes on the impressive menu that blend homestyle recipes South America, if you’re game for trying something new, the waitstaff will lovingly offer suggestions for some of the house favorites. I wholeheartedly recommend starting off with a pisco sour, a traditional Peruvian cocktail mixed with brandy and egg whites. A bowl of the aguadito de pollo is a soup I will order every single time I need to warm my soul, a golden chicken broth with fresh vegetables and tender grains of white rice and juicy pulled pieces of chicken brightened with fresh cilantro. The eponymous salad is a definite must-try, blending quinoa, corn, cranberries, cucumbers and plump cubes of avocado. It’s a perfect palate cleanser between courses, and certainly enough salad to share with two or three people ... or a light entree suitable for one. Perhaps it’s a little Midwest engrained in me for life, but something about cheese and potatoes really satisfies my comfort cravings. The papa a la huancaina was actually one of my favorite dishes of the entire meal, and an appetizer I will undoubtedly order again and again. Tender slices of boiled potatoes are blanketed with a creamy Peruvian cheese sauce of yellow peppers, garlic, melted queso blanco and evaporated milk, all garnished with sliced, hard-boiled egg. Another knockout dish was the Jalea, a heaping mound of delicately breaded and lightly fried seafood crowned with a vibrant salsa criolla. The presentation will undoubtedly put any typical seafood platter to shame. As we cleared the table to make room for the signature rotisserie chicken, a colorful assortment of side dishes made their way to the table. Tostones were green plantains fried to an expert balance of crispy coating and tender, sweet insides. The maduros, sweet plantains, re- Leche de Tigre Tallarin Saltado Picarones are Peruvian donuts 46 I BOROMAG.COM I MAY 2016 FOOD & DRINK
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