When was the last time you had a juicy chicken breast? Not the leg or thigh, but juicy, white meat. Chef Luis Morgado has figured it out at New Rochelle’s Juicy Chicken (hence the name of this Peruvian restaurant) and the dish’s popularity has spread by good old word of mouth.
When Carta Brava was sold earlier this year, Juicy Chicken co-owner Luis Fernandez was sad to see its pollo a la brasa, some of the best in Westchester, go. “One day, it would be great to actually buy that place,” Fernandez recalls saying, thinking that he could improve the ambience of the space.
He did just that, opening Juicy Chicken in the former Carta Brava space earlier this year. To replicate the chicken he’d become so fond of, Fernandez hired Morgado, whose family owned Carta Brava and passed down the restaurant’s famed chicken recipe.
The menu also offers an excellent chaufa, a Peruvian fried rice dish (the name comes from the Chinese term for fried rice, chao fan). The dish is a perfect blend of the two cuisines, with the unique smokiness you get from a well-used wok. At Juicy Chicken, you can have it with beef, chicken, or a medley of seafood (I recommend the latter).
Ceviche mixto features fresh fish, squid, shrimp and octopus, served with sweet potato, Peruvian corn, and corn nuts. Photo by Sibylla Chipaziwa
There’s ceviche (four varieties to choose from, made from scratch by in-house), salchipapas, and lomo saltado, of course. Juicy Chicken also has weekend specials that show off Chef Morgado’s creative takes on the cuisine.
The ultimate goal for this eatery? “We want to become a franchise in the region,” Fernandez says, with plans for cooking classes, catering currently availalbe, and a private room in the works.
Juicy Chicken
6 Division St
New Rochelle
914.278.9820
Curious for more insight into everything from weddings and local business happenings to golf and hearty Westchester eating? Surf through all of our daily blogs.
