Uncle Paulie's Puro Sabor in Maywood, NJ

Uncle Paulie's Puro Sabor in Maywood has been my go to for local Peruvian food in Bergen County. Uncle Paulie's is known for its Peruvian style rotisserie chicken, which is great, but I really enjoy the other Peruvian specialties on offer.

I've been having a hankering for Peruvian. So I decided to pay a visit to Uncle Paulie's. On this recent lunchtime visit, I wasn't particularly in the mood for chicken. So after a few minutes of perusing the menu, I decided to start off with Papa a la Huancaina ($6.00) for an appetizer and the Lomo Saltado ($12.00) for my main. I also ordered a Chicha Morada ($2.00) to wash it all down.

Papa a la Huancaina is a typical Peruvian appetizer. It consists of slices of boiled potatoes topped with a spicy cheese sauce, half of a hard-boiled egg and a black olive. The heat in the sauce is from the Peruvian pepper called aji amarillo. It is sometimes thickened with a few saltine crackers. Uncle Paulie's Papa a la Huancaina doesn't disappoint. The dish is served lukewarm to room temperature. Boiled potatoes are boiled potatoes, but the star of this dish is the spicy sauce. It's not blow your head off spicy, but it does have a nice kick. You can really taste the peppers and the cheese, which is actually queso fresco. It's a simple dish, but super flavorful.

The creation of Lomo Saltado comes out of Peru's immigrant Chinese community.  In my opinion, it is a take on pepper steak that is found in every Chinese food restaurant. And it is one of my favorite dishes of any ethnicity. Uncle Paulie's version is a stir fry of beef strips, scallions, red onions, tomatoes and house cut French fried potatoes in a soy sauce and vinegar sauce. Uncle Paulie's serves it with a side of white rice. I just love the harmony in the dish. The vegetables are cooked al dente; they have a nice snap and bite to them. The beef is tender and flavorful. And the soy is just downright tasty. The soy sauce gives it saltiness and umami, while the vinegar lends a bright acidity. 

I washed my lunch down with a Chicha Morada, which is a truly Peruvian drink with origins dating to pre-colonial Peru. It is a beverage of purple corn (native to the Peruvian Andes), pineapple, sugar, cinnamon and clove. It's a sweet drink without being cloying. Served cold it is a refreshing delight. It's one drink I never pass up at a Peruvian restaurant. 

The cuisine of Peru is a melting pot of cultures and foods from Italian to Spanish to Chinese. So there is definitely a little bit of something for everyone. If you find yourself hungry in Maywood, mosey on over to Uncle Paulie's Puro Sabor on West Pleasant Avenue and dine on some fine Peruvian delicacies.

Uncle Paulie’s Puro Sabor

109 A West Pleasant Avenue

Maywood, NJ 07607

Tel: (201) 368-2400

www.unclepaulies.com