Under food:
Last Friday, hungry from snow shoveling (DJKung) and sitting in traffic (me), we went to El-F and tucked in some seriously good eats. Since it was only 2pm, we were able to pick from their daily specials ($7), which comes with a hearty bowl of soup, a choice of entree over rice (changes daily), chicha or soda, and dessert.
Chicha morada. The photo does not clearly show its grape juice hue. This is a drink made from purple corn.
Condiments: lime slices and picante. Picante is a chile sauce (jalapeno?) that is not really fiery, but brings like a cool hot pepper flavor. Their picante is evenly balanced, and brightens their dishes. Sometimes they make red picante, which is a smokier version.
Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder). The chowder is not too thick, but nevertheless is very hearty. It comes with potatoes, carrots, peas and corn. This had a strong Sazon taste, which I adore.
Sopa de pollo. Home style chicken soup. I think they use hens for their sop, because it is quite flavorful. The soup comes with potatoes, peas and corn. You can squeeze some lime in the soup to give it a little zesty taste.
Fried fish with white beans and white rice, with a garnish of thinly sliced red onion. I think they alternate between whiting and tilapia. Simply scrumptious.
Seco de res. Beef in cilantro sauce, simmered till it's falling apart. Also served with white beans and rice.
I'm not sure what this dessert is called. It's a rice pudding with a chica-type sauce, with cinnamon and pineapple. We actually took this home because we were so full.
Chaufa de mariscos (seafood fried rice). This is cooked Chinese-style, with that nice wok sear. It is finished off with a dab of sesame oil. This serving is actually enough for two, and the seafood (shrimp, squid, your occasional mussel) is pretty generous.
Lomo saltado. This is a stir-fry of beef strips, tomato, onion and french fries. Delish---I always try to snag some of DJKung's fries. El Fogon also makes a seafood saltado, but the sauce is not the same without that beefy goodness.
El Fogon
1025 Main Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07011
(973) 272-2675
El Fogon is the other down-home Peruvian joint that we've been going to for quite a while. Their menu is slightly different from Jaimito's Restaurant, in that there is less of a Chinese influence in their cooking.
Last Friday, hungry from snow shoveling (DJKung) and sitting in traffic (me), we went to El-F and tucked in some seriously good eats. Since it was only 2pm, we were able to pick from their daily specials ($7), which comes with a hearty bowl of soup, a choice of entree over rice (changes daily), chicha or soda, and dessert.
Chicha morada. The photo does not clearly show its grape juice hue. This is a drink made from purple corn. 
Condiments: lime slices and picante. Picante is a chile sauce (jalapeno?) that is not really fiery, but brings like a cool hot pepper flavor. Their picante is evenly balanced, and brightens their dishes. Sometimes they make red picante, which is a smokier version.
Chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder). The chowder is not too thick, but nevertheless is very hearty. It comes with potatoes, carrots, peas and corn. This had a strong Sazon taste, which I adore.
Sopa de pollo. Home style chicken soup. I think they use hens for their sop, because it is quite flavorful. The soup comes with potatoes, peas and corn. You can squeeze some lime in the soup to give it a little zesty taste.We were starting to get full after the soup! I ordered fried fish with white beans and rice, while DJKung selected the seco de res for his main dish.
Fried fish with white beans and white rice, with a garnish of thinly sliced red onion. I think they alternate between whiting and tilapia. Simply scrumptious. Seco de res. Beef in cilantro sauce, simmered till it's falling apart. Also served with white beans and rice.
I'm not sure what this dessert is called. It's a rice pudding with a chica-type sauce, with cinnamon and pineapple. We actually took this home because we were so full.On regular occasions, we gravitate towards two items on their menu: chaufa de mariscos and lomo saltado.
Chaufa de mariscos (seafood fried rice). This is cooked Chinese-style, with that nice wok sear. It is finished off with a dab of sesame oil. This serving is actually enough for two, and the seafood (shrimp, squid, your occasional mussel) is pretty generous.
Lomo saltado. This is a stir-fry of beef strips, tomato, onion and french fries. Delish---I always try to snag some of DJKung's fries. El Fogon also makes a seafood saltado, but the sauce is not the same without that beefy goodness.
Another notable dish that we've gotten for parties is the El Fogon/Seis Sabores tray. This is their grilled assortment of six different cuts of meat (including steak, pork chop, chicken breast, hot dog). I'm not sure what tpe of rub/marinade they use, but it is very savory.
Finally, do not forget to try their homemade alfajores (buttery cookie sandwich with dulche de leche filling), which is in a big glass cookie jar by the counter. Make sure you get the individually-wrapped cookies, because that's the good kind. They are so decadently rich; some find it overly sweet, but the salt in the cookies cuts the caramel pretty well.
