Polleria: Peruvian Chicken Rotisserie in Guting

When we first heard through Instagram that there was a Peruvian place in Taipei, we didn’t believe it. “What? No way,” was our immediate reaction, which then morphed into “well it must be new.” Then, “bet it’s completely out of the average person’s budget.” Wrong on all counts. Not only is there a Peruvian restaurant in Taipei, but it’s actually been here for five years, completely unbeknownst to us, and it’s totally affordable, too. It’s hardly a secret (apparently), but to those of you who were as dumbfounded and curious as us, here are our thoughts.

Polleria is a rather no-frills rotisserie in Guting that specializes in chicken with rice. Their menu is very straightforward — just choose a combo of any two or more of the following: chicken, Peruvian green rice, salad, and french fries. All combos come with a soft drink (coke or sprite) that you can upgrade to a Peruvian drink or a beer (Corona) for around $100. Prices for the combos are between $299 – $399. Feeling hungry, we went for combo #4, which included everything. It was the most expensive option on the menu at $399, and we paid an extra $190 to upgrade to the Peruvian soft drinks. More on them later.

Our meal arrived quickly and smelled great. We weren’t sure what to expect from Polleria, but we ended up loving our food. The chicken was fantastic, very tender and flavourful, especially when combined with the Peruvian chili sauce. The skin was perfectly crispy. The salad was nice, the french fries were fine (though we would consider skipping them next time — there was a lot of food, and if we had to choose one thing to go, this would be it) and the rice was delicious. Honestly, we would have been happy with the chicken and the rice alone. It was simple but good.

The two drinks we ordered were the chicha, a Peruvian purple corn juice, and Inca Kola. It was our first time trying either of these, and we weren’t 100% sold, but it was fun trying them out. The chicha was very mild, to the point where it was hard to discern any flavour, and the Inca Kola had an almost bubblegum-y taste to it. They aren’t always in stock, so we were lucky.

Check out their full menu here:

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Polleria. It wasn’t exactly cheap, but the chicken and rice were delicious, and we loved the fact that we were able to get authentic Peruvian cuisine in Taipei. When we return, we’ll probably skip the french fries and Peruvian soda to keep it more affordable.

What’s the vibe?

No-frills Peruvian rotisserie in Guting. There was a mix of local and foreign customers.

Worth it?

It’s definitely not cheap, but we wouldn’t have expected to pay any less for Peruvian food in Taipei. It’s definitely worth trying once, at least for the novelty.

Would you go back?

Yes.

Last updated September 2019. 

Polleria

Chinese Name: 秘魯烤雞

Hours: 12pm – 9pm

Phone: 0979 511 540

English Address: No. 61-5, Guling Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

Chinese Address: 台北市中正區牯嶺街61-5號