FOODIE QUICKIE: PIO PIO

PIO PIO 

Apparently Im the only New Yorker that hasn't had the pleasure of dining at Pio Pio, a highly popular Peruvian restaurant with several locations across New York City. I finally had the chance to jump on the bandwagon and go to Pio Pio recently,  after a sudden trip to the emergency room. Dont worry fabulous eaters, I will be back to my usual shenanigans in a few days! Now, its not that Pio Pio wasnt on my to-do list because it was..I just never got around to dining there. So after having the unanimous vote of being hungry after the hospital trip and also wanting something new, my dad suggested we head to Pio Pio for their signature roast chicken and sangria.  See even my dad has been to Pio Pio before me! SMH ! On a friday night this small restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue was wall to wall packed, but luckily we only waited  a few minutes for a table. Looking at the to go menu as we waited, we sat down at the table ready to order.....and heres what we dined on. 

~ Pitcher of Sangria 
~ Matador Combo - Chicken Pio x yellow rice and beans x tostones x salchipapa x avocado salad 
~Picante de Camarones - Shrimp x garlic x onions x white wine x creamy spicy sauce x quinoa cake stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. 

::: Sigh::: Almost everything I love in life was on that dinner table. Roast chicken, rice, avocado, tostones, sangria, ugh the list goes on. On top of the fact that I love spanish cuisine, this was a perfect ending to my day in the ER. The pitcher of sangria didn't last long on the table between my dad and myself, and even my mom who is a non-drinker, tasted some of mine and she agreed...."oh yea thats good". All the food on the table was fresh and you could clearly taste that. The avocado salad was bright, the lettuce crisp and there was the right amount of dressing. I wound up pushing the entire salad right past my parents to my side after I ate everything else. 2 interesting dishes on the table was the "salchipapa" and the spicy shrimp dish my mom had. I didn't quite get the salchipap at first which is a Latin American snack/street food if you will, consisting of french fries with crispy pieces of fried hot dogs on top. It took me coming home and googling it, but I get it now, dont get me wrong interesting combo but it was good. The spicy shrimp dish was great, I tried to contain my fork from constantly visiting my mothers plate. The shrimp were large and perfectly cooked, and surprisingly the quina, goat cheese and the creamy sauce assured me to make a mental note order that the next time around. Even if I dont go back to the Amsterdam location, I will be going back to Pio Pio again...and again....oh yea and again. 

PIO PIO 
702 Amsterdam Avenue 
New York, N.Y. 10025 
212.665.3000
http://piopio.com/#/pio-pio-peruvian-restaurant-new-york-city