Restaurant review: A Kikiriki quickie

Zee Choudhury and Erfan Kabir of Bangladesh love Peruvian food so much they'd used to travel all the way to Arlington to get it.

The friends and restaurateurs hoped to one day marry the moderately-priced, quick serve concept with traditional Peruvian fare.

"We always thought if we had the right person—the right cook with the right recipes—we would open a business like this because we like chicken," Choudhury said.

They found that authentic Peruvian chef in Victor Aguilar, who brings more than 30 years experience. And thus, their dream of a quick-serve Peruvian restaurant, Kikiriki Peruvian Style, became reality in December 2008.

Choudhury and Kabir met as young schoolboys in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They reunited in the U.S. after Kabir attained an MBA in accounting from Marymount University and Choudury worked in hotel banquet management. For the past 20 years, their combined interest in food and business prompted them to invest in numerous area restaurants, including IHOP, Dairy Queen, Subway and Quiznos.

Translated, kikiriki means "early morning rooster sound," Choudhury said.

The name "had to be related to chickens," he added, because they are so much a part of the culture in Peru. (Look for the hatching chicken trademark on Kikiriki's festive red, yellow and green signs.)

All menu items are cooked fresh daily and prepared while you wait.

Food is ordered from a pleasant counter staff just inside the door. Patrons are served their hot and fresh food in the adjoining dining room full of colorful booths and tables.

Kikiriki flavors come alive with cumin, cilantro, onions and a native seasoning called panka, Peruvian chile paste made from ground peppers.

"Our chicken is out of this world," Choudhury said. "Fresh, juicy, tender and seasoned."

A whole chicken served with salad and French fries or yuca, a slightly sweet, dense starchy tuberous root similar to the potato, weighs approximately three and a half pounds ($12.95). Chicken can be ordered with the sides in half ($7.95) or quarter portions ($5.95).

Spicy beef heart, antichucho, is marinated for 24 hours, grilled and served kabob-style. Kikiriki's special Grill Mix is a popular item ($13.95). It is a generous meal of a quarter of a chicken, five ounces sirloin steak and half rack of hickory smoked ribs, and includes fries.

Lomito, marinated steak strips served with a mound of savory green rice, is the second most popular item ($5.95). Tender and adequately seasoned, I agree with its status.

Flavorful Peruvian fried fish ($5.95) is made with fresh tilapia, with authentic seasonings. It is served with a traditional sautéed red onion and wine vinegar condiment.

Be sure to try Kikiriki's version of tamale: A savory serving of cornmeal piled on a steamed banana leaf and topped with a moist portion of its trademark chicken.

For a unique fast-food experience, try Kikiriki's No. 1-selling dish, cebiche (also spelled ceviche or seviche). This marinated raw fish is considered the most traditional dish of Peru. It originated during Colonial times, when Peruvian fisherman used diced raw fish as bait, or cebo. Hungry fisherman would add salt and lemon to the diced fish and have it for lunch. The acid in fresh lemon or lime juice with salt stops the growth of micro-organisms in fish while softening the flesh. Seasoned with Picante sauce and Peruvian spices, cebiche laced with slivers of red onion and cilantro comes with sides of sweet potato and corn for a healthy, light but ample, lunch or appetizer ($7.95).

Your kids will love a Columbian children's dish called salchipapa. Deep-fried hot dog slices are tossed with French fries then served with ketchup, mayo and a special yellow sauce ($3.95).

To quench your thirst, discover the wonders of Peruvian drinks. Chicha Morada ($2.50 a bottle) is a grape-colored beverage made from purple corn and tastes like fruity punch. Lemon-yellow Inca Kola has a kid-friendly bubblegum taste. Both beverages are noncarbonated.

Kikiriki's also carries classic fare: Hamburgers, fresh chicken wings cooked to order, gyros, chicken strips and crispy chicken salad.

For dessert, you can skip the carnival for a funnel cake fix. Kikiriki serves piping hot Funnel Sticks for a bargain-price ($1.95). Thin and crispy, sprinkled with sweet powdered sugar, these lightly-browned pastry treats are served in a cardboard tray piled like French fries. Hot and yummy! Flan is exceptionally dense and sweet with a layer of coconut on top ($2.50) and more satisfying than traditional Spanish custard.

Finally, don't miss out on the delectable alfajores. These traditional Spanish confections are melt-in-your-mouth cookies, sandwiched with a dulce-de-leche filling and topped with powdered sugar and a light coating of coconut ($2.50 each). Moist tres leche, cake soaked in three types of cream, was recently added to the dessert menu.

"Our biggest strength is our food, freshly-made daily. …We take pride in our chicken, but we don't sell only chicken," Choudhury said. "We want people to try our food and feel like this is a community restaurant."

Mary Ann Kauchak lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Salt & Pepper Books in Occoquan. She can be reached at .

WANT TO GO?

» KIKIRIKI PERUVIAN STYLE, 4475 Cheshire Station Plaza (near Dale Boulevard)

» CALL: 703-730-3770

» HOURS:

Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

» ALSO: Kikiriki caters and may be reserved for private parties up to 100 people.