Eduardo Vargas' brasa rotisserie chicken opens, and it's delicious

Last night we indulged in something we haven’t eaten since our last trip home: rotisserie chicken.

We had heard rumors about Edudaro Vargas' new place, but last week when a foodie friend admitted to ordering brasa rotisserie chicken’s RMB 38 “Quarter Combo” (quarter of a chicken, one small side, a salad and one sauce) three times in a week for lunch -- and it was only Thursday -- we knew we had to get our call in soon before the masses got wind and tied up the delivery lines.

Promising to deliver a chicken “specially marinated for 24 hours and slowly cooked over a bed of hardwood charcoals for 60 minutes -- golden-brown and crisp on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside” to your door, restaurateur Eduardo Vargas hits another niche market: high quality, well-priced delivery. Although delivery in a city that delivers just about anything is far from new, that together with the first two criteria makes this new venue something of note.

Although the chicken we ordered wasn’t exactly piping hot after its trip north to our apartment (Vargas could invest in a few insulated delivery bags), the taste was on target and the chicken was perfectly done. The accompanying ambiguously labeled “green” and “red” sauces were decent, but the chicken was seriously good enough to stand on its own. The garlic fries also held their own but didn’t steal the dinnertime spotlight.

Although brasa rotisserie chicken has space to eat-in, it’s geared to takeout/delivery with limited seating -- but we’re not complaining. With winter setting in, brasa rotisserie chicken (and all its leftovers in our 'fridge), is exactly what the doctor, hm, Shanghai dining scene ordered.

getting there

brasa rotisserie chicken
888 Shanxi Nan Lu, between Zhaojiabang Lu and Jianguo Xi Lu
tel +86 400 8202 172
www.brasachicken.com.cn