There must be chickens somewhere laying golden eggs because Golden Chicken has got it made with their flavor. Anyone remember the Fable called "The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg?" Well if you do, the name of the restaurant kinda reminds me of that fable title, minus the Goose of course. The name actually triggered my taste buds and put me on to what I now describe as some of the best Peruvian chicken I've had thus far.
Here goes another one of my favorites located in Hillside, Queens, Golden Chicken is what I would call a hidden gem that should be favored by more than some. Why only favored to some? Well, because to me it's very underrated and some would say the quality of the food has gone down and service can improve. From my experience the food is very good, but I do agree that the service can be better. Upon my last visit, I waited about 20 minutes (if not more) for my order and it was not as fresh as expected. However, my last visit won't deter me because sometimes one has to understand businesses do have off days. Even if the day is not so off for the business, it may just be the time of your visit that could make the experience not good as the other ones. For the most part the quality of the food here has good consistency.
I am not sure why, but my last two times visiting Golden Chicken it appeared to me that their business sign has been removed. I almost missed the place driving because upon arrival it was not clear to me that I reached my destination when looking for the restaurant. As you know, if you visit any place a few times you start to remember the look of things and it's surroundings, but in this case I thought they closed down. The inside of the restaurant is dimly lit and small, but big enough to fit about two to three small tables for seating. They currently have seating available, but it is even more limited due to the pandemic. There is a big window to place your order with a menu sealed to it and alongside paper menus for grabs as well as a small bench to await takeout orders. Being that the lighting is not that good, I do recommend getting your food to go. Overall, the space is okay. On the other hand, if you are driving parking is quite fair with paid meter as long as it is during a time when spots are available.
The chicken here is aaa-maaa-zinggg! It's rotisserie style with flavors that really pop, making you say...so that's what it's supposed to taste like. Yum! The skin on the chicken has a nice glaze to it, almost golden like it's glistening back at you. The meat is juicy and fresh, seasoned just as well as the skin. The inside is getting the same love as the outside in each bite on this bird. I always get a half chicken, preferably breast and wing with two side choices of golden rice and beans with sweet plantains. The rice is cooked well served with pinto beans, but be sure to ask for extra liquid from the beans if you want more boost in flavor. The plantains are very sweet and compliment the flavors of everything else in the dish adding a great sweetness to the savor from the chicken. No way can I forget to mention the green sauce also known as Aji Verde, which is spicy with hints of jalapeno, avocado, garlic, lime, cilantro, you have the idea right? It's so good, and a definite staple when it comes to Peruvian and other food dishes across the region. They offer so many other varieties to choose from ranging from steak to shrimp if you want to try other dishes. There are also a selection of sides to try in addition to the ones I mentioned. I highly recommend trying the chicken if you are going for the first time. If you want a little less than half, try a quarter chicken to see if you like it.
Golden Chicken is my go to for Peruvian food that made me fall in love with rotisserie style chicken again. It's also another reason for me to visit Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. Conveniently located at 17944 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica NY 11432 you can walk in or call in your order on the phone. They also have another location in Bay Shore, NY if you happen to be nearby. Delivery is available on Seamless, DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber. Try it and see if it's golden enough for you too! read more