La Lena
La Lena Peruvian Restaurant logo
Portland, OR (July 12, 2017) – La Leña, a Peruvian restaurant and rotisserie, is now open in Portland’s Ladd’s Addition neighborhood. The casual restaurant offers family-style meals of pollo a la brasa as well as other traditional Peruvian fare.
Adam Warren, formerly of Navarre and Veritable Quandary, and his Peruvian wife, Angeline Perla, are at the helm of the new restaurant. Inspired by Lima’s rotisserie chicken restaurants and the casual comida criolla found throughout the capital's neighborhood huariques, the couple set out to bring home-style Peruvian flavors and culinary techniques to Portland.
La Leña offers local, free-range chickens spit-roasted over a wood fire in a 1,500-pound rotisserie oven, imported from H. Ruiz & Hermanos in Lima--the only one of its kind in Portland. Leña translates to "firewood," a nod to the restaurant's centerpiece.
Other Peruvian staples include Papa a la Huancaina, boiled yellow potatoes topped with a savory cheese sauce, Botija olives and hardboiled egg; Ceviche, fresh local fish marinated in lime juice with onions, sweet potato, aji limo and cancha; a classic Lomo Saltado, stir fried beef with tomatoes, onions, aji amarillo and fries served with garlic rice; and vegetarian options such as Locro de Zapallo, squash, potato and corn stew prepared with aji amarillo and huacatay; and Hongos Saltado, mushrooms stir-fried with tomatoes, onions, aji amarillo and fries served with garlic rice.
The full menu can be found here.
La Leña's menu integrates components unique to Oregon without losing regional authenticity. Local ingredients--some of them grown expressly for La Leña--are combined with traditional Peruvian ones. The chickens for La Leña'spollo a brasa are sourced from Scratch Farms, where they employ only the best farming and animal welfare practices. Huacatay, Peruvian black mint, is grown by local farmer Mark Wooten for the restaurant. Hard-to-find chili peppers are imported from Peru.
La Leña also offers a comprehensive beverage program. House-made non-alcoholic drinks include Limonada, fresh-squeezed lemon and limeade; purple corn Chicha Morada; and Jugo del Día, fresh fruit juices from a top-of-the-line Zummo automatic juicer. Peruvian cocktails such as Pisco Sours and Chilcanos are available, alongside Oregon wines on tap and South American wines by the glass and bottle. Local and Peruvian beers are also available.
La Leña’s interior stands out as warm, comfortable, and inviting, with bold blues and earth tones reminiscent of the couple’s travels through Arequipa and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Inspired by the geraniums planted by locals throughout Peru, large planters filled with the colorful flowers will accent the outdoor sidewalk seating offered in the summer months.
The neighborhood-friendly restaurant, located at 1864 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with takeout, delivery, and brunch to follow. For more information, please visit lalenapdx.com or call 503-946-1157.