Addicted to the Green Sauce at Tu Casa

Last week, my boyfriend and I were invited to try Tu Casa, a Spanish and Peruvian restaurant which has locations in Kew Gardens and in Astoria.  We decided to check out the Astoria spot, and despite living here for nearly two years, I had never noticed this place on Steinway and 30th Ave.

We decided to kick off the meal with sangria, and I noticed on a Sunday evening, they were offering margaritas and sangria for $5 each. To start, we got the chorizo with the tostones, or crispy green plantains, which frankly reminded me of a potato ($8.99).  While the appetizer didn’t look that appetizing, it was actually delicious. The chorizo wasn’t overly spicy, and the portion was huge – I knew after we finished the appetizer, there was no way I’d be able to finish my dinner.  The plantains were great too, especially because I dipped them in the green and white sauces that were provided.  Now, the white sauce tasted like a ranch, but that green sauce was spicy and addicting.  I’m a fan of spicy foods (the boyfriend is not), so I was pouring that green sauce all over everything – and it was delicious.

I’ve had Peruvian food before, so knowing how amazing the green sauce is, for dinner, I kept it simple and just ordered a half of a rotisserie chicken ($6). It was juicy and I got two huge pieces, and once again, I found myself using the chicken as a vehicle to eat that green sauce.  I also ordered a side of sweet plantains (maduros), to get that sweet and savory combination ($4).  My boyfriend got the Lomo Saltado, or sliced beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes & cilantro, served with rice & fries ($14.99). He was very happy with his dish, and I thought it was good too – meat was pretty tender.

We had intentions of splitting the two dishes, but to be honest, we were stuffed.  We packed up all out leftovers, and we were each able to make another meal out of our dinners – and to be honest, I couldn’t even finish all the plantains.  So since our meal was valued at $34 (without the drinks), you could say we were able to get 4 dinners out of it – not bad at all.

If you want to try a Peruvian restaurant that has great food, large portions and decent prices, check out Tu Casa – and definitely make a point to ask for the green sauce. Also, be sure to check out Yelp before you go.  Looks like you’ll be able to score a free frozen margarita at check-in via the Yelp mobile app.