Mami Nora's

Growing up in Massachusetts, my only experience with rotisserie chicken was heading to Boston Chicken with the family where I would devour a whole chicken and then fight my brothers for the extra piece of cornbread. Since then my experience has devolved into picking up a lonely rotisserie chicken from underneath the Harris Teeter warming lamps on occasional frequent lazy days.

While I was driving my friend Ramon home, he pointed to a big yellow building and said, "Man, their food so good you'll suck the bone dry." That building happened to belong to Mami Nora's. A Raleigh mainstay, Mami Nora's is one of the places that people always mention when talking about a good meal but whose location was always a mystery to me. Finally, with the bright yellow building and aromas of charcoal roasted chicken staring right at me, I figured it was time to renew my view of what rotisserie chicken could be.

1/2 Chicken, Fries and Black beans

Mami Nora's is far removed from what I knew back at my old Boston Market days. Mami Nora's is a throwback to true Peruvian cuisine. Imported Peruvian oven, wooden charcoal, special marinades and spices fly you down to South America without the hassle from customs.

1/4 Chicken, Yucca Fries, Chicken Soup

The aroma from the chicken tempted me the entire ride back home. The fragrance was so enticing that I wanted to pull over and eat it mid-transmit. Once Sara and I were finally able to dig into the chicken we met meat that fell off the bone and skin saturated with bold flavors. Many of the sides are traditional South American fair. Sara indulged in some yucca fries, which were good despite the portion being a bit small. She was very impressed by their cilantro-heavy chicken soup. My black beans were hardy and satisfying while the fries were just an afterthought on the plate.

Mustard/Mayo & Aji Sauces

While the chicken doesn't need any condiments to enhance the dining experience, Mami Nora's offers two different sauces. Cilantro and hot peppers combine to make Mami Nora's aji sauce, a.k.a the green stuff. With its almost horseradish texture and heat, I wanted to bottle it and ascend it next to my holy Trinity of Sauces; sriracha, Mexican hot sauce, and sweet chili sauce. The mustard and mayo sauce felt like watching Jennifer Morrison play Zoey on How I Met Your Mother, awkwardly familiar but never really left an impression on me either way.

Flan

To finish off on a sweet note, we went with the flan. I have yet to meet a flan that wowed me but I did enjoy Mami Nora's flan. It is what to be expected, firm custard and very sweet.

The next day Sara and I felt exceeding lazy, so we got Mami Nora's to take home again. It was even better the second time around.





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