Orem-based Red Fuego keeps Peru’s culinary fire burning
The Lomo Saltado at Red Fuego in Orem.
The Pollo a la Brasa with a salad and yuca fries is at Red Fuego in Orem.
A variety of sides including, clockwise from top left, a fruit mix, yuca fries, quinoa, platano fritos and sweet potato at Red Fuego in Orem.
The interior of Red Fuego in Orem.
A side of quinoa is flanked by other sides at Red Fuego in Orem.
A fruit mix at Red Fuego in Orem.
The Pollo a la Brasa with a salad and yuca fries at Red Fuego in Orem.
The Lomo Saltado — a dish of rice, french fries, red onions, tomatoes and strips of steak — at Red Fuego in Orem. To read the Herald’s new review, visit
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A variety of sides including, clockwise from center, a fruit mix, yuca fries, quinoa, platano fritos, sweet potato fries and black beans at Red Fuego in Orem.
By the time our food arrived at Red Fuego, I was downright ravenous. The new Peruvian restaurant, which recently opened in the Orem strip mall that houses Harmons and Chef Gao, isn’t the speediest eatery around. Don’t go if you’re in a rush.
If you have a wide open Saturday afternoon, as I did, you should probably try it out.
Though it’s only been open for three months, Red Fuego seems to be thriving. Nearly all of the restaurant’s wood tables — which, we later learned, were built by one of the owners — were occupied that afternoon. Props to Red Fuego’s décor, by the way. Whites and dark grays, along with an enormous photo of Machu Picchu on one wall, complement the wood finishing quite nicely. In the design department, Red Fuego bests Utah County’s other Peruvian restaurants by a wide margin.
But did I come for the ambiance? Not really. I came for the food — which one of my Peruvian coworkers highly recommended. Red Fuego’s menu is quite streamlined: The Lomo Saltado and Pollo a la Brasa (rotisserie chicken) plates are the only entrees, with a handful of sides. Now, this isn’t a complaint. I think more restaurants would be wise to simplify their menus. I don’t need a million options. Just give me a few items done well.
Red Fuego hangs its hat on Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken. I reviewed another rotisserie chicken place last month (El Pollo Royo), so my taste buds were calibrated. El Pollo Royo’s chicken was practically life changing, so expectations were high. Our order of chicken at Red Fuego wasn’t quite as good as El Pollo Royo’s — the former’s char could’ve been crispier — but it was still pretty great. Red Fuego’s Pollo a la Brasa was well seasoned, with some kind of rub that gave it a simultaneously sweet and smoky taste. The chicken comes with two sides, so we chose the Platano Frito (fried plantains) and fruit mix, which included mangos, peaches, blueberries and watermelon.
Now, this Lomo Saltado. It’s a Peruvian staple, and I order it every time I visit a Peruvian restaurant. It includes rice, French fries, red onions, tomatoes and strips of steak. Even when it’s not executed perfectly, the flavors are too good to fail. This dish has a baseline deliciousness that’s quite high. Red Fuego really hits a homerun here. The common mistake with a pan-cooked dish of vegetables and meat is overcooking both. This’ll make the vegetables mushy and the meat tough. You basically want the opposite. When cooked right, the vegetables maintain their crispness and the meat its tenderness. (Avoiding mushy vegetables also keeps the French fries from turning soggy.) On all fronts, Red Fuego delivered the goods here.
One last note: Red Fuego includes a side of creamy cilantro sauce with each order. Don’t let this go untasted! It’s subtle without losing its kick. I dipped my chicken and fries in this sauce a bunch of times.
Red Fuego takes its time with your food. (We waited about 40 minutes for ours.) If you like Peruvian food, though, get Red Fuego into your rotation. It’s worth the wait.
RED FUEGO
Where: 824 E. 800 North, Orem
Prices: $8-$12 for individual meals, $24 for a family-sized meal
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
Info: (801) 224-7210, facebook.com/redfuegoorem