Johnny’s, a new restaurant with Chinese-Peruvian dishes and rotisserie chicken and ribs, recently opened at 642 Lorimer Street. Williamsburg resident Stephanie Tang and her brother John own Johnny’s, which they named after their father, who passed away.
“He had dreams of opening more restaurants and expanding, but he passed unexpectedly when he was young and never got the opportunity to do so,” Stephanie said. “My brother, John, and I opened up this restaurant in honor of him.”
The siblings are the third generation restaurateurs. Their grandfather immigrated from Peru to New York in the early 1970s and opened his first restaurant in Queens in 1973 (and it’s still there).
Stephanie explained that there is a significant population of Chinese in Peru, who immigrated there in search of a better life, and the melding of the two cultures created Chifa, a blend of Chinese and Peruvian cuisines.
Johnny’s menu is small, but mighty, offering a range of dishes inspired by the culinary tradition of Chifa.
“We are serving some of the same recipes that my grandpa has been serving in New York City since the 1970s,” Stephanie said, highlighting Johnny’s pollo a la brasa and ribs.
“We also added several new non-traditional items that are influenced by Chinese-Peruvian flavors, like our sesame Caesar salad.”
Johnny’s menu starts with shareable items and salads like potato and chicken croquetas, pork and shrimp kam lu wantan, a sesame Caesar salad, and a chopped salad. The menu continues with vegetable fried rice and lo mein.
Larger plates include wok-charred seasonal greens, a Peruvian seafood platter called jalea with fried fish, a dish called lomo saltado with stir-fried beef, and a smash burger.
There is rotisserie chicken by the quarter, half, or whole, and a combo plate with a quarter or half chicken and rice or fries, and salad. Rotisserie spare ribs come in two sizes or a combo plate with rice or fries, and salad. All rotisserie items are served with aji verde, a choice of white or fried rice, or fries.
Sides include white rice, yuca frita, papas fritas, and tostones, plus there’s a chocolate chip cookie sundae for dessert.
Stephanie wanted to provide the community with “a delicious new dining option with accessible price points. She hopes Johnny’s can be “a place that people frequent regularly,” she told Greenpointers.
Johnny’s is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.