Newcastle’s hidden Peruvian street food gem
Latin American music pumps as a steady stream of regulars begins to trickle in for their Peruvian pork rolls from La Chosita’s unmissable bright blue food truck, framed by lush tropical plants.
Owner, Jason Osorio, is busy prepping for lunch as the mouth-watering smell of pork wafts through the air. Jason is clearly in his element, buzzing as he moves between warming up his mother’s beautiful homemade tamales and checking on the pork cooking away.
What started as a way to help Jason and his family through the turbulent times of COVID has, years later, blossomed into a community hub where people come together to connect over irresistibly tasty plates of Peruvian food.
It’s a joint family effort. Jason’s mum is the keeper of the recipes, putting time and care into every tamale and chilli sauce she prepares for the food truck. Jason hasn’t let his mum’s cooking wisdom go to waste, learning by watching and replicating every cooking trick she has up her sleeve.
At the forefront of the daily operations, Jason is busy creating a community-focused space to showcase the food inspired by his talented mother. La Chosita has become part of the Osorio family DNA, with Jason’s son now keenly involved and helping to recreate the dishes he grew up eating.
While Jason and his family have enjoyed expanding Novocastrians’ ideas of what a traditional Peruvian meal can look like, La Chosita was built with a bigger purpose, to bring Newcastle back to the table.
The food truck isn’t simply somewhere to grab lunch, it’s a place where people can interact with one another again. Everything in La Chosita’s yard has been designed with this purpose in mind. From the children’s toys to the rescued plants, the space has been built for Novocastrians to sit down, share a meal, share stories and vibe to warm music.
You can feel the warmth of the community Jason has built, with different spaces created for anyone and everyone to settle in.
This ‘one-man show’ has created a successful business where, at times, Jason gets more customers than he can physically serve.
At a time when people increasingly feel disconnected from one another, Jason is creating a place to reconnect, one plate of vibrant Peruvian food at a time.
What they’re DisHhing up
Vibrant, soul-filling Peruvian food that doesn’t break the bank.
Everything on the menu honours traditional Peruvian dishes, with small modifications made for the Australian palate, think chicken without the bone. The kitchen’s homemade salsa criolla, a bright and zesty pickled onion condiment, accompanies every dish and looks just as good as it tastes.
The menu is a culinary education in the food that fuels Peruvians, with La Chosita’s homemade chilli taking centre stage. With homegrown Peruvian chillies integrated throughout the menu, Jason’s mission is to teach customers to love his mother’s chilli and the flavours it brings to every bite.
Our must-tries from the kitchen:
Tamales
Mum’s traditional recipe for slow-roasted pork and chicken tamales and currently a customer favourite. These Peruvian tamales are moist, flavourful corn-based parcels of goodness, wrapped and steamed in banana leaves and served with La Chosita’s zesty pickled onion. Nothing beats Mum’s tamales!
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)
A dish full of Peruvian soul, this tender, chilli-seasoned chicken comes paired with vibrant, herb-infused green rice and topped with the kitchen’s pickled onion. You’ll want to add some chilli for an extra kick!
Pan con Chicharron (Pork belly roll)
The go-to lunch pick, this famous Peruvian sandwich starts with a soft bread roll layered with seasoned pork, sweet potato medallions and, of course, pickled onion. The pork is crispy yet tender and far too good to pass up!
Traditional Peruvian drinks
Peru’s popular bright-yellow soda, Inca Kola, is a must-try. Known for its sweet bubblegum and lemon-verbena flavour, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a spicy Peruvian feast. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, try the kitchen’s Chicha Morada, a drink made from purple corn that offers a sweet, refreshing spiced fruit punch.
What’s next for La Chosita?
With the community at the heart of La Chosita, Jason is keen to expand on the ideas that bring his customers together.
With talks of collaborating with local artists for live music and community events, night markets and dancing, and even expanding the space to include table tennis, nothing is off the cards for La Chosita.
Whatever comes next, the goal remains the same, creating a community atmosphere around the vibrant Peruvian food, culture, and ideas flowing from this bright blue food truck.
Give La Chosita a follow on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with upcoming events, new dishes and what the community is up to!
The rundown
→ Unpretentious Peruvian street food with community at its heart
→ Bold, vibrant and spicy flavours
→ Soul-filling comfort food that won't break the bank $
→ Vegetarian options
→ Homemade tamales to crispy pork rolls, zesty pickled onions and chilli that bites back
The DisHh features are booked anonymously and paid independently by HUNTERhunter. A restaurant cannot pay to be featured in The DisHh.
