Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix is known for its preservation of Phoenix's Victorian architecture. Since the 1970s, some of the last remaining homes built by the first White settlers in the area have been preserved as part of a cultural park surrounded by more modern development. Although the architecture may be set in time, the restaurant tenants within the old houses there have changed in recent years. While Pizzeria Bianco continues to claim the south side of Adams Street, the dining options on the north side feature new arrivals like Que Sazon.
tiradito
Que Sazon is a Latin American restaurant evolved from a food truck. Its menu is grounded in the culinary traditions of nations like Colombia and Peru but with some incorporation of Mexican aspects to translate the food into something familiar and accessible to a broad audience. The restaurant occupies the Teeter House, most recently home to Nobou Fukuda's acclaimed restaurant that did not survive the pandemic. The location is about a quarter mile from the light rail platforms at Third Street / Jefferson (eastbound) and Third Street / Washington (westbound).
empanadas
Nobuo's approach to the Teeter House was always to respect the building's history by not adding too much thematic adornment, and the married couple who run Que Sazon have followed a similar approach. The house, like the food, speaks for itself, providing a comfortable dining environment that is both classy and casual at the same time. The only noticeable difference in the ambience is that Que Sason has activated the front patio, cooling it with a giant fan and covering tables with umbrellas that make outdoor dining appealing much of the year.
tostones
Inside or out, Que Sazon operates as a full-service restaurant with a short printed menu that covers both lunch service and early dinner hours, as well as supplementary menus for drinks, desserts, and ceviche. The ceviche is typically offered only after four in the afternoon. Make sure to ask for that menu if visiting for an early dinner or happy hour, for it features some of the kitchen's best work. At any time, satisfying starters include Latin American favorites like maduros, sweet and soft sliced plantains, and yuca fries, made with starchy cassava root.
El Duro Original
Although the menu is segmented into different categories, most of what is offered doesn't fit neatly into arbitrary classifications of appetizers, entrees, and side dishes. Instead, the approach is fluid and flexible, allowing customers to build and share meals incorporating disparate elements. The empanadas, for example, can be something enjoyed early in a meal, or if ordered in a trio to create an entree – a strategy that makes sense if trying one with each type of filling: chicken, beef, and pernil. The last item is seasoned, slow-cooked pork shoulder.
carne picante tacos and elote
A similar approach can work with the tostones. These crisp slabs of fried plantain are topped with a choice of chicken paired with mango, a vegetarian option with mushrooms, and more of the same pernil found in the empanadas. These types of fillings and toppings also appear in formats adapted from Mexican traditions, resulting in trios of tacos. The standout choice here is the carne picante, a spicy steak filling, but pork, chicken, and meatless options are also available. The elote, another Mexican influence, is a suitable side with any of the taco meals.
Ceviche Tradicional Peruano
While most of Que Sazon's menu is built around small bites designed for sharing and remixing into different combinations, the restaurant does offer some full entree plates. El Duro (loosely translated as "the hard one" or "the greatest") is tender pork interlaced with crisp plantain planks and served with black beans and rice. Although its flavor is mild, asking for some hot sauce yields both red (medium) and orange (very hot) options. Similarly presented entrees are available with chicken and tofu as alternative proteins. All can be reinterpreted as burritos.
pollito asado
The kitchen at Que Sazon adds another twist after 4 PM when uncooked fish in the South American tradition becomes available. The Ceviche Colombiano incorporates marinated shrimp that are butterflied rather than minced as with many Mexican ceviches. It is usually served with tostones. The Ceviche Tradicional Peruano features white fish in leche de tigre, the Peruvian fish marinade, with large kernels of crisp corn and plantain chips. Tiradito involved larger slices of fish paired with mango and habanero flavors with a serving of calamari rings on the side.
dessert empanadas
While the ceviche and tiradito offerings are by far the most adventurous fare to emerge from the kitchen, the opposite end of the taste spectrum is accommodated with a children's menu with the likes of quesadillas and fries, prepared with the same protein options and degree of care as the adult items. Desserts include an aborrajado empanada stuffed with cheese and mashed plantain, as well as a shareable sweet sampler of banana empanadas, halved and presented with coconut gelato, drizzled with caramel, and topped with mixed berries on a single platter.
sangria
The bar serves fresh frozen fruit juices in sweet and slightly sour flavors like kiwi and guanabana, otherwise known as soursop. Like these alcohol-free juices, the house sangria is restrained in its use of sugar, producing a nicely tart wine-based drink. The house margaritas are powerful, served with a shooter of liqueur on the side. While Heritage Square maintains its architectural traditions, Que Sazon celebrates the diversity of modern Phoenix through the unlikely but successful combination of Victorian architecture and Latin American cuisine.
622 E. Adams St., Phoenix AZ 85004
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