Chef and owner Carlos Herrera-Malaga makes sure his dishes are fun to cook and to eat. photograph by Charles Harris
Fighter jets roar overhead as Carlos Herrera-Malaga places spiced chickens onto a wood-fire rotisserie behind his Goldsboro-based restaurant, Los Fogones. On his way to the kitchen, he makes a quick stop to check on his crop of Peruvian peppers — like the bright and citrusy ají limo and the small but spicy ají charapita — growing in humble planters along a gravel path. The peppers from his home country will flavor everything from the side sauces, ranging in flavor and spice level, to the classic lomo saltado — a stir-fry dish influenced by Chinese immigration to Peru that includes beef tenderloin, peppers, scallions, cilantro, garlic, and soy sauce with both jasmine rice and french fries.
Lomo saltado is a Chinese-style stir fry made with beef tenderloin. photograph by Charles Harris
Los Fogones, which roughly translates to “cooking with wood”, is a Peruvian fusion bar and grill that borrows influences from Japan, China, Europe, and the American South. Goldsboro may seem like an unexpected place for a flourishing Peruvian restaurant, but 15 years ago, Herrera-Malaga saw potential in one key feature: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, which sits practically close enough for the scent of hickory-smoked rotisserie chicken to reach the airmen. He previously owned a steakhouse near Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, so he knew that a military base would guarantee a diverse and curious clientele.
The repeat experiment worked. Today’s lunch rush is full of airmen who wait for their tender beef sandwiches and yuca fries beneath photos of llamas at Machu Picchu and a reed boat on Lake Titicaca.
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Though there’s a great variety of entrées, one thing is consistent: Everything is made by Herrera-Malaga completely from scratch. What he can’t raise or grow himself, he procures from mostly local producers, like top-quality steaks, pork, seafood, and vegetables.
Herrera-Malaga doesn’t consider himself just a cook. “A chef with a passion is like an artist,” he says. “You have to be inspired to create something.” His studio is his home kitchen, where he dreams up new dishes on Sundays. His canvas is the menu at Los Fogones.
Located near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Los Fogones regularly feeds hungry airmen during the lunchtime rush. photograph by Charles Harris
After years of working in exceptional restaurants, including a Michelin star-winning establishment, he’s mastered classic preparation of gourmet dishes, but he also knows how to add his own spin. Take sweet tea: At Los Fogones, it’s spiced with a hefty dose of cinnamon. Or the ribs: Herrera-Malaga learned to slow-cook them here in North Carolina, but he adds his own spice blend with familiar staples like garlic, oregano, and cumin, along with homegrown peppers like rocoto, native to the Andes Mountains.
And so it goes with many of the dishes. Even for a novice to Peruvian food, there’s something familiar, something comfortable, something homey on the menu that has a twist that keeps you intrigued. “People say they love my flavors, my combinations, and that they’ve never tasted anything like this before,” Herrera-Malaga says. “The main thing with Los Fogones is to show the people in Goldsboro my culture, my spices, and my flavor, because Peruvian cuisine is one of the richest cuisines in the world.”
At Los Fogones, diners can enjoy the pollo a la brasa, a Peruvian rotisserie chicken dish served with vegetables and french fries. photograph by Charles Harris
Those flavors are complemented by Herrera-Malaga’s unwavering creativity. That and a desire to serve and please the people who come into his restaurant. He makes a habit of talking to those customers. Every evening as the dinner rush dies down, Herrera-Malaga emerges from the kitchen. He wipes his hands on his apron and quietly weaves from table to table, ensuring that everyone enjoyed each dish — because his art is personal.
Los Fogones
209 South Berkeley Boulevard
Goldsboro, NC 27534
(919) 288-1172
losfogonesrestaurant.com
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