The Peruvian Chicharron Sandwich That Has Customers Coming Back for Years
“When I think of chicharrones, I think of Mexican chicharron, crunchy skin,” Guy Fieri said, taking his first bite. But what he found at J-28 was something entirely different—a Peruvian street sandwich that delivers crunch, creaminess, acid, and heat in perfect balance.
The restaurant’s name carries meaning beyond a catchy title. July 28th is Peru’s Independence Day, and the owners chose to open on that exact date. “So it’s not just great food, it’s Peruvian pride,” Guy noted. That pride comes through in every layer of their signature chicharron sandwich.
Building the Sandwich from Scratch
J-28 doesn’t cut corners. They make their own rosetta rolls in-house, starting with flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Water goes in first, then sugar after two minutes of mixing. The dough proofs for two hours before baking for 20 minutes. The result? A roll with serious crunch on the outside—you can hear it when you bite in—but fluffy and soft inside.
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The pork belly gets a complex marinade: ginger, oregano, five spices, brown sugar, salt and pepper, aji amarillo, aji panca paste, garlic paste, red wine vinegar, and soy sauce. It marinates overnight, then gets boiled in the marinade with water before being drained and fried until crispy. That final fry is what gives the pork belly its signature texture while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
The fire sauce brings the heat through a combination of rocoto peppers and limo peppers. The chef explained that limo is actually spicier, but the combination of both creates something unique. They blend the peppers with salt, oil, and a little water to create a sauce that “carries” the sandwich, as the chef put it.
The Assembly and Guy’s Reaction
The sandwich comes together with mayo on that beautiful rosetta roll, followed by sweet potato, slices of crispy pork belly, pickled onions made with lime juice, fresh cilantro, and that fire sauce on top. The finished product is so substantial that Guy had to smash it down to get his mouth around it.
His verdict was enthusiastic: “The bread gives me that crunch. After that, you get that creaminess of the sweet potato, the much-needed acid of the onion, and the tender juicy pork. And then the little icing on top—that pepper sauce. This is fantastic.”
One regular customer who discovered J-28 two and a half years ago summed it up simply: “Been coming here ever since.” Another customer who had actually traveled to Peru confirmed that the sandwiches at J-28 “are always perfect.”
What Makes This Different
If you’re a fan of how different cuisines approach pork, this sandwich offers something distinct from dishes like a Whole Hog Sandwich in Santa Barbara. The Peruvian approach with aji peppers and sweet potato creates flavor combinations you won’t find elsewhere. And unlike Alex Guarnaschelli’s Sliders with a Chee, this is a substantial street food experience meant to satisfy serious hunger.
The key techniques worth noting: marinating overnight, boiling in the marinade before frying, and using two different types of Peruvian peppers in the fire sauce. These aren’t shortcuts—they’re the traditional methods that make Peruvian chicharron sandwiches legendary in their home country.
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