INTEL: EL GUAYAQUILEÑ0 —a coastal Ecuadorian restaurant opens in Albany
The former Ichiban Japanese + recent Burmese Wok N Roe on Central Ave has new life as Ecuadorian coastal cuisine.
For many years 338 Central Ave was home to Ichiban, a popular sushi restaurant. In recent years it changed hands, only subtly rebranding to Ichiban and Chang’s Garden, a Chinese-owned dine-in and takeout. In September 2025, it became Wok n Roe, a Burmese + Thai eatery. But by February 2026, the storefront windows had been wrapped with a poster-size photo menu, the Wok N Roe sign spray-painted the colors of Ecuador’s flag. El Guayaquileño is the new spot on the block. —SDP
If you’ve been to Ichiban or Wok N Roe, you’ll recognize the unchanged interior with the same booths lining both sides of the slim dining room, the paper-and—wood shoji screen partition walls, and the rear sushi counter now filled with pre-filled take out sauce cups instead of raw fish. Owner Darwin Arbolea, a former police officer and restaurant owner from Guayaquil, Ecuador, moved to New York City in 2024, working his way up from dishwasher to line cook under Executive Chef Segundo at Le Monde in Manhattan. When I stopped in to talk with Arbolea, language proved a barrier, so I called a Spanish-speaking friend to help translate.
When did you move to Albany and decide to open your own place?
I moved here last August because I wanted to have a business of my own and the prices were too high in Manhattan. I first opened a grocery store at 26 Central Ave called Guayaquil Multi Services No. 1, and then in February this year I took over this space and opened the restaurant.
Guayaquil is a port city in Ecuador. Is that the regional focus of the menu?
Yes, Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador and also the main port. So we specialize in food from the coast of Ecuador, seafood and ceviches like ceviche de pezcado or ceviche volquetro Ecuador and encebollado mixta Ecuador. We have a lot of popular Ecuadorian dishes and we also do cattering for events like baptisms and quinceañeras.
Photos: SDP. 3/14/26