Located on a side street to the main avenue of Carracoles in the town of San Pedro, we were recommended to this restaurant ( Carmen's delight) when we asked the pretty lady at our hotel reception where she would go to grab a bite.
Tucked away on a dark and quieter street, it was really crowded and lively inside! We were welcomed by the delicious aromas of roasted chicken ( yes, you heard it from a vegetarian) as we had to walk by the kitchen before reaching the dining area. It was a no-frills kinda place, just food and whatever ambience it was would be created by the diners and their reception of the mood ! That said, there were also 3 buskers who stayed briefly playing some music on 2 guitars and an Andean windpipe. .. Selecting from a menu on the blackboard, we had to guess at the names of dishes and consult from our spanish phrasebook what it may possibly contain ! We looked forward to the Choclo de Pastel ( a very local casserole of corn and beef) and pebre (appetizers).
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| Pebre ( small dish) and salads! (Humongous portions) |
The servings turned out to be much larger than anticipated, given the 'maincourse' size of a salad that came with one of our dishes- we don't know which ?! Foodie me had downloaded a free app called 'My City Cuisine' which is a user contributed list of local foods organised by country. This is great for giving you an inkling of what the local delights are regardless of language barriers! Choclo de Pastel was on that list... :) Its a wonderful sweet and savoury dish but very very rich and for a bowl that size, all 3 'S' sized travellers could not finish at one sitting. It has a creamy but light texture, really yummy though very hazardous for vegetarians if minced meat is used- its like having to de-mine a piece of land to farm...not knowing if there are landmines (minced meat) within!
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| Choclo de Pastel ....... delish! |
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| Veggie Lasagna with a side of potatoes |
With 3 foodies, it was easy to share and taste/try different dishes we ordered! As a veggie-gal I am always happy to support legumes! So I ordered a lentil soup, after asking in limited spanish if it contained any meat. Was reassured no meat, so happily I placed the order for the cheapest thing on the menu, ( 2000 Chilean Pesos approx. £2.60, S$ 5) expecting a manageable appetizer sized bowl of soup. IT was super yummy and filling! Lentils and potatoes, a complete meal in itself- in my case, probably good for 3 meals!
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| Lentil Soup in a bowl the size of my face! |
All in all, a delicious and economical meal in a home-styled restaurant complete with staff members that are all characters in themselves ! And it was so good we went back again for lunch the following day!
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