Showing posts with label South American. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South American. Show all posts

Thursday, January 14, 2010

El Inka Deli

This is only their appetizer menu, they have an actual full menu with entrees etc.

Restaurant: El Inka Deli

Cuisine: Latin American/Columbian/Peruvian
Last visited: January 12, 2010
Area: Burnaby, BC
3826 Sunset Street
Price Range
:
$10-20


1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 6

Ambiance: 3 (hole in the wall; but had authentic charm)

Overall: 5

Additional comments:

  • Husband and wife team
  • Family owned/operated
  • Owners from Peru
  • Hole in the wall
  • Authentic Latin American food
  • Specializes in Peruvian/Columbian food
  • Extensive menu
  • Lots of snack/appetizer items
  • Very home style
  • Everything made in house/home cooked
  • Homemade chorizo/sausage
  • Authentic Latin drinks
  • Service fantastic! (I want to give a 7/6)
  • Dine-In/Take-out
  • Ready made to-go items
  • Some desserts
  • Open lunch and dinner until 8pm
  • Accepts Visa, Mastercard

**Recommendation: Jalea Mixta


I discovered El Inka Deli a couple months before I started this blog. I was doing my usually research online and after reading rave reviews I immediately put it on my places to try list. I’m never in that area so I never got to try it until this day.


I had made plans to meet Vancouver fashion blogger Nicole, yes it was a fashion + foodie love affair! We thought we had thoroughly planned our date at Vita Bella Italian Ristorante, but an hour before meeting time I double checked the website to discover it was closed on Tuesdays. Damnit!...With last minute planning and limited selection in that area I suggested El Inka Deli. I was originally supposed to make the visit with fellow food blogger and friend Kim (from Panama), however other restaurants got priority. Even in a rush, I did not hesitate to read Kim’s review and write down the order, after all Kim is from South America!

I missed the photo of the outside, so this one is borrowed from Kim.


Located in the tiniest strip mall in the middle of nowhere El Inka Deli joins the list of hole-in-the wall restaurants in Vancouver. El Inka Deli relies on word-of-mouth business and it’s a place that should not be missed. I’ve never been to Latin America, so I’m writing this review from a “North American” stand point. However I’m pretty sure when it comes to food this is the closest thing I will get to the real deal in Vancouver. From the home cooked authentic Latin food, to the Latin soap operas, to the Peruvian imported table mats this place feels like home...that is if I was actually from Latin America. ;p They have an extensive menu, and I’ve only tried 3 things so I can’t make a fair review, but I am certain that I will be back to try more.

I have to make a shout-out to the owners. They are the loveliest people ever! Not only were they great at explaining the menu and making recommendations, but Nicole and I stayed way past closing time (closes at 8pm) without even realizing it, and they made no attempts to kick us out. Overall I had a fabulous Tuesday with great food, great experience and great company!


Other Vancouver hole-in-the wall restaurants include: Thai Basil, Prata-Man Singaporean Cuisine, Dhaka Fish & Biryani Halal Restaurant, “the kitchen”, Panos Greek Taverna, Sushi World, Chen’s Shanghai Kitchen, Budgies Burrito, and no review yet, but must be included the famous Phnom Penh.


On the table:

Cassava Root 3/6

  • Deep fried cassava root with hot sauce (I’m pretty sure it was $3)
  • The owner recommended it and said it was a very typical Peruvian appetizer.
  • Cassava root or yucca root is almost like potato, but firmer, starchier and more fiberous.
  • For me this was the South American version of fries. It was perfectly fried until golden brown and crispy. I liked how they weren’t dry (even though it has a naturally dry quality), and they were nicely salted.
  • It’s not the fist time I’ve tried it before, but I liked the roasted Cassavafrites that accompanied my Chepen Duck at Baru Latino better.
  • They make it great here, but in general the dish doesn’t really do anything for me. It’s good, but something I don’t have to have.
  • The hot sauce or salsa: This is pretty spicy, but I liked it! Nicole and I can handle spicy so we thought it was perfect, but for others this may be too hot. It was not just spicy, but it was very flavourful and homemade with green onions, cilantro, chilies, tomatoes and onions. The spice lingers in your mouth so I needed to wait a bit before trying the other dishes.

Jalea Mixta 5/6

  • Lettuce, deep fried cassava roots, fish and seafood with an onion and tomato topping $15.99
  • Literally meaning “seafood mix” this was another one of her recommendations. It’s a typical Peruvian dish and the owners are from Peru, so I was excited for this.
  • It's 4 rather large pieces of deep fried cod mixed with an assortment of deep fried seafood such as mussels, shrimp, octopus and squid. This mountain of deep fried seafood was served on about 4 deep fried cassava roots.
  • Everything was fried perfectly with the seafood tender and the fish still moist. It wasn’t oily and the batter stayed attached to the seafood.
  • It reminded me of Calamari, but with a pickled salsa on top. The flavour of this dish is savoury and tangy. I liked the salsa because it was marinated in lime juice so the onions were naturally tenderized and sweet, but kept their natural crunch.
  • The batter was excellent! It was crispy and not just salty, but it had a wonderful savoury flavour. It had a orange tint and I’m not sure if it was sweet chili seafood seasoning, but it was just really good! It wasn’t spicy, but had more flavour than salt and pepper alone.
  • What I didn’t like was that the seafood was frozen. I don’t really expect fresh seafood here, but the shrimp was dime sized baby shrimp, the mussels were the size of peanuts, and the squid were little ringlets. Half the time I didn't know what I was eating unless it was the fish or the octopus. I also didn't get much shrimp or mussels.
  • It was one of their pricey items and paying $15.99 at a place like this feels kind of steep, however when I take into consideration the small family operation and labour I can understand.
  • Also I didn’t pay attention to the menu description, because if I had known that there was deep fried cassava root in it I would have opted for another appetizer.

Bandeja Paisa 4/6

  • Red beans cooked with sweet plantain served with platter of ground beef, rice, avocado, a fried egg, deep fried sweet plantains, homemade chorizo (sausage) and chicharron (deep fried pork skin) $15.99
  • This dish is hard for me to rate, because I would never order it on my own. I just had to try it though because it’s what Kim ordered and the owner stressed how authentic the dish is to Columbia. It was definitely served and made authentically, but I just don’t like chicharron. It's a very hearty dish with lots of variety. It's a Latin version of a "Hungry Man's" meal. Everything on the platter is supposed to be eaten together – I enjoyed it much better when I mixed it altogether, like I would fried rice...I didn't know how else to eat it.
  • It was savoury, sweet, and the meats (intentionally) dry, except for the sausage, accompanied with the best creamy red bean 'sauce'.
  • Again it was one of their expensive items, but for the labour that goes into each item and the variety I got - it's justified. It's not gourmet by any means, but very home cooked - like mom's...not my mom though ;)
  • I tried this dish at Marimba! So it was interesting to note the differences. The one at Marimba! was missing one huge thing that I failed to realize until now…the chicharron!
  • The Break Down of the Platter:
  • Chicharron is deep-fried pork rind, and I am not a fan. It doesn't look nice but I obviously still tried it. It’s an extremely deep fried piece of pork rind, and it’s deep-fried to the point of being dry – but it’s supposed to be. It was very thick and crunchy, like a hearty piece of bacon, but it wasn’t really salty. The reddish brown parts were very dry because it was lean, and the white fatty parts were quite juicy. (The closest thing to this that I can actually enjoy is the Suckling Pig at La Brasserie.)
  • The poached egg was a bit overcooked so the yolk didn’t spill over my rice as much as I wanted it to.
  • The best part for me was the ultra creamy stewed red beans. It was almost like the gravy to the meal, but it's not meaty or salty. It was a very deep rich flavour, very subtly sweet, smooth and just perfect! It wasn't only stewed red beans though, I have a feeling there was some pureed carrots or something in there. There was another thickening agent and I’ve never had beans like this before. I would order it as a side and eat it alone with some rice!
  • The next best thing was the deep fried plantains. This wasn’t a typical banana, but also not a plantain – it’s made with a South American banana that’s in between the two. It doesn’t have a strong banana flavour like regular banana does, and it’s not starchy like a typical plantain, but it carries a honey-like mildly sweet flavour. It was soft and creamy and had a crispy thin layer. It went so well with the beans and almost enhanced the flavour of the beans. It's such a great combination together. We also wanted to eat these plantains with ice cream too!
  • I wouldn’t call this “ground beef”. It was more like finely shredded beef jerky. I’m not sure what the authentic way is, but this just caught me off guard. It wasn't too salty and I still liked it.
  • The pita was homemade and I think it called “arepa”. It was made with cornmeal and cheese, but it tastes like a very dry pita with a very subtle cheesy taste. It’s not soft or chewy but more grainy and starchy.
  • I could have used more avocado. For the size of the platter, I needed at least 2 wedges.
  • The homemade chorizo or sausage was good, but again not really for my taste. It was made with pork rind so it was really fatty and I was chewing on pieces of white jelly. This made for an extremely juicy and flavourful chorizo, but again…the texture, is just not for me. I did love the crispy exterior though and overall it was made really well.

El Inka Deli on Urbanspoon

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Marimba! - South American Restaurant


Restaurant: Marimba! - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: South American/Caribbean
Last visited: November 21, 09

Area: Everett, Washington (Waterfront)
1405 Hewitt Ave
Price Range: $10-20 USD (closer to $20)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4 (the huge dance floor + music, you want to dance!)
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

  • Owners/chefs/cooks from South America (Ecuador)
  • Specializes in a variety of authentic South American dishes
  • Homemade/authentic menu choices
  • Popular to locals
  • Spacious
  • Extensive menu
  • Great for appetizers and drinks
  • Great for large groups
  • Weekly Salsa dancing (Fri/weekends)
  • M-F lunch and dinner
  • Saturday and Sunday dinner service - 4pm
  • Happy hour 4-6pm ($3 selected appies)
  • Catering/private party hosting available

**Recommendation: Papas Huancainas, Lechon, Mofongo


I was in Everette for a concert and wanted to find a restaurant nearby. I did my research and I wanted to find something that’s harder to find in Vancouver...at least hard to find well. I decided to go the South American route and discovered this restaurant – Marimba!


I heard good things about and the menu looks really different and authentic. I’m not too familiar with South American dishes, but I have a good idea about Spanish dishes. Most of what we ordered was Westernized versions of authentic South American dishes…but it everything tasted pretty decent still. I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t blown away either. The dishes were interesting and the owners/chefs/cooks are from South America so the menu selection is authentic, but the recipes…I’m not so sure. If it’s still good, I won’t let the idea of “authenticity” bother me too much…but the food was overall a 3.5/6.

On the table:

  • Papas Huancainas 4/6
    • Cooled layered potatoes dressed in a yellow aji pepper sauce and topped with queso fresco and mint $4.99
    • This was really good! I thought it tasted like a Latin version of American potato salad.
    • The yellow aji pepper sauce is homemade and really flavourful. It’s spicy and made with probably a blend of those roasted yellow peppers (the kind from a jar in olive oil), egg yolks and mayo. There’s probably some jalapeño in it too. It’s very pureed so you can’t really pick out the ingredients. It’s served chilled on top of boiled sliced potatoes.They had some black olives on top and they could have included a few more of those.
  • Causa de Yuca 2.5/6
    • Our house version of this popular Peruvian dish--mashed yuca served in a yellow aji sauce with avocado and baby shrimp $5.49
    • So I thought the Papas Huancainas was the Latin version of American potato salad...I take it back…THIS is the Latin version of American potato salad. This one really reminded me of potato salad…or even an egg salad.
    • This one had lime juice in it because it was tangier.
    • It was potato on the bottom layer tossed in a mayo dressing and then on top of it was what tasted like mashed up potato salad, but in this case it was yucca (which tastes like potato),
    • They mash the yucca with that yellow pepper sauce again. It’s very creamy.
  • Tortilla de Papa 1/6
    • A thick slice of omelet prepared in the classic Spanish-style with potato, pepper, tomato, and onion $5.49
    • This wasn’t good. For what it’s supposed to be it was a 1, but because I could still eat it it was a 1.5.
    • I’ve had numerous tortilla de papa or tortilla de patatas because I lived in Europe with Spanish girls who always made it. I’ve had homemade and restaurant style versions. I was lucky enough to even try their mom’s tortilla in Spain so I know what it’s supposed to be like. Mind you I was in Spain and not South America – so their versions are probably different…but I have a pretty good idea.
    • It’s supposed to be really tender and almost runny in the middle. This one was overcooked and tough. It’s almost fishy tasting or had the texture of overcooked salmon. You can tell it was overcooked by the picture. It was a very rushed version of tortilla de Papa.
  • Tequenos 1.5/6
    • Wedges of soft cheese rolled in pastry dough, lightly fried, and served with a special cream sauce $4.99
    • This was basically mozzarella sticks. I don’t know if they’re made in house, but it tasted like how frozen ones would taste. Our server basically hinted to us that we didn’t need to try them, we should have listened.
    • They were fried well and the cheese was ooey gooey, but they were just mozzarella sticks. The dip it came with tasted like tzatziki sauce but with more herbs like parsley blended right into it. Maybe even some cilantro. The dip was good, but the sticks were whatever.
  • Lechon 4/6
    • Pork slow roasted in a mix of herbs and seasonings until tender and topped off with sauteed onion. Served with red beans ,rice with pigeon peas, and tostones $12.99
    • The pork was quite tender, but it was probably pre-cooked meat tossed with sauce and reheated. The pork was still good though and it cut with ease.
    • It had some fat around it so it was nice and moist. But the fat or skin wasn’t crispy at all.
    • The Rice: the rice was actually really good! It was cooked well, flavourful, and not clumpy.
  • Mofongo 4/6
    • This Puerto Rican dish features your choice of pork, chicken, beef, or prawns, served over mofongo: smashed green plantains fried with chicharron and garlic. Served with rice with pigeon peas and black beans $14.99. Vegetarian $12.99
    • This is the dish I came for. I took our servers recommendation and had it with pork and asked for it to be medium for spiciness. My pork was quite tender, almost like pulled pork, but overall the dish was a bit dry.
    • The yucca and green plantain mash was dry and I just wanted more sauce. The mash was like the South American version of turkey stuffing. It went well with the pork because it was the complementary starch.
    • This is a really hearty and filling dish. It’s good, but I think everything is more or less pre-cooked and they throw it altogether and bake it off before serving.
  • Pabellon 2.5/6
    • The national dish of Venezuela! Seasoned and shredded beef served with black beans, rice, and tostones $12.99
    • This was very bland and my friend ordered it mild – no spice. It really needed spice though. It was basically shredded beef in a tomato based sauce with onions and dried and fresh herbs.
    • It was almost like a South American shredded beef stew. The beef was either a brisket or chuck.
    • The pork was more tender and better than the beef dishes.
  • Bandeja Paisa 2/6
    • A traditional Colombian dish featuring chicharron and a fried egg with your choice of seasoned ground beef or skirt steak. Served with red beans, rice, and tostones $13.49
    • This is a popular South American fusion dish. It’s actually a combination of American/UK and South American flavours.
    • I was a bit disappointed by this dish because it was so simple. It should have had way more sides than it had. It was definitely a Westernized version. We ordered it with skirt steak.
    • Traditionally the dish includes 13 things: red beans with pork, white rice, a fried egg, avocado, Arepa (pita), ground meat or steak, chorizo, pork rind, plantain patacones (plantain patties), Hogao sauce (tomato & onion sauce) and black pudding (sausages of patties made of pork blood).
    • The ones in bold is what came with Marimba’s version of Bandeja Paisa.
    • Plantain Patacones: This was pretty good, fried nice and fresh. Served with a dollop of the same sauce they had with the Tequenos. Tastes like tzatziki sauce with blended herbs.
    • Red beans: pretty good, definitely better than my black beans. It supposed to be served on the plate not in a separate dish. All the ingredients are supposed to blend into each other.
    • Fried egg: was overcooked, the yolk wasn’t runny
    • Arepa: it’s a pita made out of cornmeal, but I could really tell. It tasted like a Greek style pita. Nice and soft.
    • Overall the dish wasn’t saucy enough and it was dry. The steak looks well done, but it was actually quite tender and good.
    • It reminded my of the American steak & eggs with some Latin sides and a couple British sides. Or even the Hawaiian Loco Moco (ground meat & a fried egg over rice)
    • Even if they didn’t include everything they should have included Hogao sauce…it needed sauce. It could have used more avocado slices too.
  • Rice Pudding 1/6
    • Rice cooked with raisin, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and topped with cinnamon. When available, served with either mazamorra (purple corn compote) or lucuma mousse (Peruvian fruit similar to an avocado) $4.29
    • This wasn’t good. It came in a little bowl and I felt ripped off. The rice was really clumpy and there’s were chunks of rice in it. It was sweet, but not really too sweet or anything either. Rally one dimensional, I like Indian rice puddings better. The didn’t serve it with mazmorra or lucuma mousse either…and that was most disappointing because that was the whole point of trying the dish!

Marimba! on Urbanspoon

Friday, November 20, 2009

Opus Bar & Restaurant

Restaurant: Opus Bar & Restaurant
Cuisine: Tapas/Global/Contemporary
Last visited: November 10, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown/Yaletown)
350 Davie Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 1.5 (for the 2 things I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 2
Additional comments:
  • The Opus Hotel Bar/Lounge
  • Offers gourmet bar food/tapas
  • Savoury and Sweet small bites
  • Trendy
  • Very nice, but pretentious atmosphere
  • Offers bigger tapas/smaller tapas
  • Banks on the name to carry the food
  • Go for drinks/atmosphere

**Recommendation: n/a

Opus Bar & Restaurant is more for drinks and atmosphere than food. I came here for one of their parties and we decided to order some small bites. The restaurant is kind of split into thirds - a section for the bar, a smaller and more private room for dining (the restaurant), and then half the space is for their the lounge. I find Opus more of a lounge than anything else though.

It definitely has that Yaletown feel and attracts the yuppies that live in the area. With its impressive interior and upscale decor you would expect the food to match to some degree...but it didn't and I was so disappointed. The food came across as "you don't really order food at Opus Lounge". Does that make sense? I felt like they used the Opus name to carry them and the food did not come up to standards of what they aim for.

On the table:
  • Empanadas De Mole 1/6
    • Corn tortilla stuffed with chicken, corn and mole served with guacamole and salsa $8
    • It was pretty much a battered corn tortilla. They were so small! Maybe the size of a gyoza. Empandas can either be deep-fried or baked...depending on what kind of Empanada you are making. These ones were deep-fried and not authentic at all. They were "American" Empanadas - not Spanish, not Latin, not Chilean, Portuguese or anything.
    • Even if Opus was going for a fusion thing rather than an authentic thing they did a poor job. There was barely any stuffing. No chicken, maybe only a couple shreds that were dry and no sauce inside. No mole, nothing. Maybe 2 corn kernels, and I couldn't even taste any sauteed onions, which is a must in any type of Empanada. I was shocked that they would serve these.
    • The only good thing was the sauce underneath it. I guess it was their twist on guacamole. It tasted like a thick yogurt dip made with pureed green peas, jalapeno, and avocado. It was really interesting and I would have enjoyed that with a bowl of tortilla chips 100 times more than the Empanadas.
  • "O" Pizza 2/6
    • Daily creation $10
    • The positive: thin crust and a decent size, I expected smaller.
    • It was a thin crust pizza with housemade marinara sauce, salami, cheddar cheese an chopped fresh basil.
    • This was one of the oiliest pizza's I've ever had. No joke. I don't know if the salami made it extra oily. It wasn't even necessarily greasy or heavy, but just oily. Literally oil everywhere. My whole plate was oily, my lips were slippery and that's hard to do with a thin crust pizza. They needed to let the oil absorb on something before plating it. It was really gross.
    • They also need to adjust their oven temperature because the pizza crust was and tasted a bit burnt. The marinara was just pureed tomatoes. They didn't flavour it much, but they didn't really need to. At least I could taste the fresh tomatoes.

Opus Bar on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

baru Latino Restaurante


Ceviche Trio

Restaurant: baru Latino Restaurante
Cuisine: South American/Latin/Contemporary
Last visited: October 18, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
2535 Alma Street (Alma & West Broadway)
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:
  • Specializes in South American cuisine
  • Home made flatbread
  • Traditional South American items with West coast/fusion flare
  • Creative ideas, nice plating, but everything is a bit bland
  • Casual fine dining/hip/trendy
  • Mix of restaurant/lounge...then there's a tv playing sports?
  • Open kitchen
  • Dark lighting, can't see what you're eating
  • Attracts 30-40
  • Full wine bar
  • Free underground parking in the back
  • Everyday dinner at 5pm - 12:30am
**Recommendation: Baru Ceviche...I would need to try more stuff.

The food is quite typical of Latin America, however the flavours are a bit altered/watered down to suit the taste buds of locals. It's not quite authentic even though some of the items offered are traditional. It's more Latin fusion and most of it sounded better on the menu than it tasted. Nothing was quite as flavourful as it should have been so the flavours were all one dimensional and lacking. Nothing tasted bad, but nothing was really great either. The portions were good though and so was the selection, but the end result fell short for what was expected.

On the table:
  • Ceviche Trio 3/6 -$30
    • It came with 3 bowls of each ceviche, a plantain chip, and 4 homemade pattacones.
    • The most annoying part was it was so dark I couldn't see what I was eating so it was hard to get some of everything and I had to guess all the flavours.
    • Ecuadorian Red Ceviche 3.5/6
    • Scallops, shrimp and octopus in smokey Ecuadorian marinade.
    • There were a lot of textures which I liked - the scallops were tender, the shrimp meatier and the octopus jelly-like. It was marinated with red pepper and maybe some sun-dried tomatoes, but it was a bit bland. I don't feel like the ingredients absorbed the flavours of the marinade as well as it should have. It was a bit smokey in flavour and a little citrusy but still bland. It just needed more flavour and it would have been there.
    • $13 separately
    • Hondurian Coconut Ceviche 2/6
    • Fresh tuna marinated in chillies, ginger, fresh lemon juice and coconut.
    • I liked this one the least. It was a bit sweet and too creamy and I thought it masked the tuna. However the quality of the tuna wasn't that high. I expect citrusy flavours when I'm eating a ceviche, and this one was just too sweet.
    • It wasn't lightly coated in coconut milk so it was too rich for a ceviche. There was little flavour besides the coconut milk.
    • $13 separately
    • Baru Ceviche 4.5/6
    • Shrimp, halibut, avocado, fresh lemon juice, tomatoes, onion, cilantro.
    • This was the best one and had the most flavour. It was the most traditional and most citrusy. You could really taste the fresh lemon juice. There was cooked baby shrimp and a little bit of mustard seed, however this flavour didn't stand out. I was able to see the seeds when I put my cellphone light up to it. It was refreshing and the avocado was a a great addition.
    • $13 separately
    • Patacones 2/6
    • It's a twice fried plantain - which is a type of banana that's firmer, very starchy, and low in sugar.
    • There homemade here, which they have to be, but they weren't served hot. I think they just made a batch and kept them under a heater. They came to us kind of warm, but not hot and fresh. They weren't crispy and you could tell they had been sitting there.
  • Chepen Duck 3.5/6
    • Marinated seared duck breast with passion fruit mojo, fresh pear, cilantro rice, and cassavafrits.
    • The duck itself was actually pretty well marinated and tender. It was juicy and melted in your mouth and had this buttery texture. There were a lot of pieces, but my complaint is that the skin wasn't crispy. Duck as a fatty layer of skin and it needs to be crispy when you serve it - it's almost a waste if it's not. It was soggy, and tasted like soggy bacon.
    • The cilantro rice just had lots of cilantro in it, but no other flavours. It was kind of bland again.
    • The passion fruit mojo sauce was tangy and a little sweet. You could taste a light passion fruit flavour, but barely. It was a passion fruit syrup and it needed to be bolder to match the flavour of the duck. It needed to be more reduced and thick because I felt like it was more of a pan jus instead of a sauce.
    • The pear was an Anjou pear and it was really ripe, but I'm not sure what the purpose served besides being decorative. It didn't really add to the dish because it was just slices of fresh pear. They also cut into the core of the pear so that was not good at all.
    • Cassavafrits were roasted and could have been good except they didn't season them at all. It was almost like a potato, but startchier and more fiberous.
    • Overall the dish had a lovely presentation, but it sounds and looks better than it tastes. The star of the dish was the duck, I just wish everything else had come up to the standards of it.
    • $23
Photo borrowed from - www.imonlyhereforthefood.com
  • Pescado Rojo 2.5/6
    • Mussels, prawns, scallops, white fish in roasted pepper and tomato broth.
    • There were about 2 mussels, 2 scallops and 2 shrimps. The mussels were nice and big and very juicy and the scallops were nice and meaty, but the shrimps were pretty small and shriveled probably from being overcooked.
    • My problem with the soup was that everything was cooked separately and then thrown into the soup last minute. The soup was one dimensional with no infusion of flavours and it tasted like a tomato vegetable stock. It was spicy from the chillies, but that's it - just spicy. There was also some cilantro in it, but it didn't do much.
    • I also think it should have came with flatbread or some kind of side.
    • $9

Baru Latino on Urbanspoon