vivavalparaiso.cl » gastronomy

Grandmother’s kitchen

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:23:59 +0000

There is a worldwide tendency to (re)appreciate one’s gastronomical heritage. Grandmother’s kitchen is being rediscovered, sometimes refined or fused. Valparaiso already has plenty traditional restaurants, where you sometimes find a real grandmother behind the stove. We recently spotted the new ‘Antaño, como cocinaba tu Abuela’ on Almirante Mont and were eager to try it out. There was no pricelist outside or downstairs and that’s something I honestely fear, we have all fallen in the ‘tourist traps’ in our lives. But no worries, the blackboard upstairs displayed all dishes and prices. We had a delicious ‘Lengua nogada’ (tongue in sauce). The meat was soft and tasteful, the red wine sauce giving it the perfect touch. I was happy with the spicy puree as a sidedish. We also tasted the niñitos envueltos, beef and bacon rolls stuffed with carrots and the fried sweet potato as a sidedish. It’s not a bad idea to have different sidedishes for different prices, but CLP2.500 for a puree is quite over the top, especially when that is about half of the price charged for the meat. We enjoyed the perfectely friendly service and the original and basic but very tastful decor. Granny can cook and we wish her a happy future, although we really do hope she fixes her (sidedish) prices.

Gastronomic delights in Quintay

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:46:23 +0000

If you want to get away from the city of Valparaiso but stay on the coast, then Quintay is a lovely daytrip. In the old days the village was know for whale fishery and the ballenera had about a thousand employees. The plant closed down in 1967 and is nowadays being transformed into a center for sustainable fishery. Most people, however, know Quintay for its scenery and great fish restaurants. We had Sunday lunch at La Serena restaurant and the congrio, a Chilean fish and specialty, was perfect and served by a friendly and caring waitress. The menu is an attraction too because the restaurant owners apparently used an on line translating engine. Or would the mad mayonaise have real mental problems? For a great and funny gastronomic Sunday daytrip out of Valparaiso go to Quintay

Chile’s national (fast food) dish

admin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:47:20 +0000

Everywhere in Latin-America people eat perro caliente (hot dog). Chile has several versions and the most famous is perhaps the Completo Italiano: a classic Wiener sausage is topped with fresh tomato, a delicious green sauce made of avocado (palta) and mayonnaise. The resulting color combination reminds us of the italian flag and therefore it’s name. Completo lovers say the secret is in the crusty bread and the sausage (vienesa ) and many say that the extra ingredients should be prepared on the spot. The best completo place in Valparaiso? Choosing the best out of more then 100 fast food joints seems impossible to me.