Colombia

Shauna and I scoured Elmhurst in our dead end search for a specific authentic Afghan restaurant, which we later learned had been closed awhile. After hearing this we gave up and decided to go to a Japanese restaurant instead. On our way to our new destination we bumped into this little place called Aguapanela’s Restaurant.

Located at 86-16 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens, Aguapanela’s is a nice, authentic Colombian restaurant and bar. As we entered, we were greeted by the warm, rich colors on the walls, which were decorated with a variety of Colombian artifacts and images.











Not long after, we immersed ourselves in the great menu our lovely waitress presented us. The passion fruit juice we ordered was a familiar tropical taste for us. I have to say, this was so authentic; it was like having the actual fruit. For our appetizers, we chose tripe soup with white rice and sweet plantains and grilled homemade chorizo with a corn cake garnished with a lemon. The tripe soup was simply divine. A whirlpool of flavors filled our mouth. Although well seasoned, the taste wasn’t overpowering. When the soup was eaten with the plantain and tasty rice the blend was just right. El chorizo seemed to have been made on the premises as you could see the color of the herbs inside of the sausage once it was cut. The great taste balanced well with the corn cake.










We asked our waitress to suggest the dishes on the menu that would best represent Columbia and we ordered accordingly. Our entrees were even more succulent than the starters. Shauna had the Bandeja Tipica, which consisted of grilled meat, rice, beans, pork skin (deep fried, crispy heaven), poached egg, avocado, sweet plantains and a corn cake. I had the Lomo de Cerdo, which was breaded pork, rice, beans, sweet plantains and salad. The grilled meat was slightly crispy but not chewy, a perfect balance. The avocado was as if it had been picked ripe from the tree and put on the plate. Although neither one of us cared much for poached egg, the rest of the dish was a great compliment to the grilled meat. El Lomo de Cerdo was pretty darn good too. The pork was perfectly done and complimented by a shell of seasoned, breaded goodness that also went great with pepper sauce that was offered to us. Sweet plantain, rice and beans seemed pretty on our plates and tasted great. The salad seemed to be more of a garnish than a part of the meal. It added a great splash of color to the dish but it was just okay for me.



All in all, this Colombian experience went very well. Good service and great authentic food, carefully seasoned for optimum flavor. Aguapanela’s gets a solid B- for authenticity. There seemed to be a slight lag in service as there was only one person at the front taking orders and processing payments. Also, my initial beverage request was unavailable given the hour, but there was no indication of that within the menu. Despite the minor setbacks Aguapanela’s Restaurant is a lovely little Colombian getaway that is definitely worth a sit in.

The Kaieteur Plunge

Church ended somewhat late on Sunday and needless to say we were quite hungry, well to be honest we are always hungry. This time we took our friend Rochelle with us as we drove through the concrete jungle of Brooklyn and continued until we were just inside the border of Queens.

Kaieteur has been labeled the largest single drop waterfall in the world and is located in a little South American country called Guyana. So off we went to find the beauty of the tropics in Jamaica, Queens. We chose to dine at the namesake Restaurant (Kaieteur) located on Lefferts Boulevard near Jamaica Avenue. Everyone seemed very excited to take the plunge and taste the food off the falls.

Before we could even get to the door we were greeted with murals of scene's of Guyana. They were sure to include a very good depiction of the great Kaieteur falls. Walking through the door was an assault on the sense's but in a good way. The smell of curry, soy sauce and other spices caressed our nostrils and filled us with anticipation.

Our server Cindy greeted us warmly and we attacked the menu ordering our appetizers almost immediately. Roast duck and Bunjhal Pork were what the doctor ordered and boy did he do a good job. The Duck arrived glistening and topped with shredded cabbage and chopped scallions. A few seconds later the Bunjhal Pork made it's appearance and we were ready and willing to dig in. Wow! Now that"s what duck should be like. It was sweet yet savory and infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a few other spices. The meat was tender and juicy and made us all happy. The Bunjhal Pork did not disappoint either. It may be easy to confuse this dish with curry pork as it seemed like the only thing missing was the yellow color of the turmeric. It too was tender and quite flavorful. This would be a strong recommendation at this establishment.

 

After some chit chat with the waitress and a few sips of sweet carbonated lemonade (too much sugar not enough lemon) , fruit punch and pineapple juice it was time for the main event. Curry lamb with White Rice and Roti (parata), House Special Fried Rice with Roast Chicken and Roast Pork with Cabbage and Bora (long beans) served with Fried Rice all arrived nice and hot and we didn't waste a second.

The curry was just spicy enough and the roti although a bit small was soft and authentic. Roast pork was the talk of the table however as the thick soy based sauce was a definite hit. The vegetables were still crunchy and fresh and we devoured as much as we could quickly. A little disappointment crept in as we got to the house special fried rice. While the chicken that topped the dish was suculent and flavorful the rest of the dish didn't live up to our expectations. This dish seemed to have imitation crab meat that had an odd texture and left one feeling a bit cheated. Other than that the Fried Rice was pretty basic and absorbed the sauce from the Roast Chicken well.

Sadly the menu didn't offer any real Guyanese deserts so we chose to skip that part of the tasting. Our meal reached it's climax when Cindy came to the table bearing champagne, a treat from management. Mmm...the tart bubbly sweetness hit the spot we didn't even know was empty. That was a very nice touch and the memory of the crab fiasco seemed to fade away a bit.

This experience showed us just how diverse Guyanese cuisine is and Kaieteur Restaurant is a wonderful place to taste it. For a wonderful meal, family friendly feel, nice table setting and prompt courteous service we give this place a solid B. Go on and take the whole family and enjoy the plunge down the Kaieteur.