During a Yelp session one afternoon, Eaman was on a mission to find authentic international eats. Antojitos Colombiano was one of the top results. A casual Colombian restaurant in the no-frills neighborhood of Grant Hill, Antojitos had overwhelmingly positive reviews, many of which came from native Colombians or second generation Colombians who moved from New York to San Diego and were looking for some home cooking.
Though I’m not Colombian, I did spend time there during our RTW trip, so we were familiar with the local flavors. And Antojitos Colombiano felt like a little cafe straight out of our backpacking trip. Flourescent lights, Colombian television blaring, pretty much just Spanish spoken—it was like we were back in our grubby T-shirts, carrying our musty backpacks.
Our plan was to order a few small things, split one entree, and get a juice each because our favorite memory of Colombia is the amazing juices. (The country is home to dozens of tropical fruits rarely found elsewhere.) And a healthy juice feels almost mandatory considering much of the menu involves fried food and cheese. (Totally worth it, mind you.)
Our waiter, Silvio, was so thrilled to hear we had been to Colombia that he showered us with goodies—an arepa, free juice refills, and a Colombian lollipop for me. But he could’ve been a raging despot, and I’d still come back to Antojitos Colombiano. The flavors took me right back to our time in Colombia. Here’s what you need to order:
We had a lot of Inca Cola while we traveled through Peru. I’m not a fan—I think it tastes like bubblegum—but I loved that they sold it here. The restaurant also sells other Colombian treats like alfajores and wafers to make obleas.
Lulo and passion fruit juices with an almojábana (a bread made with cheese and corn flour); an empanada with chili sauce. Get that chili sauce and dump it on everything!
My favorite dish and the fattiest of the bunch: abborajado, fried plantain stuffed with cheese. The mix of sweet plantain and salty cheese was divine.
The arepa had a perfectly soft, chewy texture. It was bland for me, but nothing a little chili sauce couldn’t fix.
We shared the bistec a la criolla, a steak dressed with a tomato-garlic sauce and served with rice, a fried plantain, and an arepa. We could tell the meat was good quality, but I can eat only so much meat. Eaman was happy to devour most of my portion, while I dug into the rice (so fluffy!) and plantain. Again, chili sauce makes everything better.
i have never had Colombian food but it looks similar to Cuban food I had in Miami..that arepa looks delicious.
Ditto for me an Inca Kola; it reminds me of the bubble gum flavored tooth stuff dental hygienists use to polish my teeth. Ick.
But the abborajado: I want to eat that! Maybe even try making at home. Do you know what kind of cheese is used traditionally?