Last week, I had Soni, Happy Halloween Tarot creator, share tidbits about her Chilean background. One of my questions was about Chilean cuisine. And the way Soni described it was so joyously delicious, I felt a wee bit bad for myself for not having had it before.
Today, talking to Pri and arranging an overdue post-lockdown lunch date, I realized my memory had once again betrayed me (not the first time, not the ten times, the partial reason I keep this blog).
I had Chilean cuisine before! It was with Pri, right before lockdown no.4 (or was it in no.5??) And it was my idea, to begin with!
We went to Neruda’s at Brunswick. A colourful little restaurant in the back lane of Brunswick neighbourhoods, which, if not for Google Maps, both Pri and I would have missed.
A family-owned restaurant, I could feel the warmth of Latina hospitality immediately after I stepped in. It reminded me of the Brazilian restaurant Pepa I frequented when working in the CBD area. But, gosh, it feels like a lifetime ago now.
The menu was interesting, none of which I had ever heard of before. The English description made each of them seem hearty ━ , the winter meals kind. I was craving fish, so I went for Pescado Frito Al Plato – Pesado as in fish, and it came on a bed of rice and salsa on the side.
Meanwhile, Pri ordered Pastel De Choclo, which looked more appealing after the food came and was visually compared. But, to be fair, both our food was delicious. The freshness of the ingredients enhanced the flavours, and I thoroughly enjoyed the salsa side dish.
Thanks to the portion, the meal was more than filling; hence we didn’t order any dessert. Before leaving, I saw some interesting South American drinks, which I know Fafa would love. Maybe it’s time to revisit them once the lockdown is over – next time, I plan to order Humitas.
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