After trying three other Colombian places in Dallas, and then this one... this establishment earns an easy five stars. The flavors were there. The portions were great. It even rivaled some of the flavors that I find in Florida and even in Colombia itself. This place is delish. Period!
And to see "Cali" on the walls was a good sign. When I visited Colombia, los bogotanos pointed out to me that Cali, Colombia's third largest city, makes the best Colombian food in the country. True? Well, if the Cali girls that manage the kitchen is of any testimony, then I'm a believer. And these Cali girls? You'd know a family if you saw one. There was a little girl in the front taking orders from customers, helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen to run the family business. Yes, all three generations were there, all of maternal lineage. And so the history of experimental Colombian cooking over the years made with family love really shows in the taste of the food.
Each of the $2 Colombian corn-based empanadas were hand-molded and made fresh to order, and were of a good size. The spicy chimichurri or "aji picante colombiano" that came with it was a bit spicy but perfectly complementary and also fresh tasting. The $15 bandeja paisa was the best rendition I've seen in the Metroplex to date - with a quarter of an avocado, tasty slaw, great beans, perfectly made chicharrones (fried pork belly - and yes, with the meat), runny fried eggs, tasty Colombian sausage, well seasoned thin flank steak or carne asada, and tajadas (also known as maduros but these are long strip of sweet plantains) which I asked to substitute the tostones (smashed fried unripen plantains). And more surprising, it came with what I believe to be reminiscent of an arepuela (small arepa) de mote that I had in the town of La Ceja, Colombia - something I have not seen another Colombian restaurant provide. They're handmade, thick, palm-sized, and oven-baked. And almost round like a ball. Only it is made with the typical arepa corn flour rather than from actual corn (virtually impossible to find in this country) - but I still much prefer this over the more common thin and flat arepas that usually comes out of the griddle or is even store-bought as they are more bland and, at times, tough to chew.
And I tried three different juices among friends. Mora (blackberry), pineapple with milk, and guanabana (soursop). You can pick any fruit from the list and they'll ask you if you want water or milk with it. You pick - and if you're not sure, just ask for a recommendation. I winced when my friend asked for pineapple with milk - but it came out good, as did the other juices. If you eat here, you must also get the fruit juices. Just trust me.
The only thing about this restaurant is that it's super slow. There's two cooks, and four tables, and in a small space. You'd have to wait your turn to get a table if it's full - but considering how busy the place is, this is also the place where you order at the counter. Table service is minimal - but when it's time, the cooks will bring out the food to you directly from the kitchen. They cook for one group at a time, all fresh. I had to wait more than 30 minutes for my food and fruit juices and while I thought the wait was at times a little excessive, the food all made it worth it.
Another thing - come early. I arrived at 2 pm on a day when they closed at 6 pm - and the place was packed, with some people standing, waiting for the food. And by that time, they already ran out of several things such as the tamal tolimense (a famous Colombian tamale) and papa rellena (a typically stuffed fried potato ball with ground beef inside - but the Colombian version is different from the other Latin American versions, and is tastier, imo. This Cali version has yellow rice and shredded beef). And the menu isn't very big... but it doesn't have to be if they do the things in the menu well.
Smallest Colombian restaurant I've been to in DFW. And the one with the greatest sabor. read more