Tipicos Colombia is a hidden food stall inside the Food Hall TO located along Yonge St. near Empress Ave in the Willowdale neighbourhood. The newly open storefront opened about a little over a month ago where they serve traditional Colombian food that is authentic and homemade.
Menu wise, they have calentado (a traditional Colombian breakfast with rice, beans, chorizo, and egg), bandeja paisa (Colombia's national dish consisting of beans, rice, arepa, chorizo, plantain, chicharrón, avocado and beef), la criolla, sancocho (a hearty stew), as well as empanadas, arepas, tequeno (cheese finger), and almojabana (based cheese bread)/bunuelo (fried cheese bread). They also have candies as well as fruit drinks as well.
The Food Hall TO is fully accessible where there are a few kiosks you can order your food from. There are also several tables as well. As I entered the food hall, I ordered a bandeja paisa as I've never had it before. I gave my ticket to the staff at the food stall where my food took about 10 min to make. Once my food was ready, I picked up my food and marveled at how big the portion was!
Sitting down, I ate a bit of everything on the dish where everything tasted great. I loved the seasoning that was used on the ground beef and sausage. The beans were tasty and it was a hearty protein heavy dish. The arepa which was hiding below the over easy egg was hot and fresh. I don't know I managed to finish everything but I was hungry as I had worked out prior. A great tasting dish - a perfect introduction to Colombian food if you've never had it before!
The staff working there were friendly and glad that I enjoyed the food. Definitely would love to return to try more of their other dishes! A hidden gem in the heart of Willowdale for sure. read more