Loading

My Culinary Trip to Colombia - Part 3

Location: Bogota and Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Food: Chimichurri Duck, Peach Ribs, Panne Cook and Special Waffle
Venues: Mercado Municipal (Villa de Leyva) | Crepes & Waffles (Bogota)
Theme: Fusion

Welcome to the final part of my Culinary Trip to Colombia. It's a bittersweet moment because I know this is the last post where I will write about my country's delicious meals; but at the same time makes me happy to see that it took 3 posts to share our precious Colombian gastronomy with you.

In Part 1 we reviewed traditional Colombian staples, where Arepas, Envuletos and Ajiacos were the theme of the party. While in Part 2, we went forward a few years in time and discovered what modern-traditional Colombian food had become...Choclo Trout, Pataqueso and Marranitas, were among the delicacies I shared with you.

In my last issue of my culinary trip, I will be reviewing Fusion Colombian food. These are dishes that are making headlines in both the media and society. Some are made by renowned Chefs who have traveled the world to discover new ways in their kitchens, while others are part of the most famous Colombian franchise, one which Colombians adore, can't live without and regularly frequent - Crepes and Waffles. 

Let's kick this off by traveling a few kilometers North-East of the capital city, we are off to Villa de Leyva.

Villa de Leyva is considered one of the finest colonial villages of Colombia, and was declared a National Monument in 1954 to preserve its architecture. The city's main square is the main tourist destination, restaurants and stores surround the square and waves of tourists keep this small city of 9,000 inhabitants busy all year round.
Villa de Leyva is also one of the most gastronomic cities in Colombia. Its the mecca of culinary experts and its an up and coming spot for known Chefs to establish themselves. Villa de Leyva is also one of the safest towns in Colombia, so this is a key spot to visit when in Colombia.

The gastronomy of Villa de Leyva is as great as the city's architecture. There, we found a cute, colonial style restaurant called Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market). The restaurant is owned by a married couple who got their fame by traveling all over Europe and North America, learning their way through many kitchens and culinary schools, and coming back to this lovely town to put their skills to the test. And so they did.
The Chimichurri Duck featured above, was one of my favourites from Mercado Municipal. This was a slow-cooked breast and leg of duck, marinated with its typical orange sauce and then drizzled with a rather sweet Chimichurri sauce. For those of of you who don't know, Chimichurri is a traditional Argentine sauce used to marinate stake. Its a green sauce made with parsley, olive oil, garlic, oregano and red wine vinegar. Now back to the duck...this was tender and juicy and sitting on top of some traditional Colombian coconut rice. Contrary to what you might think, the coconut rice is made with real coconut that is blended with the rice, this is not made with canned coconut milk. Therefore proving the Chefs' passion for true Colombian fusion.

Next item from Mercado Municipal was the Peach Ribs.
These are beef ribs, marinated in a natural peach sauce the day before and then BBQ'd, in front of you, for about 45 mins. So worth the wait.
The ribs were topped off with warm-sweet slices of peach and accompanied by an avocado, tomato and cucumber salad. And in case you are wondering, I almost did not need a knife to cut the ribs, they were fall-off-the-bone yumminess. 

Now let's trace back our steps (or Km), we are coming back to the capital city, Bogota.
Every time I land or depart Colombia, I have to eat at Crepes & Waffles. This is how I say hello to my country and how I say goodbye. Call me crazy, but this Franchise is one of the best things that Colombians indulge in, especially when going shopping (rest assure there is one of these restaurants in every major Colombian mall).
Some have grown tired of it, but me...never! My love for C&W will forever reside in my heart. This place has been in business for almost 20 years and has never failed to deliver. The food tastes exactly the same as it did 15 years ago and the crowds and lineups never seem to end.

Although I try to choose something different from the menu every time I go, I always tend to default to my good old - Panne Cook.
The Panne Cook is my bowl of goodness. What they do is they take a rounded French bread (tastes like baguette), take out some of the inner bread and add right in the centre different blends of meat and sauces. In my case, it's a mushroom and lamb combination marinated in a special sauce (that for the love of my life I can't tell what it is), and the bottom and sides are covered by a layer of cheese, potentially a mix of Gruyere and Mozzarella, not sure yet. Delicious. 
The bread comes with the top on, so that you can remove it and get a first whiff at the food still cooking inside! There are many ways to eat this, however my preference is to dig my fork all the way to the bottom, scratch off a piece of the bread with the cheese and then work my way up, picking up as I go pieces of lamb and mushroom, et voilà! To my mouth it goes. Yum, Yum, Yum.

Dessert is a no-brainer at C&W, there are so many options to choose from and they are all so good, that no matter which way you go, you will always order right.
My usual pick is the Special Waffle.
Hello?!? Need I say more than what you see?  This is my Everest, and the reason as to why I still can't lose the weight I gained 3 months ago!  
C&W, as the name says, specializes in both salty and sweet crepes and waffles. So it's no wonder all their bready-carby products are made just perfectly.
My Special Waffle comes with 4 sauces, yes 4!  Its like a quattro stagioni pizza, sort of. Each side is one flavour, and given that I am a chocolate lover, my order goes as follows: Special Waffle with Arequipe sauce (aka dulce de leche), Dark Chocolate sauce, Nutella and Milk Chocolate...oh and can I please get the Ferrero Rocher ice-cream? Heaven here I come.

I hope that after sharing my love for C&W you can understand what I meant when I said I can't leave or arrive at Colombia, without visiting this place. 
It is as such that I end my culinary trip to Colombia...Parts 1, 2 and 3 with my beloved Crepes & Waffles.

Until next time Foodies!

Buen Provecho,
Foodies Inc.
Follow RecipesDream