Of all the restaurants in Patagonia, Afrigonia was the one I was looking forward to the most. African-Chilean fusion cuisine with Patagonian ingredients? That sounded incredible. Initially I intended to dine here the night after returning from Torres del Paine but after spending too much time queuing for hiking provisions at UniMarc, it seemed easier just to come here being closeby and unlikely to need a reservation due to the low(ish) season.
Naturally the waitress recommended king crab and lamb dishes, as the specialty ingredients of the region. I was only too happy to oblige.
This was the place of my first taste of fresh chirimoya juice (CLP2,500). I wasn't sure what it was and they couldn't quite describe it to me. It tasted like custard apple - I later discovered it is custard apple so that makes sense. Mango sour (CLP4,000) was a fruity take on the local Pisco sour specialty and an improvement in my opinion. There were two courses of bread to kick off procedings - sticks with hummus and lovely warm rolls with salsa criolla.
- Austral King CLP12,000 - fresh king crab wrapped in medium-intensity smoked salmon (the salmon probably overpowered the delicate flavour of the crab), king crab mousse with a sweet berry glaze, king crab gratin. It was a creative way to present boiled crab meat in a variety of forms;
- Seafood Masala CLP10,000 - prawns and scallops in a ginger flavoured curry with some chilli kick;
- Cordero a la Menta CLP14,000 - perfectly cooked medium rare roast lamb chops with a delicious sweet glaze rather than the advertised mint sauce (the waitress did confirm it was mint sauce afterwards). One of the best roast lamb racks I've had;
- Tsavo (fried whole potatoes seasoned with lemon & herbs) CLP2,700 - tasty as expected with discernible lemon;
- Wali (rice with almonds, raisins, curry) CLP2,800 - the rice was a good filler but not as seasoned and delicious as I'd hoped. I think I expected a bit more.
The food was delicious and cooking well executed. It showcased local produce with some African flare.