Eat Like Ushi

It was funny that I had listed Mo from Viña del Mar as my gelato place for after the beach Playa Acapulca. It was serendipitous that I stumbled across another branch in Santiago (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/gelateria-mo-santiago-10-2016).

The staff here were quite unfriendly, laughing at my attempts to speak Spanish. The female serving was very unhappy letting me try one or two flavours (the Spanish-speaking couple before me tried about 8 and they didn't mind).

The coconut was outstanding with pieces of flesh riddled throughout. It was nice and creamy. The chirimoya al agua had a nice flavour but the "al agua" part make it more of a yoghurt or cream and very soft - not to my textural liking.

In Cerro Alegre, there's 2 known empanaderias - Taller de Masas and Pan de Magia. I had the lucky opportunity (stomach space) to try both during the same late morning.

Pan de Magia didn't have any empanadas ready until after 12pm so I had to come back after visiting Taller de Masas, which in hindsight was lucky. They only serve one type of empanada here - Carne Mechada for CLP2500 (which is a LOT for an empanada). 

However unlike the substandard generic ones sold in cafes and bakeries, this was delicious, well seasoned and piping hot. Definitely better than Taller de Masas in my mind and better than all the other empanadas I tried in Chile and Argentina.

In Cerro Alegre, there's 2 known empanaderias - Taller de Masas and Pan de Magia. I had the lucky opportunity (stomach space) to try both during the same late morning.

Taller de Masas has a duck emblem. I'm not sure why, but there probably doesn't need to be a proper rationale.

They serve 3 empanadas - pork pieces with tomato & very mild blue cheese, carrot & couscous, and zucchini. The first two were both nicely seasoned and pretty good. Larger than expected also for CLP1500-2000 each. I wasn't so enthused by the zucchini one.

Next I tried Pan de Magia which I liked more.

My Rough Guide recommended breakfast and decent coffee at Cafe Con Cuento. My Airbnb host suggested a different nearby place El Desayunador. Deciding to go with the local recommendation, the coffee was a distant bitter cousin to the decent cups in Buenos Aires.

Breakfasts include a set menu freshly squeezed orange juice, scrambled egg with unnecessary bacon and some toasted Chilean bread. The other options are sandwiches of which the staff recommended one with nice pieces of sliced beef, scrambled egg and two slices of cheese. It was essentially a higher quality version of a breakfast McMuffin.

I had my reservations about Taulat. It wasn't on the list but for somewhere like Valparaiso it's difficult to find information other than a few blogs and Tripadvisor. The back entrance was much more discreet (didn't realise there was another entrance at the time) past the cooks' kitchen and to the counter. The menu looked like Chilean-influenced Spanish and they advertised their rooftop with blankets to shield the cool breeze.

The chirimoya juice was fresh and the Pisco sour with ginger was a revelation - like an excellent alcoholic ginger beer.

- Machas a la Parmesana CLP10,900 - the Chilean seafood specialty dish of razor clams covered with soft creamy cheese was a nice starter, best appreciated by taking the whole unit, swallowing the cheese first then chewing the clams to taste the clam flavour;
- Paella Mixta CLP18,900 - a delicious paella with beautifully cooked al dente rice but unfortunately no crisp bottom texture. The top layer had some grilled parts to it but I think the seafood had been thrown into the oven for too long and so the mussels and (less so) clams had been shrivelled and burnt. The chicken was overcooked but still adequate and the calamari and prawns were also overcooked but had good flavour. Despite the ingredients not being dealt with that well, the delicious rice and overall saffron & paprika flavour made up for it.

It wasn't the best food nor the cheapest, but satisfying enough.

There were a few restaurants to pick from for the final dinner of the holiday. Staying in Cerro Alegre meant the choices were all preferably nearby, which is easy because it seems to be the area with the most restaurants, tourists, safety, rooftop views and entertaining graffiti. The choices included Pasta e Vino, Espiritu Santo or Montealegre or even Bar Cinzano for the live music atmosphere (as the food has mixed reviews). However after looking around Tripadvisor, the near universal praise for Casa Luisa and it being so close to the Airbnb made that decision in the end.

The restaurant looks set in the living room of a beautifully adorned home. Staff are very friendly, attentive and jovial. The English menu reads as though it had been Google Translated then pasted (because I tried the same thing at home before the meal) but much better than my Spanish menu reading. Obviously the menu items with local Chilean ingredients appealed most.

We were treated to a complimentary cheese platter (mild smoked cheddar, Camembert and a mild blue cheese with pickled onions) and a glass of wine about to be added to the menu (from the Atacama dessert region which smelt like fuel but tasted sweet and nice). There was also fresh juices, of which I had forest berries (jugo del bosque) CLP3,500.

- Serrano Salad (olive oil dried figs, Serrano ham, Camembert cheese, seasonal greens, herbs, Modena balsamic dressing, dried fruits) CLP7,900 - a nice combination of textures and flavours including mild jamon, dried fruits, cheese and salad;
- Patagonian Guanaco Crudo (handcut guanaco steak, green olives, Spanish onion, lemon juice, black pepper, capers & Dijon) CLP7,900 - the bread was thin slices of toasted baguette and quite ordinary but luckily the quality of the meat made up for it. The individual cubes of meat were discernible and had likely been cured for a while as the meat had a grey "cooked" surface like ceviche and a lovely combination of mustard and citrus in flavour. The meat was soft and a little chewy like good tartare and surprisingly not gamey at all;
- Atun (Tuna seared, salted & crusted in sesame & cochayuyo dust, prawns, risotto, sauce of chardonay, green pepper, carmenere from Colchagua valley, merken from Chiloe & sea salt) ARS15,900 - the waiter warned it would seared to a beautiful rare and it definitely was perfectly done so. The meaty flesh was delicious and the crust added some nice saltiness. The rice was similar to a dry risotto/paella with prawns creamy rather than crisp. Overall it was a very good dish;
- Robalo (Sea Bass marinated in Sauvignon blanc & garlic, with paella-style rice with creamy saffron, paprika, fish stock, prawns & passionfruit jam) ARS10,900 - I tried getting Chilean seabass/Patagonian toothfish in the Melbourne fishmongers without success (they didn't even know what it was) so was great to see it on their local menu. The thin fillets were expertly cooked and the fish tender. The paella was good and the prawns the same as the tuna dish, but I didn't really like the passionfruit sweetness.

My only issue was both rice dishes had salt crystals underneath which meant a very oversalty hit every now and then. I can't say that any of the dishes are unmissable, but they were all prepared and presented with skill. The service was very much appreciated and I added extra tip to the standard 10% propina.

On a lazy and cool evening, having dining options a short walk away is so valuable. Even though other further out places were higher on my list (Liguria, Borago) and one close was closed on Mondays (Bajo Llave), Mulato still looked a good option even if I couldn't get their online menu from 2014 to open. I had them listed as heavy on local produce and very creative in their dishes.

Approaching the restaurant, the beats of drums and shrills of dancing women filled the air and the public space outside the restaurant. It was an entertaining distraction for the first 15mins of arrival. After that the focus was all on food. I really wanted to erizos (sea urchin) but unfortunately they didn't have any available that evening. Shame. But from there things went way up in satisfaction.

The berry juice (CLP2,400) was fresh and frothy and very dark blue/purple. I thought it may be blackberry but didn't have the sharpness and was more sweet. I couldn't really detect blueberries either. In the end I had to just accept it was a local berry or mix that was mildly but perfectly sweet and very refreshing.

The complementary dark bread was rustic and earthy and served with a type of savoury aioli. I asked about the bread and the waiter didn't know the English word for what it was made from ("flavour?" he said). I thought the Spanish words he used was "arina terigal" but I can't find anything online so will remain in the dark. It was fantastic bread, dark but not dense like rye.

- Salmon sellado en polvo de cochayuyo, servido con pure de habas y vegetables de temporado CLP10,600 - seared and beautifully rare salmon coated in a very mild salty seaweed, served on a slightly smoky fava bean puree (that looked like incredibly green like avocado or peas) and some vegetables;
- Congrio, constillar ahumado, choritos con crema de pullmay, milcao relleno de mariscos y papas chilotas CLP13,600 - beautifully soft and perfectly cooked conger eel/king clip meat, mussels (orange or black meat), a smoked ham rib and some wonderful Chiloe black potatoes (more of a yam texture internally) and delicious roasted carrots. I've since discovered milcao is a type of potato cake from Chiloe region but it was more like the texture of soggy dense bread and the seafood stuffing wasn't too distinguishable. I'm not sure what pullmay cream is but the seafood broth was potent, rich and delicious with elements of smoked ham and the seafood. This would be a perfect ramen broth in another form... (David Chang may have tried with his smoked ham version but I think could learn from this one);
- Ensalada de Camarones y frituras CLP8,200 - fried prawns salad with greens and boiled egg. The prawns were quite dense and chewy and moreso after they got colder. I think fresh boiled/steamed prawns would have complemented the salad better and added more prawn sweetness. There was only a slight amount of dressing but the EVOO and balsamic accompaniments allowed more freedom.

There's other fantastic sounding dishes such as Southern hake with crab claw and scallops, but only so much you can eat.

I'd happily come back here again to try new things and hope erizos is available.

Although perhaps not the most haute cuisine, I had read a lot about the local experience of lomito - Chile's pork sandwich that is iconic and an experience. The best of the lot (in Santiago at least) reputedly belongs to Fuente Alemana, which was conveniently close to where I stayed in Bellas Artes. The other sandwich contender is chacarero - a beef equivalent. In short these are essentially burger buns filled with meats and topped with your selection of things.

Fuente Alemana has been serving the masses for years and the artform is well known. After taking a seat around the square, you can order if you know what you want. If you don't, there's an English translated menu. Otherwise the more comprehensive menu is above the cashier in Spanish (and if you can read it, has many more options). After ordering, the waitress will confirm what toppings you want - if you don't understand, just agree. They know what to add. Luckily I knew what I wanted, because the chacarero is not listed on the English menu.

The classic completo lomito (CLP4,600) comes with sauerkraut, tomatoes and loads of mayonnaise. The pork sits in a vat near the grill and is removed to order, basted occasionally then loaded into the bread. It's a simple taste of each individual ingredient - boiled mildly salted pork, tomato, cabbage and loads of mayonnaise. I thought it would come with avocado also and in hindsight I would have added that.

The chacarero (CLP5,700) is made from pieces of medium-rare steak straight from the grill, topped with fresh tomato, soft boiled green beans and loads of mayo (theme here...). This is in my opinion a much better sandwich, with again just the individual ingredients singing out their own flavours. I guess I liked the steak a bit more than the pork and the green beans much more than the sauerkraut.

The bread is grilled also, but otherwise a plain burger bun - there is no brioche going on here. The mustard is seeded, a bit sweet but lacking any of the true tang of American or nose-firing hit of Dijon/English. I added some to the plate to swathe bits of meat around for some extra contrast. I ate in clean fashion with a knife & fork (as were the locals around me). The knife also helps to remove some of the excess mayonnaise.

After eating, the waitress gives you the bill. You can tip her directly at this point. Then proceed to the counter to pay the bill. After this, give the waitress back the newly stamped bill. Don't ask me why, it's what they do there.

Overall it was a large and satisfying brunch. Next time I would order the chacarero again. However they are best known for the lomito and so if having that again, I'd order the completo lomito with avocado (palto). Alternatively I'd try the modern-style chacarero I had on my list at the nearby Ciudad Vieja in Bellavista.

There are little cafes all over the place and one of the great things about having a familiar app like Zomato in the region means it is easier to see what is around rather than the other method of Google searches and review articles. Mosqueto had a good rating, nice staff and a pleasant looking setup.

I was only there after a search for coffee saw their machine through the window. The takeaway latte was very bitter and strong (did not seem burnt) and too much for the Melbourne tastes. They did give quite a bit of sugar and biscuits with it, so perhaps that's how it is taken locally.

If ever in the area, I'd go back for a meal and another drink or dessert (their cheesecake in the case looks tempting) and just watch people scurry past from out of the Bellas Artes metro.

A good local bakery is essential to any neighbourhood. One that has been around since 1884 is also promising too. It's a chain and I tried the one in Bellas Artes at the corner of Merced and Mosqueto.

Unfortunately the bread quality isn't as good as what I'm used to in Australia and around Europe. The croissant was a small dense little thing, more similar to eating thick buttered bread than the thin flaky French standards. Reading a bit now, what I probably ate was a medialunas rather than a croissant, but the store advertises and sells it as a croissant hence my expectation.

The empanadas and other savoury items were reasonable and generally filled will lots of cheese and ham or sausage. The apple danish was a hollow shell with the tiniest amount of actual apple filling.

There weren't any other bakeries nearby so it was suffice, but far from what I expected.