Eat Like Ushi

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.

The first meal was from Mercado Central as planned, but unexpectedly in the form of home cooking. I was aware to keep out of the huge central foodcourt with average tourist-orientated restaurants and waiter touts and to try one of the more local places in the peripheries (to try the dish of caldillo de congrio particularly) but jetlag set in and it seemed more relaxing to cook over a small kitchenette.

With a bit of help from a nearby supermarket for garlic, parsley and lemon (they don't sell alcohol at 5pm which is odd), I managed to prepare the various shellfishes obtained. Specifically I obtained mussels (500g for CLP500 = AUD$1!), clams 500g and "machas" clams 500g (for CLP2500), half-shell scallops (10 for CLP4000) and Chilean abalone called locos (500g for CLP5500). Had I more appetite, I would've also liked to get some fish or congrio and some octopus. I also saw a weird dome of a shellfish where a little beak could be seen opening and closing within it... without knowing it, I wasn't daring enough. I already had enough movement from the clams (which is a great sign of freshness!)

The oddities of each:
- Mussels - some were very large and had the adornment of sea rocks embedded (ie. wild). The meat varies from orange to black (I wondered if this was an off sign, but tasted the same and a restaurant the next day also had black ones). Perhaps it is something about being wild but they all had large digestive tracks present/black stuff;
- Clams - also varied from small/normal size to very large. 
- Machas clams - described in a book as a razor clam (but I'm used to much longer and thinner "pen" ones). They had a lot of grit and in hindsight I should have soaked them for a while first;
- Locos - these abalone-types were the best of the lot. Knife and fork like thick steak and relatively tender after 25mins in simmering water (as instructed by the fishmonger). The flavour was more standard shellfish and less abalone (compared to Australian ones);
- Scallops - quite small meat once the roe and black tracks were removed. Probably could have used a bit more of a rinse too for the grit.

Overall lessions learnt are that the versions in Australia have probably been somewhat cleaned or soaked already and hence less grit (or maybe I just use a good volume of white wine which cleans them out). The flavours were fine but I still thought the quality was a little disappointing. The exception was the locos which are relatively cheap, full of thick meat and delicious.

Conveniently located across the road from Bellas Artes metro station and down the road from my accommodation, it was by chance I came across Mo. The words Gelateria Artesanales are music to my ears/eyes everywhere I go, indicating housemade (and higher chance of good quality) gelato.

Despite it being a coolish night, many were camped outside enjoying icecream, dessert drinks and other treats.

The specialty gelato flavour in Chile is Dulce de leche, a sweet caramel made from milk. And their own version tasted exactly like that, very sweet caramel but not sickeningly so. The other flavour that caught attention (due to a larger than the others container and also having the word Mo in the name) was the chocolate. It was an excellent quality dark chocolate version, with only modest sweetness finding a good balance between enough sweet for a dessert and keeping it not too sweet for a dark chocolate. It wasn't bitter like true dark chocolate which I wouldn't mind at all.

The gelato itself was thick and firm, great texture and barely had any melted areas even after 15mins of slow indulgence. I don't know how they derived that texture but it was a quality rarely seen in gelato. They also serve in a cup and give you a bonus cone of top to eat in our own creative ways.

Now that I've tried dulce de leche once, I'd next time balance the chocolate with a lighter flavour. And I hope one day they make my favourite pistachio in the future.