Dulces Tradicionales

I had these candies at a cafe in Antigua.

The dark one was tamarind flavored and the red, guava. The tamarind one was more like a jelly. The red one was just too sweet for me.

Korean Barbecue

One day a few weeks ago, my brother rolled into town and we went to Koreatown. Hamji Park BBQ looked promising so that’s where we went.

We had the marinated sirloin and the pork kimchi soup. I was pleased.

Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnut

Danny Trejo has a few taco shops and a doughnut shop, which is where I got this bad boy. The salty bacon strips complemented the maple syrup glaze. The doughnut itself was light and moist.

Yes, it was good. I only eat sweets on the weekends so I look forward to such indulgences.

Camarones al ajo

Cactus Taqueria serves up a plate of shrimp and sliced garlic that is good value for $12 or whatever it costs. The cook didn’t over cook the shrimp either.

Grilled Conch

The best thing I ate on my trip to Guatemala was the grilled conch I had in Rio Dulce.

Slightly chewy, and cooked with lime juice, salt and pepper, it was delicious. I liked how a small side salad was served on the plate. None of the other Guatemalan restaurants did this. It cost about $20 which is reasonable I suppose for a plate of mollusk flesh. The conch meat had a mellow, nutty flavor.

I would like to visit the Caribbean soon.

Fried Chicken and Waffles

In June i went to Santa Monica. I really ought to go to the beach more often.

The bacon butter was a nice touch. The waffles were good.

Adobo Chikn

Veggie Grill has a new summer menu. I tried their Filipino Adobo Chiken. The chiken has the texture and flavor of chicken meat. There were long beans and pickled vegetables in the bowl atop quinoa.

Not spicy, but savory and sour. I enjoyed it.

Churrasco

Unbeknownst to me, churrascó is a Brazilian dish consisting mainly of grilled meat.

After the hike up Mount Picaya, a volcano two hours from Antigua, Guatemala, I was starving.

I ordered the large steak sangriento. Also on the platter was grilled corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, guacamole and grilled scallions. The green parilla sauce was fairly spicy.

The steak was magnificent and I devoured it. I sopped up the juices with the tortillas served in a little basket.

I had this at a restaurant called Sopas (Soups).

I saw lava at the volcano and roasted a marshmallow over cooling lava.

Torta de Tres Leches

This “cake of three milks” was rich in milky sweetness, but light in texture.

It’s usually made with cream, condensed milk and regular old cow milk. It was very good.

Since it was getting late and I wanted a good night’s sleep, I had a chai latte instead of a coffee.

Desayuno Típico de Guatemala

A stone’s throw away from my hotel in Antigua, Guatemala is Kaffe Fernando which sells their own coffee beans and chocolate.

Behold the Guatemalan breakfast!

The black beans were very rich, thanks to beautiful lard and salt. With extra tomatoes and onions, it cost 26 quetzals, which is $3.50 USD. The fried plantains were sweet and fruity and possibly the best plantains I’ve ever had. There were fresh tortillas served in a small basket.

The dining area was set in a garden.

The orange-pineapple juice was fresh and the coffee was good. It was a good start to the day which involved wandering around and taking pictures of Spanish colonial ruins.