This was a stunningly gorgeous cappuccino decorated with a chocolate syrup design on really thick foam; it gave the cappuccino just enough sweetness so that sugar wasn't necessary (not to mention that stirring would have destroyed the art). Nicaragua grows some really good coffee, and the flavor of this cappuccino was almost as good as it looked. I wasn't expecting a work of art when I ordered it, so it was a very pleasant surprise. Paz de Luna has a pet dog whose name is Coffee!
Location: Paz de Luna, a block and a half north of Iglesia de la Recoleccion, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 15, 2023.
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Yesterday I had a shrimp cocktail with whisky in the sauce, and today it's a shrimp main course with rum in the sauce. This sauce was creamy and a little smokey and tangy. Knowing rum was in the sauce, I could taste it, and the rum flavor built as I ate. The plate was served with both rice and fries, which I thought was very Peruvian until I realized that in Nicaragua this combination is even more prevalent. I got a side salad of lettuce, tomato slices, and cucumber slices with a ranch type dressing. The shrimp were slightly over cooked, but the sauce was delicious. I dined al fresco as is common here.
Location: Restaurante Mediterraneo Terraza, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 15, 2023. There were fourteen shrimp and it was February 14. Coincidence? The creamy cocktail sauce definitely had whisky in it, a first for me, but it was delicious. It didn't taste like the alcohol had been cooked out, but it really worked here. The sauce was a little sweet, tangy, salty, and alcoholic. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the dish came with a celery leaf garnish. This was my Valentine's dinner, and I fell in love with it! The restaurant itself was beautiful. I sat on the patio with lots of potted green plants and a small fountain. The smokiness and maltiness of Lado Oscuro, a Nicaraguan artisinal dark beer by Moropotante, went well with the whisky flavored cocktail sauce. The beer's label claimed notes of coffee and chocolate, which there were, but I also detected a slight fruitiness. So far, this is my favorite Nicaraguan beer. I love it!
Location: Carnivorio, Avenida Central (2 blocks from the central plaza), Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 14, 2023. This dish was pork pieces steamed with sauce and spices and served with boiled yucca, a couple of tomato slices, and cabbage slaw with shredded carrot for color. The yucca is the starch, the cabbage is fresh and crunchy, and the pork all but falls apart. The dish is served on a banana leaf. The kitchen was a hole in the wall, and the only tables were located outside in the little plaza, so I'm calling this Street Food. When the yucca soaked up the sauce from the pork, it got really tasty. The sauce was red from achiote, and it had some finely chopped onion in it. The sauce had sour orange in it too, making it similar to what you find in the Yucatan in Mexico, where this dish is called Cochinita Pibil.
Location: Chanchito Doña Lucia, Plaza Los Poetas, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 14, 2023. Every evening, the big grills come out in front of the Central Market in Leon. Among the variety of grilled items, I chose plantain, beef meatballs, cheese, and pancake. The plantain was just slightly sweet, the grilled white cheese was still firm, the four meatballs came in sausage casing and were somewhat sour (I think vinegar was in the recipe), but for me, the thin rolled pancake was the star of the show. It had just a hint of sweetness, it was just a little chewy, but in a good way, and it had bubbles in it, but it wasn't sourdough. I added cabbage slaw to my plate that was just slightly pickled and had some grated carrot and thin radish slices in it, and my plate was served with a corn tortilla. This was a really good plate of food, and the grilled pancake was a nice surprise.
Location: Mercado Central at night behind the Cathedral, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 13, 2023. A traditional mojito is made with fresh mint leaves, a little sugar, fresh squeezed lime juice, white rum, and a splash of club soda, served over ice. The mint leaves are usually muddled with the sugar and lime juice, but in this case, here in Nicaragua, the bartender put all the ingredients into a shaker and shook until his hands got so cold he had to stop and recover. Then he shook it furiously again. He explained that this way the mint leaves get shredded and release the mint flavor, and I must say that his version was very minty. He then garnished with an impressive sprig of mint. This cocktail, served in a tall glass, was very refreshing and not sweet. I think this was the best mojito I've ever had, and probably the least expensive, and I was told that it's so delicious because it's made in Nicaragua with love.
Location: Mijunas Bar, Parque Los Poetas 2C al Sur, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 13, 2023. This was a tasty light beef bone broth with plantain, yucca, squash, and true yam along with chopped onion, tomato, and mint leaves. It was garnished with a small crab, hence the “punche”. This soup was all about the vegetables and the flavor the beef bones imparted into the broth. I sat by an open window, and the breeze cooled me off as I ate hot soup in the heat of Leon. This is undoubtedly one of those poor man's dishes where bones are cheaper than meat, and they're turned into something delicious. The little crab makes the soup look more expensive than it is. I was surprised that the good stuff I was finding in Leon was soup, but later my hotel owner told me that the Leonese love their soups and there are restaurants dedicated to them (but you have to arrive early or they'll be sold out).
Location: Comedor Sabor Pinolero, behind Santuario de Guadalupe, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 13, 2023. This is my first Nicaraguan blog, and my bean soup was delicious. The menu said it would be served with fried onion and a fried egg; however, it seemed to me that the egg was poached, and the yolk was still a little runny (which I love). Condiments were served on the side: pickled chopped onion for crunch and tang, sour cream, very crunchy chicharon (fried pork skin), grated white cheese, a bottle of fiery habanero sauce, and wedges of corn tortilla. The otherwise smooth bean soup had a few whole beans in it and a touch of sweetness, probably from the caramelized onion that was in there in rings. This was a noteworthy bean soup for sure, and I ate it outdoors while watching pigeons flocking from the impressive white cathedral to the green trees in the plaza and back. There was also a piano player in the restaurant for extra ambiance.
Location: El Sesteo, Main Plaza, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 12, 2023. |
AuthorChef Roland has been a legal resident of seven countries and has travelled in over thirty, documenting food along the way. He currently resides in the desert in Southern California. Categories
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