Eat Around The World In Albuquerque – South America
It’s time for Part 2 in our series of the best ethnic restaurants around Albuquerque!
Last month, we discussed restaurants serving food from various North American countries, and this month, we’ll be covering restaurants inspired by Central and South America. While you’re in town, consider trying out some new cuisine – Albuquerque has amazing food, so it’s a great opportunity to try new things from some of the best chefs.
Colombia: Ajiaco Colombian Bistro
3216 Silver Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Ajiaco fuses together the epicurean conditions of various Colombian ethnic groups to create a spectacular and comprehensive menu. Their choriarepa – a corn cake with chorizo sausage – is a wonderful way to begin the adventure, and their pollo a la plancha uses pineapple to enhance the chicken. It comes with plaintains, popular in Latin American cooking, and you can finish off your meal with coffee flan, sweet with just a hint of bitterness.
Brazil: Tucano’s
110 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Hunks of meat on swords certainly make for an exciting meal. Tucano’s will introduce you to a Brazilian cooking style known as churrasco, where meats are cooked over an open fire on large sword-like skewers, and then carved up table-side. Pay a set amount for your meal, which includes bread, plaintains, salad, and any combination of the available meats you choose. The beef brisket is unbelievably tender, but try as much as you can. If you want something sweet afterwards, the mango butter cake is fresh and tropical enough to make you feel like you are visiting the rainforest!
El Salvador: El Papaturro
6601 4th St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107
The pupasas here are mouth-watering. Essentially stuffed corn pockets with a choice of fillings, the beans and cheese are a great introduction to a country many don’t know much about – and they’re perfect to get alongside a larger meal, although perhaps the better option is to just order all of the appetizers. There’s so many good choices, you won’t want to decide, particularly when you smell the Salvadoran empanadas coming out.
Peru: Pollito Con Papas
6105 Gibson Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
Peruvian charcoal chicken is one of the best things you’ll ever taste. The chicken is brined overnight before being slowly rotisserie-cooked, ensuring every bit of flavor is locked inside the skin. Get extra green sauce – it’s going to become your newest addiction, and brightens up the darker flavors of the chicken. On the side, you’ll have fries and onions, but splurge on the cilantro rice as well – it’s crucial for you to really embrace Peruvian food.