On a recent search for a new Mexican restaurant, we came across Los Andes Restaurant which is a Columbian and Ecuadorian restaurant near downtown Minneapolis.
There were many locals already seated when my family and I arrived.
One of my favorite foods was on the menu, maduros, which are ripe yellow fried plantains. Instead of slicing them in smaller pieces, this restaurant cut the plantain in half, fried it and then served it so it looked almost like a whole plantain.
In Puerto Rico, the plantain, both the green and the ripe yellow, is served at all restaurants and at dinner time (most of the time).
Another item I was familiar with is the drink called Malta. This is a barley drink that I enjoy on an infrequent occasion mainly because I don’t want to get sick of it. The one they served at Los Andes tasted a little bit different than the one I’m used to — it was less sweet. My mother normally has these on hand when I visit her. Some say the barley taste is acquired from when one is young but I know older people who have tried it and liked it.
We ordered the corn cakes with cheese as an appetizer and were not disappointed. They were very tasty.
The steak at Los Andes was tender which surprised me as most of the time when I order a steak at a Latin/Hispanic restaurant I have been disappointed as they are normally tough or dry to eat.
The service was good and the people were friendly. Portion sizes were huge! Next time we go I think we’ll order one entree and share it.
Want to know what the most interesting item on the menu was? Roasted guinea pig. I had never seen it served anywhere before and the menu said you need to order it ahead of time because of the time needed to cook it. No worries. I never would even consider trying it. For some reason it disgusts me just to even think about it. But, that’s me.
So, if you’re looking for a new restaurant to try, you might want to go to Los Andes. Make sure you go hungry as you’ll have enough food to fill you for a couple of meals.