So, off we go to the acclaimed Rincon Chileno in East Hollywood for a little taste of Santiago. First things off the bat: we are the only customers, the wait staff is standoffish at best, and there is this curio stand with all kinds of artifacts for us to peruse while we dine.
Oh, and there are two dining rooms, each with their own distinct set of furniture and things.
According to the foodies online, there are two things one must have.
The first being the pastel de choclo:
And the congrio:
The pastel is sort of a pot pie of chicken and various other nibbly things, such as hard cooked egg and olives. It looks more like one of those fierce tamale pies that my grandmother used to make for me in the 70s, and that is a very good thing indeed. The problem was that poor Steen kept finding little bits of eggshell in subsequent bites. Perhaps this is part of the charm, but I tend to think not.
The congrio, a Chilean fish, was quite nice, but nothing to trumpet about. It was a nice-sized fillet cooked perfectly with a light batter coating the entire piece. But aside from the squeezed lemon juice, it had no distinct qualities about it. Again, not offensive, but not mind blowing either.
And Steen's friend had some chicken dish:
I was warned from the beginning that she would have nothing subjective or objective to say about her meal, and nothing was offered. It was quite simply, chicken.
Oh, and there was this lovely dish of spicy salsa at at the table too:
So, again, a lovely meal with Steen, but nothing that makes me want to go back and try other things nor recommend it to my peeps. It does pique my interest in other South American cuisines that I have yet to try, like Columbian. Not much else to say, so Pablo Neruda, take us home!
En un beso, sabrás todo lo que he callado.
In one kiss, you'll know all I haven't said.
Rincon Chileno
4354 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 666-6075
-Quinn
** Notes from Steen: That pot pie dish was odd. It consisted of mostly corn, as far as I can recall. Not much chicken it it either. The flavor, overall, was a bit sweet and kind of odd. It was interesting at first but I quickly tired of it. I spent the meal lamenting my choice and wishing I'd ordered either Quinn's or Julie's meals instead.
tags: dining, restaurants, Los+Angeles, Chile, Chilean+food
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