beXnlog

Corn Crunch

Tonight it was a toss up between East Village contenders, The Dumpling Man or Caracas Arepa Bar. P and i had been to neither but kept hearing good things about both. Arepas won, so we slowly headed out in the cold drizzle to fill up before departing our own ways.

Caracas Arepa Bar is a tiny joint on 7th St, already packed when we arrived. We ended up sitting at the "bar" which allows you a great view of the tiny kitchen. P and i both ordered the "Domino" arepa, filled with black beans and salty white cheese and she also ordered a chicken and avocado one. It took a while for us to receive the arepas but they were totally worth the rain, the crowds and the wait. The corn pattie was deliciously salty and crunchy, matching well with the hearty soft filling. A mustardy sauce was available to squeeze onto your arepa, which added a nice vinegary taste to each bite. They offer a good selection of vegetarian options and even 1 vegan option with mushrooms and tofu!

Since we had such a good view of the kitchen, we noticed that the other arepas didn't look as grilled and crunchy so we suspect we were the lucky recipients of a great batch, before the kitchen staff began rushing to fill orders. P's second arepa (the chicken and avocado one) wasn't as crunchy and grilled on the outside so she expertly declared crunchier is better. Next time, i want to bring be so he can try them. They are different than pupusas but i think he would still like them. Afterwards, maybe we can do double dinner at Dumpling Man too!

posted by beXn @ 11:08 PM