Mercado Central (Part 2) – Restaurante Donde Blanca
Choices, choices, choices….
As I shared Part 1 of this series, each of the restaurants in Mercado Central has someone out front soliciting those who pass by. Every restaurant has … the best food at the best prices. Then there are a few that offer atmosphere, with prices adjusted accordingly.
If I had it my way, I’d try them all. But you can only do so much in a day, so we settled on one… well, sorta.
This gentleman came out and started talking to us about all his restaurant had to offer. The prices weren’t the lowest, by far. But it was inviting. As he started showing us around, we ascended a narrow stairway that took us to a second floor that was removed from the sound of the market, as well as the smells. The smells aren’t bad, but it was nice to smell cooked instead of raw fish for a while.
The place was quite charming, with wood floors and small tables tightly and neatly placed in order to maximize the small amount of real estate they had to work with. Our waiter, a gentleman from Cali, Colombia, provided impeccable service. The owner told us that, apparently, Chileans don’t make the best waiters. The culture isn’t as service oriented as many others, so restaurant owners tend to prefer to hire foreigners.
The menu was awesome. Again, another choice. It was hard enough to choose a restaurant, but now I had an array of seafood dishes all crying out to me like the restaurant promoters out in the aisles. Each one plead, “I’m the best.” So what do you do? Get them all of course … or at least as many as they can organize on one plate.
I ordered the Jardín de Mariscos (seafood garden), a sampler platter that was built for two. Unfortunately, my worthy guide does not like seafood – GASP! – so I was left to my own efforts to polish it off. Included in the dish were ostión, camarones, cebiche and jaiba.
While I wasn’t quite up to the task of devouring every bite, I certainly gave it the old college try. In spite of my best efforts, I couldn’t find anything on the plate that I didn’t like. It was all wonderful. The clams were just the right texture, slightly sweet and far too few. Oysters were steamed to perfection. The ceviche they served was new to me. I’ve had it in Mexico or some restaurants in the southwest USA, but this was different. Though cold and prepared by marinating in lime juice like it’s cousin to the north, this was more soup-like and just had fish, onions and other spices. The difference didn’t hurt the flavor, just offered a new experience. It was quite good.
Of course, what Chilean meal could be complete without a cold glass of pisco sour? Pisco is a grape brandy famous in Peru and Chile. Where it came from originally and who makes it better is up for debate – sometimes quite lively debate (which we witnessed in part 3). Marco said that he’ll give it to Chile, claiming that pisco originated in the part of Chile that used to be part of Peru. Seems like a very diplomatic answer.
Regardless of who’s more accurate, it is quite a treat. I thought it tasted sort of like a margarita, though it’s not slushy and doesn’t have salt. A mixture of pisco, lime juice, egg white and a couple of other spices, the drink is quite refreshing – sort of like lemonade. Be careful though, because it can be quite potent too.
As we enjoyed our meals, music began to fill the air. Sort of like the mariachis in some Mexican food restaurants. Two men came around playing their guitar and accordion and singing songs that were quite enjoyable, though I couldn’t follow the words well.
Like many crafts in Chile, they came around asking for donations when finished, which is their only compensation. This is something very free-market oriented in Chile. Many serve by performing or offering services that complement businesses, depending on tips from those who are entertained or served. This includes everything from bag-boys to parking lot attendants to, as we saw here, live entertainment. Sometimes you’ll find someone singing or playing instruments on the sidewalk or in the plazas with a bucket in their hand or on the ground in front of them.
Marco informed me that these gentlemen played a ranchera (Mexican music) followed by a cueca (Chilean music). More specifically, because they are not upper class performers, they played a cueca brava, which has a rich history associated with lively parties, especially those in whorehouses. There’s more to the history and culture of these bawdy songs, which we may discuss in a future article. Suffice it to say that it’s another example of class division in the society as well as a reflection of some of what’s considered “normal.”
Amid all this, my tutor continued to drill me on my Spanish – prompting me to recognize certain items and interact in a language that is still elusive to me. It’s one of those things I severely regret not pursuing when I was young.
Restaurante Donde Blanca isn’t one of those places you can find out walking on the street. Unless you’re wandering around the fish market or someone tells you about it, you’ll never find it. I strongly recommend that you take the time to seek it out in Mercado Central. The owner, Jorge Infante, is a great guy. If you meet him, tell him Joe from EscapeArtist sent you. Maybe he’ll give you a complementary pisco sour.
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