Great Eats by Arenal Volcano
Eat at Chifa La Familia Feliz!
This brings us to La Fortuna, Costa Rica where one classically trained Peruvian chef has opened a Chifa restaurant that is outstanding. It’s a small place with about 6 tables and a pull-down metal door that goes up making the place open to the street. He cooks in an immaculate kitchen that features a window as a front wall, so you can see everything going on in preparing your food.
Martin, himself, is charming and gracious. He visits with each table and explains the food. His wife and mother-in-law both work at the restaurant too. One night when we were there, after each table ordered, Martin’s mother-in-law was given money and scurried to the market to get more ingredients. This certainly didn’t slow the service and reinforced the family nature of this operation. Chifa La Familia Feliz is a can’t miss meal in La Fortuna.
Visiting Arenal Volcano?
We have an excellent recommendation for you. However, in order to explain this restaurant, we need to take a brief side trip to Peru. Who knew that Chinese Cuisine is the second most common food in Peru? It just happens that due to a large Cantonese Immigration wave in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese cuisine has become extremely popular along the Peruvian coast and in Lima. Because many of the traditional Cantonese ingredients weren’t available, Chinese chefs began incorporating Peruvian ingredients and developed a version of food that the Peruvian aristocracy went crazy for. It is called Chifa and there are now thousands of Chifa restaurants in Peru.
Chinese dishes are labeled on the menu as well as traditional Peruvian choices. Diane and I ate here on two different nights and ordered different items each time. Martin Gonzalez, the chef, offers 3 different types of ceviche—one with coconut milk—each of them were fresh, colorful, and delicious. Each of the entrees, Lomo Saltado (typical Peruvian dish) and Pork with noodles (Chifa) were seasoned perfectly and enjoyed thoroughly.
Travel Best Bets
Dinner at Chifa La Familia Feliz, followed by shopping at a few of the tiendas around the corner from this culinary gem.
I love the pictures. What would I like to see? More Pictures! I love seeing through the photographer’s eyes and the places you are going are so colorful.
Thank you Carol! Stay tuned because we have more incredible and colorful places coming up!
Happy Travels,
Julie