Don't get the word finest confused though, I don't mean the most expensive, luxurious, popular restaurants. Its more used in the sense, these restaurants make you feel more closer to the people and environment there. Plus, the food served in these two restaurants are a must try if you ever go to Ecuador.
La Cevicheria Bolivar is the perfect place for ceviche. It's one of the most basic dishes to eat, but the flavor is far from basic. It's essentially a shrimp cocktail but you can replace or add other seafood. Its "cooked" in lime juice
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| Ceviche and chifle with slices of carrot from La Cevicheria Bolivar. |
and typically mixed with pepper, salt, cilantro, and onion. However, you can add other veggies or spices. My family mixes ketchup and mustard in the ceviche. Kinda weird...not many people do that but it adds a really good kick to it. Anyways, La Cevicheria Bolivar serves so much types of ceviche. Such as shrimp, fish, squid, etc. Its in Portoviejo, on the streets Bolivar and Juan Montalvo. Although ceviche is what they are mainly known for, they do serve other delectable dishes as well. Such as chaulafan, which is cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and it has a bunch of other ingredients such as vegetables, seafood, meat, or even eggs mixed into it. Another dish is maduro, its cut up slices of sweet plantain and its cooked on a pan until the outside is a bit burnt while the inside stays soft. They also make homemade chifle which are plantain chips. Its not just the fo- Hey! You're drooling a little there, might wanna clean that up. Back to what I was going to say, its not just the food that makes this place a must try, its the community its in. You're bound to see a on the go food vendor, random old guys listening to music in the corner, kids playing soccer on the street, people sitting outside their homes talking with one another since everyone is friends with their neighbors. Although I've known the people that own the restaurant for a while, they treat every new customer like family. Very welcoming people.
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| Steak, sausage and potato from La Parrillada Hip Hop. |
If you think that place is good, wait until you hear about La Parrillada Hip Hop (heads up this place has nothing to do with hip-hop the music genre). Una parrillada is a grill barbecue. They serve delicious steak, potatoes, sausage, pork, rib, and all sorts of meats. They also serve classic dishes like rice and beans, pasta, and my favorite is their bread and butter. La Parrillada Hip Hop is also located in Portoviejo but instead on Tamarindos street. The street actually gets its name from the fruit, tamarind, since its trees grow around there. People can actually pick a tamarind from a tree and eat it. Pretty cool. Its an outside restaurant, there is a roof over your head but other than that its out in the open. Sadly there isn't a very pretty view to look at. Just cars passing and buildings that are a bit run down but people still live in them.
Both of these places are far from boujee, fancy, and lavish. The places themselves are honestly a bit run down and not the prettiest, but it shows character. It doesn't need to be high end to be good. You're here to enjoy the amazing food and see the wonderful community.
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