When it comes to the colorful cooking of South America – the land that’s south of south of the border — Colombian cuisine is more plentiful than the dishes of, say, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Guyana. But it’s also less available than the tastes of Peru, Brazil or Argentina.
Still, it’s out there, in our dazzling culinary landscape — at La Fonda Antioquena in Hollywood, Rinconcito Colombiano and Sabor Colombiano in Westlake, La Maria in North Hollywood, La Chiva in Buena Park, Encanto in Hermosa Beach, and right here at Sazón Colombia in Chatsworth. Which seems at times to be as much a clubhouse for our local Colombian population as a restaurant.
Unlike Peru, the cooking of Colombia doesn’t benefit from ancient traditions, and local ingredients that have been cultivated since before recorded time. If anything, the cooking of Colombia — and particularly of Bogota — reflects its international population. And that international style can be found at Sazón, with its arroz con pollo – as universal a dish as can be imagined – its french fries for kids, and its mousse for dessert.
But if there’s a Colombian culinary tradition respected here, it’s the national passion for meat and carbs. Starches are everywhere; there’s hardly a dish that comes without, beginning with the appetizers which are filling enough that an entrée may be beside the point.
The “Pa’ Picar” are many — and satisfying to a crazy degree. They include the inevitable empanadas, crispy and filled with spiced chicken or meat, and, of course, mashed potatoes. (Potatoes have long been a hallmark of Peru, next door. They’ve spread across the continent and, obviously, around the world.)
There are fried balls of yucca, which looks like a sweet potato, but is far less sugary and far more starchy. Even starchier are the plantains, which arrive with a nice crust, and a lot of stomach-filling substance beneath. More sugary are the buñuelos, the Colombian version of a doughnut, but without sprinkles on top or jelly inside. There’s a stuffed maize flatbread called arepa that comes packed with beef or chicken — and reminds me of a pizza turned inside out. I love empanadas. But I love arepas even more. They offer so much happiness in every bite.
And there’s more, for this is a cuisine of many snacks — and many big dishes, too. The pandebono is a cheese bread, with egg and sometimes guava pasta. The patacones are fried green plantains. The tajadas are plantain potato chips — long and thin and cooked to an impressive crunch. The hogao is a Creole sauce, spicy and spicier, which tastes good on everything and anything. Chicharron is fried pork rinds. I grew up with fried chicken skin. It’s a universal pleasure.
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There are 24 appetizers on the menu. And 17 entrées. Main dishes run to mega ingredient extravaganzas like the bandeja paisa (beef, sausage, chicharron, rice, beans, fried egg, tajadas, patacones, arepas and avocado; it’s a very busy plate). But they get a lot busier, moving all the way to the sprawling, family style, table covering Picada, served for two or four — though the bigger one will probably feed six folks of non-Colombian size appetites.
It’s a dish of chicharron, pork sausage, blood sausage, beef steak, pork ribs, green plantains, white potatoes, yellow Colombian potatoes, arepas and cassava. Like I said — a lot of protein, and a lot of carbs. No green veggies (unless you count the green plantains).
For those of more modest appetites, there are sundry options. Along with the bandeja paisa, there’s a bandeja paisa trifasica (with a fried egg). And a plato completo, with pork sausage, chicharron pork ribs or blood sausage. I like the lengua en salsa, since tongue is a favorite deli meat of mine. But I like it on rye bread; this comes with rice, cassava and potatoes.
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For dessert, along with the mousse, there’s a caramel custard called flanes (as in flan). Brevas con arequipe are figs with dolce de leche and cheese. Mazamorra paisa is rice pudding. The soft drinks from Colombia are very sweet. This is a cuisine of flavors that are strong, and stronger. Subtlety is not the point. Big taste sure is.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
Sazón Colombia
Rating: 2.5 stars
Address: 20454 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth
Information: 818-407-0902; www.sazoncolombia.com
Cuisine: Very popular restaurant with the local Colombian population, who show up for heaping platters of grilled meats, empanadas and arepas.
When: Breakfast, lunch and early dinner, every day
Details: Soft drinks; reservations for groups
Prices: About $30 per person
On the menu: 5 Breakfast Dishes ($6.99-$10.99), 24 Appetizers ($1.50-$21.99), 17 Entrées ($12.99-$25.99), 6 Seafood Dishes ($16.99-$25.99)
Credit cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)