Ecuadorian Cuisine …

The Plaza across from Palacio Arzobispal

The courtyard of Palacio Arzobispal

…is an oxymoron. No, that's not entirely fair. The pineapple is ambrosial (native to South America) and the assortment of exotic fruits and juices is divine. Restaurant diners, however, are subject to the Ecuadorian triumvirate: potatoes, corn and (fried) meat. I was in the mood for good old chicken soup, and I enjoyed a fine bowl at a little place called "Juan Fogonero" in the shopping center (really a building divided into shops, called Palacio Arzobizpal) on the corner of Avs. Chile and Venezuela in old town Quito. They take credit cards! Very pretty inside, with a genuinely helpful staff. 


I wandered about town for a while and rain suddenly started to fall in torrents. Along with the townspeople, I pressed myself up against a wall and hoped for the best--and it did get better, or at least wetter. I intended to try some place other than the Palacio Arzobispal for dinner, but it was close, covered, and dry. I went to another restaurant on the third floor, "Hasta la vuelta, Senor"--the paper placemat told a long and involved story (in Spanish) explaining the name, all of which was lost on me. Meanwhile, the rain thundered on the courtyard roof, and a small dove begged for crumbs a few feet away. The restaurant promised authentic Ecuadorian food, and once again, I ordered chicken soup--it couldn't have been more different from my first bowl. This soup also contained real chicken broth, but instead of small pieces of chicken and veges, there was one chicken leg and a potato cut into large pieces. It was topped with a dill-like herb I had seen people selling on the street; it was different, and also good. I ordered an appetizer that turned out to be a deep-fried dough ball stuffed with potatoes and cheese that required a hammer and chisel to open; not particularly tasty, but the small masa corn tamale (all corn, no filling) was delicious with the local beer.
On the way out, on Av. Venezuela, I stopped by an excellent little bakery and bought fresh baked goods--a sweet bread and what looked like a danish--for breakfast. The fruit, the beer, the baked goods--Quito has those down!