Colombian Food in LA
It's been a while since I've eaten pandeyucas. In Miami, Pan pa ya in Doral had everything: pandeyuca, pandebono, Colombiana, you name it. They even sold frozen pandeyucas. When I moved, to Los Angeles I concentrated on setting up my voiceover studio and getting a job. A few months later, I started looking for Colombian food places, but then we were thrown into a pandemic. The thought of eating pandeyucas went out the window. Years passed and I got distracted eating healthy food. Well, not so healthy. There is a Taco Bell close by and I often go there for breakfast burritos and tacos. But they're delicious and ready in minutes. There is also an Italian restaurant nearby and the pasta is good. But I miss typical Colombian food. The other day, I was in the San Fernando Valley and I said, enough is enough. The day was cloudy and cold, like Bogota, and I felt the need to eat Colombian bread with coffee. I searched for 'Macondo Kitchen' in the Yelp app near me. It was eleven o'clock in the morning. I was disappointed they didn't have pandeyucas but instead, I ordered a pandebono with coffee. It was delicious. I'm not ashamed to admit that I dunked pieces in the coffee, the way my sister taught me when we were little. The daily special was lentil soup with rice and grilled chicken. My mouth watered and I ordered it to go.
Later I found out that they have another store two doors down. I stocked up on achiras, bocadillo and black cake. I've been savoring the achiras by eating one a day but they are starting to run out. Might be time to go back.
Pan Pa Ya en Miami: https://panpayausa.com/
Macondo Kitchen en Van Nuys, CA: shorturl.at/egxGW
"Por fortuna, Macondo no es un lugar, sino un estado de ánimo que le permite a uno ver lo que quiere ver y verlo como quiere" - Gabriel Garcia Marquez