A Tale of Two Chalans ....

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

El Chalan Restaurant (Washington, DC)
Chalan on the Beach (Miami Beach, FL)


OK, I know, you're likely to run into a "Chalan" if you go to any city with more than a couple of Peruvian restaurants (well ... if you're in the kind of city that would have more than one or even just one Peruvian restaurant!).

So, in just a little over two weeks, I had the opportunity to visit to Chalans, one in Washington (El Chalan) and one in Miami Beach (Chalan on the Beach). They were different, but both very good - in different ways of course!

El Chalan (DC) is located in Foggy Bottom down a flight of stairs and can easily be missed. But do not miss it!

For starters, we had the Ensalada Mixta (Tossed salad with Chalan house dressing). A very good and basic salad that set the stage for the meal to follow.

Sticking with beef and chicken, we had the Seco a la Hauchana (Beef stew cooked in cilantro sauce and spices, served with beans and rice) and the Aji de Gallina a la Arequipena (Shredded chicken cooked in a creamy garlic, onion and peanut sauce).

Both were very good, but the Seco a la Hauchana was spectacular. The beef was cooked just right and fell apart at the touch of your fork. The chicken was smooth and surprisingly not spicy.

El Chalan also features a nice selection of wines as well as some tasty looking Pisco Sours.

* * *

Chalan (Miami Beach) is located on Washington Ave., just off the more trendy Collins Ave. and a few blocks from the chic spots located along Lincoln Road. Chalan on the Beach gives you something that the eateries on Ocean Drive, Collins Ave., or Lincoln Road can't. Great food at a really great price with none of the SoBe attitude.

If you're looking for minor European or Latin American celebrities, you probably won't find them at Chalan on the Beach. If you're looking for a great meal (and don't mind spending LESS than $50 for two people WITH drinks!), then Chalan on the Beach is for you.

As with the Washington Chalan, we went with a beef and chicken pairing. Both dishes were tasty and well presented. We substituted a brown rice with vegetables with one dish that added a nice touch of difference.

We also ordered from the children's menu, which was not the greatest. The chicken fingers looked like they were fresh from the pre-packaged freezer. Stick with ordering from the main menu if possible.

All in all, a welcome difference from the typical Ocean Drive spot!

More photos from the two Chalans.

Restaurant: El Chalan Restaurant
Meal: Dinner
Rating: **** of 5
Date: 30 July 2008
Address: 1924 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006
Website: http://www.elchalanrestaurant.com/

Restaurant: Chalan on the Beach
Meal: Dinner
Rating: *** of 5
Date: 17 August 2008
Address: 1580 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139
Website: N/A

Guru: Teaching Miami Beach about Indian Food

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Guru ... Fine Indian Dining

Guru, located between the trendy Collins Ave. and the slightly less trendy (well, much less trendy) Washington Ave. in South Beach, was great find, equaling the brilliant Indomania (sadly closed for the summer) form my last trip to Miami Beach.

The intimate dining room (that seated perhaps, 20 people - with additional seating for another 6 or so outside) was blessedly free of the incessant synthesizer EuropPop that graces nearly every SoBe resto. Service, by an international group of wait staff, was friendly and efficient.

The food, however, was fabulous. Excellently prepared and served beautifully!

For a starter, we ordered the Masala papadam. Served in a different manner (rolled into cones - see photo), they were served with delicious side of tomato/onion relish.

Entrees were Chicken Makhani (butter chicken), Bhuna Gosht (beef cubes with ginger and garam masala), and Palak Paneer (spinach, greens, and paneer in whole masala). The butter chicken was amazing and is highly recommended. Same with the Palak Paneer. The Bhuna Gosht (one so rarely finds beef in South Asian restaurants) was a delightful change of pace.

For a bread, we had the basic roti (very well done). All dishes were served with rice, and a tiny teacup of a very tasty Dall.

The menu also featured a large selection of seafood entries for those inclined.

See more photos.

Next time your in SoBe, run to Guru!

Meal: Dinner
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 18 August 2008
Address: 232 12th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139
Website: http://www.gurufood.com/home.html

Nexxt ... Please!!!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

NexxtCafe

You're in Miami Beach on a beautiful spring night, it's not too hot or humid, you're out with friends after going to a museum reception. What do you want to top off the evening? Al fresco dining on a trendy and lively street (say Lincoln Road?). Of course. Where do you go, well, there, in the middle of Lincoln Road sits NexxtCafe (what is it with the lack of spaces? Is it supposed to be "webby"? Is it an attempt to be more "green" by saving ink, paper and pixels?).

Quick, grab a table for eight before someone else does (which they will) and take a seat. You'll get friendly and lively service, big drinks, and, sorry to say, mediocre food.

Well, you can't really have it all!

We had some pretty good appetizers (fried calamari, summer rolls, Chinese lettuce wraps). But then I made the mistake of ordering an entree. Maybe it was just having had a couple of fabulous meals, maybe I ordered wrong, but what came was the "Border Salad".

The waiter rolled up in a forklift and dropped off a heaping helpin' of chopped lettuce and lots of other stuff ... it wasn't bad, but, well, it just wasn't good. But there was a lot of it, which, well, means there was a lot of it!

Nexxttime, I'll stick with the appetizers, drinks, and people watching!

p.s. do visit the website, it has one of the cooler "restaurant themed" interactive menus I've seen

Dish: Border Salad and appetizers
Meal: dinner
Rating: * of 5
Date: 6 March 2008
Address: ‎700 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach, FL 33139
Website: http://www.thenexxtcafe.com/

Rijsttafel!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Indomania

Back home in Washington, DC, it's hard (impossible!) to find rijsttafel. I don't think I've had a good one since I was in The Hague many years ago!

Rijsttafel, is a sort of Indonesian/Dutch tapas. The "rice table" is delight to the eye and the palette. So, I was quite excited to find in Miami Beach, Indomania. Tucked into the ground floor of the Lorraine Hotel off of Collins Ave., 15 blocks or so from the hubbub of South Beach, Indomania offers a cozy dining room (hint: make reservations!), a playful pan-Asian ambiance and a friendly multi-culti staff (led by owners Ineke and Pieter Both), and fabulous food.

Our table of four started with an order of Fricadel jagung (corn cakes with chili/lime dipping sauce) which were excellent. For entrees, we opted to get one rijsttafel for two (the Rijsttafel Sumatra) and Oblok Oblok (friend tofu and tempeh). The Rijsttafel Sumatra was a smorgasboard (is that an oxymoron?) of fourteen tasty small dishes. Highlights were the Smoor djawa (slow cooked beef in kecap sauce); Rendang padang (beef stew in thick, spiced coconut sauce); Terong oseng (eggplant stew); and Sambal g bungcis (crispy, spiced green beans). The Krupuk udang (shrimp cracker) was very helpful in scooping up the rice!

For dessert, an order of friend bananas and ice cream was a perfect closing.

Indomania also featured a modest, but good wine list.

Meal: dinner
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 7 March 2008
Address: 2601 Collins Ave, Miami, FL 33140
Website: http://www.indomaniarestaurant.com/

Creek 28, Miami Beach

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Creek 28

I'm not usually a fan of hotel restaurant, but Creek 28 is more than your typical hotel restaurant. Tucked into the courtyard of the historic 1936 Indian Creek Hotel (well away from the noisy glamor of South Beach, Creek 28 offers a fabulous dining experience.

On my visit, our table had the Beef and Lamb Goulash, Moroccan Lamb and Chicken Tagine, and Grilled Sea Scallops. All the dishes were excellently prepared with just the right mix of flavors. The tagine was served with a side of Moroccan spice that made wasabi seem mild.

The extensive wine list will compliment any of your food selections. I'll also point out the frequently changing specialty drink menu. On my visit, a dining companion had the vodka, vanilla bean, and hibiscus flower drink that was highly praised!

Meal: dinner
Rating: ***** of 5
Date: 4 March 2008
Address: 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33140
Website: http://www.creek28.com/