Esto Es Colombia!
Hola! Multicultural Mike here and welcome to another The Spice is Right review! For this week’s review we visited an authentic Colombian restaurant on the always busy Dufferin Street. So without further ado, let’s dive right in… vamonos!
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| Esto Es Colombia! |
Esto Es Colombia! is an authentic Colombian restaurant that is owned by the talented
chef Diana Arizala. This restaurant takes pride in being a family-oriented establishmentand is run by her and her family. Upon entering, the warm and welcoming atmosphere
made me feel at home while the decor and music transported me to their beloved country
of Colombia.
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| Colourful Cultural Artwork |
There are pictures on the wall of scenes from Colombia: farmers, food,
landscapes, countryside, old factories and such things like that. I also remember seeing
this really cool map of Colombia on the wall that looked like a woven pattern. It welcomed
visitors with the essence of Colombia. In addition, the restaurant logo features the
prominent colours of the Colombian flag: yellow, blue and red, which are also foundthroughout the restaurant. I walked into the smell of bandeja cooking on the skillet andplatanos in the fryer. It was enough to make my mouth water in anticipation.
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| Cultural Art |
The people there welcomed me warmly and made me feel at home. I find Colombians to be
a very hospitable people and culture so they did not hesitate to make me feel comfortable.
Their openness towards everyone was also exemplified by all the flags of different countries
they have hanging up by the front door.
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| Large photos of Colombian farms and flags from all over the world |
I could hear the sound of colourful Latin music that complimented the colourful decor. I always enjoy drumming and table tapping to Latino beats. I think they’re a lot of fun. In the
background I could hear people conversing in Spanish and they certainly must have felt very at home there as well.
Diana, the owner, is a very beautiful person. She has a warmth about her which is verywelcoming and has an authentic love of what she does which is extremely infectious. She has a good spirit about her with a great easy-going personally and fun sense of humor. Shetakes the time to get to know her customers and shares her love and knowledge of her culture with everyone which helps to foster a close, and yet diverse, community.
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| Interviewing Diana |
It was a dream of Diana’s to own her own restaurant so that she could share her love of her country with everyone in her community. One thing that makes Esto Es Colombia special is that Diana features dishes that represent every diverse part of Colombia since Colombia has a great variety of dishes. Growing up, Diana grew up in many different regions of Colombia and as a result has a lot of influence in the food and her cooking to bring to the table… literally!
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| Diana at work! |
Diana personally made the dishes I had that day which, I was told, was made with an extradash of love. I got the Bandeja paisa which is a popular Colombian dish found in the northwestern part of Colombia. The word paisa refers to people who live in these parts of Colombia. It’s a dish with steak, rice, plátano maduro (fried plantain), a fried egg, avocado, beans, chorizo (fried pork) and an arepa (corn bread patty). The dish was complemented with a tall glass of tropical fruit juice. Colombian food is bright and colourful which matches the rest of the culture! The food was very rich. The meats are fried or deep fried which gives it a very crunchy texture and rich taste.The rice and beans had a delicious savory taste, especially when mixed with the runny egg yolk on top, while friend plantains and the cornbread were more plain and complimented the dish well. The tropical fruit juice added a tang to the whole meal.This meal was simply delicious!
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| Bandeja Paisa |
Personally, I love Colombian food so much, it’s one of my favourites in the world. I can see why Colombian food has a universal appeal to everyone because of how vibrant and creative the plate is which is a reflection of how vibrant the culture is. Latinos have a way of making you feel welcomed and very lively. The people at this restaurant are always so full of life, and it’s always a good time.
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| The wonderful Diana and I |
I highly recommend this remarkable place is for ALL kinds of people, because Diana’s message is to bring Colombian culture to everyone to enjoy, so that they may come in and discover the diverse beauty of Colombian cuisine.Colombian cuisine is very colourful and diverse, so I can see all kinds of people enjoying it. If you're feeling the vibes, come in and enjoy a beautiful, warm experience. Here you will be sure to enjoy a delicious “home cooked” meal made with lots of love.
Esto Es Colombia is located at 2848 Dufferin St, North York and is open from 10 am to 8:20pm everyday except on Mondays when they are closed. You can find them at their website estoescolombiarest.com and on their Facebook and Instagram. Many Thanks to Diana for sharing herself with us and her community! Enjoy!
Paul Yuzyk Youth Initiative for Multiculturalism
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