Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
town too so get ready for many McDonald's and more KFCs than in most cities in the
States. Nowhere is this more pertinent than in the tourist district
La Mariscal
, where Ar-
abic cubbyholes sell cheap
shwarmas
(lamb shavings, lettuce and fries wrapped in pita
bread) with flavored
hookahs
on the side, while natives whip up
salchipapa
(a hot dog
over fries) to hungry tourists. But if you're not in the market for fast food you can head
over to
Las Tripas Mishki
(
Avenida Los Conquistadores
and
Ladron de Guevara
,) a park
in the lovely
La Floresta
neighborhood dominated by smoky street food stalls come sun-
down.
First of all, this plaza isn't for the faint of heart. Its name, 'The Tripe' gives you an idea to
the specialty here: pig intestines. But if you consider yourself the adventurous Anthony
Bourdain foodie type (aka you don't have a sensitive stomach) you're in for a big reward!
The intestines are cleaned, swathed with spices and grilled, giving off a smoky, savory fla-
vor. You can also have them in
menudo
, a dish containing assorted organs boiled in a fla-
vorful juice, however, the consistency is less than pleasant. But to each their own. You can
also bypass these - dishes in favor of safer traditional options, like sweet
morocho
,
cheese-filled
empanadas
sprinkled with sugar, fried fish and the typical
churassco
dish. If
you have a sweet tooth, there's a rolling cart stocked chocolate-covered strawberries with
your name on it. And for everyone else, the dollar pizza across the street is nothing short
of heavenly.
For a comprehensive introduction to Ecuadorian produce and cuisine, a visit to the
Mer-
cado Santa Clara
(Gustavo Darquea Teran and Versalles, Santa Clara stop on the Trole) is
a must. Most Quito food tours will take you here in conjunction with visits to the similar
Mercado Iñaquito
(Iñaquito and Villalenga) with this in mind. At Santa Clara you can
sample exotic fruits like the
pitahaya
a type of dragonfruit resembling a spiky yellow
grenade containing a sweet white pulp speckled with black seeds, vaguely tasting of hon-
eydew, but zestier. Then theres the camote, a rough, round brown fruit with fleshy orange
insides. It's a sweet cross between a pumpkin and a melon, but big and good for sharing.
Giant green
guanabanas
are also impressive and make for the perfect tropical milkshake,
while tiny
naranjillas
represent the citrusy fruit brewed in
canelazo
drinks.
For everything else, there's this nifty restaurant guide.
•
Restaurant on Almagro
Diego de Almagro and Mariscal Foch
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