( The following post, originally entitled "A Taste of Latin American Street Life and Culture," has been published in Manila Bulletin on Nov. 1, 2012. )
Imagine
yourself dining in the streets of Havana, Bogota, Lima, Medellin, and
Santiago. Walk into a magical realm of the senses as you savor all
the flavors, music, and culture of South America, then finally utter
these words in amazement: “Delicioso! Apetitoso! Agradable!”
These
are some of the impressions stirred in my imagination upon looking at
the graffiti-inspired interiors of a new and flaming hot Latin
American grill resto called “Brasas.”
 |
| Hand-painted drawings on the wall |
The
news of the latest and “hottest” grill restaurant in town has
spread like wildfire (just like the red hot flames in its logo) as
it opened recently at the Podium in Ortigas Center. “Brasas”
specializes in Latin American street food, by far the only one of its
kind in this part of the city.
“We
wanted a place where people could enjoy simple, delicious food in a
casual, fun setting, so we came up with the idea of street food and
quick service,”
said
Karla Soliman-Licuanan, Marketing Director of Brasas.
 |
| A casual and cozy ambiance |
“Brasas”
got its name from the Spanish word that means “flaming hot coals,”
over which most of its meals are grilled to perfection. Inspired by
the ubiquitous street food in Colombia (as can be seen from a drawing
on the wall showing a man fanning flames over a grill), the typical
“Brasas” menu consists of picadas (appetizers), salads, soup,
sandwiches, and of course the “Brasas” main course: the Latin
classics, grilled wraps, and rice platters.
 |
| Latin American grilled classics |
“Our
menu is really crafted around Carne
Asada
- a popular Latin American street dish. Our version features thinly
sliced meat (your choice of beef, chicken or pork) marinated in lime,
cilantro and spices, charcoal grilled and serves as the main
ingredient of our key offerings of grilled wraps, rice platters and
salads, “ Soliman-Licuanan added.
According
to Brasas' Colombian head chef Nathaly Montoya, Brasas is the perfect
place, a “parche,” ( a slang term which means a cool and trendy
place) for those grilled-food lovers who have a penchant for not so
spicy but rich flavors which characterize the classic Latin American
cuisine.
 |
| Brasas pulled pork sandwich |
“The
traditional Latin American food is very rich in flavors. The pleasant
smell and taste of herbs such as origano, thyme, lime, and cilantro
are always present in every Latin American dish,” Montoya said.
 |
| Colombian head chef in the kitchen |
Among
these traditional dishes from the Hispanic world served hot off the
Brasas grill are the Pastel
de Choclo
from Chile, a kind of beef stew topped with corn; Puerco
Asado
from Cuba, roasted pork belly with vegetables, rice, and beans; Lomo
Saltado
from Peru, sauteed sirloin strips with tomatoes, onions, and fries;
Patacones
from Colombia, crispy plantain (“saba” banana) chips with smoked
pulled pork and tomato salsa; Arepas,
a typical Colombian pancake made of corn; and the charcoal-grilled
meat with patacones, slaw, and yellow rice with Chimichurri sauce
from Argentina. For beverages, Guarapo
from Colombia tops the list. Guarapo is made from sugarcane juice,
muddled mint and lemon.
 |
| Chicken rice platter |
But
not all dishes or drinks at Brasas are classically Latin American.
There are fusions of Mexican and Western, such as the grilled wraps
consisting of charcol-grilled meat, tortilla, tomato salsa, roasted
bellpeppers, and sauteed onions with Chipotle sauce. The Lomo
Saltado, although originally from Peru, has Asian flavors such as soy
sauce, ginger, and vinegar. “It's very similar to the 'bistek
Tagalog' (Filipino beef steak),” Montoya quipped.
 |
| Grilled beef wrap |
“We
have experimented on some of our recipes to add a twist and variety
to our predominantly Latin American menu. This way, we hope to
somehow satisfy every palate, or maybe create a new one,“ Montoya
explained.
For
instance, since there is no tea in Latin America, Brasas concocts its
version of “Latin iced tea,” made from freshly brewed passion
fruit, a very common fruit in South America.
Another
example of its creative infusion of Hispanic ingredients is
“Brasacolada,” a spin-off from pinacolada with mango, strawberry,
pineapple, and coconut milk.
 |
| Latin American-inspired interiors |
 |
| Graffiti on the wall |
Aside
from its authentic Latin American street food, Brasas also offers a
casual and cozy setting perfect for informal yet friendly gatherings.
The hand-painted drawings and grafitti on the red and black wall
create impressions of a vibrant street scene as well as a carefree
and laid-back mood that is so typical of Latin American lifestyle.
Spanish slang expressions such as “Q'ubo” (“What's up?”) and
“Parche” and welcome greetings such as “Hola!” and
“Bienvenido!” inadvertently offer diners a crash course on basic
Spanish. So, if Spanish is the lingua
franca
here at Brasas, then Latina Americana is its comida
buena!
 |
| Contemporary design |
 |
| "Hola! Bienvenido!" |
And
while waiting for my patacones and a cold glass of guarapo to be
served, I might as well read a few pages from Gabriel Garcia Marquez'
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” right here at Brasas where my
romance with the Latin American street culture begins.
_______________________________________________________________
Brasas
is located at the 5th
level, The Podium, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
