Hot Off The Grill: Latin American Street Food Sizzles at "Brasas"

( 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.

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Brasas is located at the 5^th level, The Podium, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.