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El Coquito Comida Hondurenia

MY REVIEW: I stopped in here originally to try the Sopa de Caracol, the conch soup that is advertised in the window and is a Honduran specialty, but they didn’t have it the day I was there. The waitress suggested Sopa de Gallina, hen soup, and it was very good. Large, bone-in pieces of white and dark meat with large chunks of carrot, yuca, potato and cabbage in a very satisfying broth with a side of white rice and 2 thick, hand-made corn tortillas. The vegetable pieces were so large it was almost necessary to use a knife and fork to eat the soup. I was feeling a little under the weather that day and the chicken soup proved to be just what the Doctor ordered. With all the starch, it was very filling and a good bargain.

On a subsequent visit I tried the pastelitos - Honduran style empanadas made with corn meal (arepas) like those of Venezuela and Columbia. They were stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture and almost full size but were lacking in seasoning. They were accompanied by a generous portion of a shredded cabbage salad with marinated red bell pepper, a warm tomato dressing and shredded queso. It was very good. The appetizer, only $3.75, was very filling, almost enough for a whole meal, but I had also ordered Casiamento con coco, a rice and beans dish cooked in coconut milk. This proved to the Honduran version of Jamaican rice ‘n peas with the addition of onion and bell pepper and a more generous use of coconut milk. This was accompanied by some avocado and queso and corn tortillas. I was so full from the appetizer I wound up taking most of this home and discovered it’s much better reheated the next day.

I saw the Pollo Frito being served and it looked very good and I’m looking forward to returning to try that. I also noticed Mondongo on the menu, the Central American term for Menudo, and some other dishes. Honduran food is not spicy and that’s my main complaint here - blandness. There is Tabasco available and also soy sauce - the menu also lists Shap Suey con Pollo o con Cameron.

The food I’ve had here so far is not quite as good as at another local group of Honduran restaurants but on the other hand you don’t have to deal with a deafening juke box here.

The restaurant is clean but not fancy; not every waitress speaks English but the menu has full English translations. Parking in front is very tight.

NAME: BruceW
SUBMITTED: 3/27/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/08
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

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