Monday, December 27, 2010

Isa's

OUT AND ABOUT
Isa’s
538 Alamo St
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5301
Monday thru Friday 11 AM to 7 PM $1 to $8

This cottage shop venue by the Latin Corner is owned by the same people. It serves a pan Caribbean cuisine that is strictly take-away. There are a few patio style chairs and tables just in back that allows you to eat there if the weather is good. They set up the menu in three basic sections. They consist of a daily plate lunch, stuff available every day including dessert, and drinks which include some unusual to us juices.

First time in was Parrillada (Friday). The plate consisted of Grilled Chicken and Beef with a potato/carrot salad and boiled cassava. Both meats were flavorful but not spicy the beef was a bit chewy. While unusual the potato salad did not suffer by having chunks of sweet carrots in it. The cassava was bland as I expected but an accompany sauce made it nice. I also got Pastelitos trio (small round fried flour turnovers) which about two bites each and very nice. I received one beef and two cheeses. I tried their Horchata (cinnamon flavored rice drink) and Cuarto Leches (four milk) cake which both proved excellent

Next time was Cerdo Horneado (Thursday). Baked pork loin slices topped with a finely chopped slightly sweet salsa. The plate also had saffron rice, fried green plantains and a carrot salad served over corn. The pork was tender and delicious with hints of citrus. The tostones tasted starchy as they should and the salad nice. I drank blackberry juice this time. I also got the empanada trio (chicken, beef, and cheese).
These possess a corn flour crust rather than wheat and are fried. Make for a crispy corny pocket holding wonderful fillings of beef and onion, chicken, and white cheese. This is about the third time I have encountered this variation and I am beginning to enjoy them immensely. The flan I got was very dense and the caramel burnt.

On Monday it is chef’s choice. Recently it was lentils (with a strong cumin aroma) and white rice with meatballs and fried ripe plantains on the side. The lentils cooked to perfection (still whole but meltingly soft) and the perfect rice combined well with the soft but flavorful meatballs (full of herbs) and the sweetness of the plantains. I got the rice pudding for dessert but it did not suit me as the rice was not totally cooked.
The sugarcane juice with lime tasted like a fine limeade.

Last time in I tried the Arepas. Similar to gorditas these thick corn cakes are split and filled with meat and cheese to form a kind of sandwich. The griddled one I ordered with pork and cheddar cheese. Here they come with lettuce, tomato and a slice of avocado. This one had a crust like a great corn tortilla (lusty but a little dry). The moist and flavorful chunks of tender pork made this one. The other arepas offered is made with the same dough as the empanadas and fried. I got this one with shredded beef and white cheese, whole different texture and taste. The frying brings out the corn flavor but in a different way than the griddled. I liked both but the fried one has a slight edge at this point. They offered guava juice that day and I thought I had died and gone to heaven as I love guava anything.

None of these dishes were really spicy but they carried great flavor. They may have sauces in the shop but I never went in. I called in my order and they were kind enough to bring it out to me. I can tell from the menu that some dishes are from different Latin countries. The owners are Venezuelan so I suspect they put some that influence in them. All I know the food is good and different. That is enough for me



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