TheExpatJournals.com

Living in New York City will definitely spoil you. Every block has great food. Pick an ethnicity and you can have it delivered. And it will be the best, not just in the city, but perhaps in the world. Without being that level of superior, a restaurant doesn’t survive. It’s survival of the feasts up there.
Now, having said that, I grew up in South Carolina where deep fried anything goes and you don’t consider using skim milk instead of buttermilk in your cornbread or biscuits. Ironically, they do seem to prefer margarine to butter. That always eluded me. In SC, even vegetables are cooked for hours with pork seasoning…usually fat back, something they also fried. Makes you wonder how anyone lives beyond 60 in that part of the country. Unfortunately, the older I get, the more delicious southern cooking tastes and the more delicious something is…well you know the drill.

And a lot of the typical Panamanian cooking reminds me a lot of the south… fried chicken, fried fish, french fries, cole slaw, iceberg lettuce and sweet tea. And I won’t even get country on ya’! It seems that virtually every time I’ve ordered fried chicken in a restaurant in Panama City, it comes pink. And I’m not about to eat pink chicken. So I gave up and besides, in my opinion, I make the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. As I write this, I can’t actually remember the last time I made it, but I do have certain friends spread out over the US who always request I make it when we’re in the same city. Once, out of every possible dinner in NYC, my friend chicken was one friend’s birthday dinner of choice. As a rule, I don’t eat chicken in public. Somehow, each time I’ve tried, I’m disappointed. So I gave up. At home, I’m more apt to slow roast a chicken than fry it. But true to my southern roots, upon occasion I buy cubed steak at Riba Smith’s to make country fried steak and milk gravy over rice.

In short, I love food and I’m quite the unwilling-to-settle critic with NYC developed / spoiled taste buds. I had an experience last night that just brought a few things full circle. We went to have Chinese in El Dorado…not Lung Fung, but the other one that is just past Mr. Novey in the little plaza with Bell South. In theory, quite upscale and would be pricey Chinese even in NYC. So upstairs we go into the nicely appointed restaurant who’s name I’m not going to even bother to ask.

There are 6 of us and that means we have to sit at a table for 10-12 which means we seem quite far apart. But they tell us there won’t be enough room for our food at the smaller tables. They are at least willing to remove some of the extra chairs at our request and I do like the big lazy susan permanently attached to the center of the table. Makes for easy sharing.

The restaurant has 1 menu in English..literally. One of our group was German and ironically, he was asking for the English menu. My first surprise was $5.00 egg rolls, $6 if you want shrimp in them. There was a fish done either entero or filete in a grape sauce…salsa de uvas…that sounded interesting, but since none of us could figure out what the fish was and since I’m very picky especially about fish and since the entrée was $22.00, I decided against it. Plus, they actually had about 6 tofu dishes and I couldn’t remember seeing tofu on any menu in Panama. Oddly enough, all but one of the tofu dishes were stuffed with some sort of meat or seafood and none were served with any vegetables. So I order the sole meatless tofu dish for $9.00 and a side order of broccoli, price unknown as it wasn’t on the menu. I also order the $6.00 shrimp egg roll.

The food starts coming and yes, there was a lot of it. Rice with your entrée was clearly nothing this Chinese restaurant had ever heard of, making it a first in my experience. A side order of plain white rice was $1.00. Between us, three different types of egg rolls were ordered- vegetable, shrimp and mariscos. He brought two of the three and wrongly identified them for us. What the waiter thought was vegetable was mariscos and vice-versa. My shrimp were still on the way. The vegetable shrimp rolls were decent. The tiny shrimp in the mariscos rolls were awful. When my shrimp rolls arrived, I could not identify them as egg rolls nor could I identify the shrimp as shrimp. Molido he informs me. Tasted more like bad pork. I forced myself to swallow the one bit I took of the slices patterned more like sushi than egg rolls and left the rest. Horrible! Oh, and no sauce like I’m used to, the kind that just comes along with delivery in NYC…the sweet duck sauce and the hot mustard. Non existent. Restaurant doesn’t have it. What they did serve was good, but very strange. It was as though someone had mixed a little of the sweet duck sauce with vinegar and Heinz BBQ sauce, complete with the liquid smoke.

So now entrees begin to arrive and he informs me that there is no tofu. By then, everyone else’s food is out and I’m not so encouraged by what I’m tasting that I’m interested in spending $15-$20 on anything coming out of that kitchen. So I opt out of ordering and decide to nibble others. The fried rice was fried rice. I’m not sure of how anyone could screw that up. The sweet and sour chicken was inedible. The large langostinas sauted in a light egg crust were okay. And the broccoli sautéed with garlic was actually my favorite food of the evening.

Afterwards, only Gabriel, who was satisfied with his langostinos, was willing to order to desert. What he got was a desert cocktail glass full of lichee nuts and they were exquisite. To me, lichees taste like roses smell if they had been lightly soaked in honey. But I also assumed they were out of a can as that wasn’t the first time I had lichees here. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ll check into that now that I’m curious. It’s not that the service was bad here, it’s just that they seemed unwilling to accommodate and frustrated when we wanted something that wasn’t the way they thought it should be. And why on earth have all those tofu dishes on the menu if you don’t have any tofu in the kitchen?

In any event, a friend picked up the tab for all six of us and I would guess that it was in the $150-$200 range. And so extraordinarily disappointing that I felt sorry for him. We do that with each other. Go out to dinner as a group and take turns picking up the tab. I was glad it wasn’t my night to buy. I don’t mind picking up the tab, but I’d have a problem spending that much money on food that bad.

Lung Fung and Madame Wong I’m yet to try and are my only Chinese hopes left I’m afraid. One friend at the table that night, the German, said after our meal that it was okay. He told me we were in Panama and I’d have to get used to settling for what there was. I said, “No…I do not have to settle. I can use a wok with better results than this at home!”

Back in November, he and I had eaten dinner together at my favorite northern Indian restaurant in NYC, an unbelievable meal where 3 people have an amazing meal for about $45. Costing more money doesn’t automatically mean the food is better. The place in El Dorado made that abundantly clear. And now that I think about, for me, the same was true for Siete Mares and 1985…pretentiously ambitious though rising only to `almost’ on my standard and pricey. I have no problem with pricey as long as it’s worth it.

Like Limoncillo. AWE is the word that comes to mind when I think of their mushroom risotto. I’ve only eaten there once and keep meaning to go back. We only ordered the risotto on the side to share the night I was there, but at this point, though I remember the food was really good, I can no longer remember what I even ate. The mushroom risotto was so outstanding that it left everything else in it’s wake and became my only memory. I do remember that the meal was so goo that it suddenly tied with Manolo Caracol’s as my favorite restaurant thus far in Panama.

Manolo Caracol’s, Tapas Bar in el Casco Viejo. (When I say it, people always hear `topless’..hmmm) I love this place. Food is always interesting and rarely misses the mark. Extraordinary carpaccio de pescado. There are no menus at Manolo’s. You eat what they are serving that night. 10 courses, $16.00 per person plus drinks…which are very expensive, even the non-alcoholic ones. Incredible value for the price. The kitchen is open rather than behind walls, so you can watch the cooks in action. Huge copper fans above the stoves provide such good ventilation that my son marveled at how he could not smell smoke, though several tables were smoking cigarettes. Manolo himself is what I’ve described as Panama’s Rock Star Chef. A hip bundle of energy and known for having a prima dona personality, he has a rotating exhibition of paintings in the restaurant. All for sale. Price of exhibition includes him getting his choice of the artists’ paintings, so his personal collection is magnificent. And he does have great taste in art – eclectic and edgy. Same for his menus…eclectic, edgy and delicious! At least 6 of the courses are very fresh seafood. There’s always one salad and he has a way with fried rice that is unparelled in my experience. I’ve had such incredible combinations in the rice, like red peppers, shrimp, currants, green onions and mint And desert is always something unique, relatively light and wonderful! Manolo Caracol’s is not just a great meal in Panama…it’s a great meal anywhere in the world!

I’m afraid I’m useless in the world of pizza and pasta. Try as I may for many years to overlook my allergy to wheat, it is now impossible without consequences of a painful nature. So, alas, I’ve had to give up wheat which means bread and pasta, so heading to an Italian restaurant would only be torture. On that note, however, I have found the most incredible rice noodles, dry or fresh, at the Mini Max in Bal Harbour…better than anything I ever found in New York City. They also have huge bags of basil for $3.00 that will make enough pesto to feed at least 20 people. And yes, they have the pine nuts, too. By the way, the Mini Max also has alternative flours, a great selection of oils and spices and of course, great produce and fruits. And, oh yes…tofu. They also have rice paper, lemon grass-which I buy and pickle myself, salty plums, and I could keep going with things that are even hard to find in NYC. They have everything you need to make, for example, Vietnamese summer rolls, except the shrimp. And there’s certainly no shortage of that in Panama. Personally, marinated tofu makes a great alternative to shrimp in summer rolls, though the combo of lemon grass, shrimp and fresh mint is pretty unbeatable.

Now back to pasta for the wheat intolerant…I have found really delicious frozen gnocchi in El Rey. The only ingredient listed is potato flour and since I’m yet to have repercussions, I don’t investigate further. I still prefer making my own tomato and basil sauce as well. Maybe one day, I’ll try making my own gnocchi, but not as long as I can buy something I like. As for parmesan, I’m still working on what I smuggled in from NYC, but when I run out, the parmesan at Felipe Motta…yes, the wine store across from the World Trade Center…has parmesan that looks better than anything else I’ve seen in Panama, which is usually limited to the unsatisfactory, inexpensive type you buy in the dairy section. If you’re someone who shakes it out of a green canister…well, my guess is that this article is a complete waste of your time. Felipe Motta also has the only white balsamic vinegar I’ve found so far in Panama. I was up in San Jose, Costa Rica last weekend and to my surprise, in a normal grocery store I found my preferred brand of white balsamic vinegar and brought two of those back to Panama with me. Most people rave at the wine selection in Felipe Motta, but there’s another of my handicaps… I don’t drink so I can’t comment.

While service is something that is adequate in Panama, there is only one restaurant I have been to so far that has what I would consider stellar service and that is the new middle eastern restaurant across the street from the Marriot, Beirut. I like Beirut a lot! I think I even like it more than Habbibis or Aladinis. For $10 or so, they have a mixed appetizer selection that is amazing and enough food for a dinner for two. It’s kind of like middle eastern Tapas to me. I think Beirut has the best grape leaves, babaganoush and definitely the best …can’t remember the name, but it’s a small roll of filo (yes, wheat) stuffed with cheese…WOW!!! I used to go to Aladinis when I was in the mood for some things and Habbibis for others. Now I just go to Beirut. And if I really want to binge, I walk next door and grab an empanada de guayaba from Mireya’s para llevar.

For breakfast, I still rank The Executive Hotel first on the list. I assume that’s the American in me. As a rule, I don’t eat breakfast except to force myself because it’s good to do. But sometimes, I like to have breakfast for dinner or to have a big American breakfast for brunch and when I do, it’s the Executive I head for. For what I consider the equivalent to a diner here in Panama, Costa Azul will remain at the top across the board. And again, for wheat lovers, their $1.50 French Toast i great! Ask for it `bien tostada’. Love their coffee and batidos. And though it’s not on the menu, you can get a ½ order of their fruit salad, always great. I hear their sancocho is pretty great, but I do not like culantro… too close to cilantro which I detest.

Boulevard Balboa aka Boulevard Cafe has an incredible sandwich that is roast leg of pork with mozzarella. They make their own french fries and while that may seem like a heart attack waiting to happen, oh God what a delicious way to go. 38 Manzanas in Casco Viejo has my favorite salad outside my own kitchen: Mixed greens, uchuvas, sun-dried tomatoes and a polenta of yucca. They also serve the most beautiful hot tea in a mini wine carafe called Te de Pedro. The primary ingredient is Yerba Buena. Uchuvas and Yerba Buena are now always in my fridge. 38 Manzanas has an apple tarte that is almost like eating flaky shortbread and is one of the incredibly few deserts I’ve known anywhere that is both worth the calories and worth the price of eating wheat that I have to pay. They have several nice coffee options and is just a beautiful, pleasant spot to sit outside and have desert and coffee in the evening.

I’m still looking for one of my simple favorites, fried shrimp. It’s looking like that’s another one I’m going to have to tackle at home. Shrimp is such a pain in the ass to cook that I’d rather not, but…The first time I ever had fried shrimp at the Mercado Del Mariscos, it was excellent. I’ve been back 3 times since and each time, the experience is less and less pleasing. The last time I was there, it took over one hour to just get my food. Service was always atrocious, but since the food is no longer worth it, I don’t bother anymore. I don’t think you can go wrong with Corvina anywhere. It seems to be kind of like the equivalent to burgers in the US…no matter what, it’s at least edible and some superior to others. Now burgers of the ilk I’m accustomed to, the only kind worth eating don’t seem to exist here. I’m yet to try TGI Fridays, which people say is good, so I guess I won’t say definitively just yet. I’m assuming that’s another one that I’ll either make at home or go without. But if I have a beef yen, something I’ve never really cooked at home beyond the country fried steak and a crock pot roast that is so tender ..yes even here…that you can cut it with a fork…I go to Gauchos. That’s a WOW steak! The cuts are so huge, that ½ order of the filet mignon is more than enough and about the size of a normal filet mignon in the US. Gauchos is excellent and I highly recommend it.

Before I remembered I could be self-disciplined where wheat was concerned, I was loving the empenadas de queso y cebolla from Café Neri, next to Manolo Caracol’s in Casco Viejo. They don’t use queso nacional, but rather a combo of cheese’s that I’m not familiar with, but who cares when it tastes this good! I have no problem steering clear of any cheese produced in this country. Wisconsin, it ain’t.

And another staple of mine in the `eating out’ department is La Papa. A couple of times I’ve eaten something other than the tuna there, but it’s the tuna I keep going back for. Their baked potatoes are better than most I’ve found in Panama and they make their own sour cream. From what little I’ve tried, if I want Mexican, La Mexicanita across from Acropolis or Elite 2, depending on your orientation focus is pretty good. I did not like the Mexican place next to Siete Mares nor the one across from La Papa.

I miss great Indian food and Thai. I’ve heard there are a couple of options in that department, but based on reports I’ve heard, I’m assuming it will be disappointing. One of the things that missing certain types of food has done is motivated me to cook more often than I would in NYC. If I want certain things, I get to cook them or go without. And if I don’t know how, I google the recipe. Just this afternoon, with virtually nothing in my `cupboard’, I whipped up some sesame noodles from a combo of peanut butter and almond butter. Before Panama, I had never made Vietnamese summer rolls, Mushroom Saag, the sesame noodles, spinach cheese pie (spanakopita), and any number of smoothies. I keep a chopped salad on hand almost all the time because the salads, as a rule, in restaurants here are pretty awful. I make my own blu cheese dressing, a recipe of my own making, because it doesn’t seem to exist here.

I must admit, after moving here, I developed a pretty nasty Coke habit…coca cola. I think I have it kicked, but I seem to be
developing a lemonade habit in it’s place. And try as I might to like fresh limonada with splenda, it’s still better with sugar. So that’s what I use. And I could make my own orange juice, but why when it’s so inexpensive to purchase fresh orange juice? Banana, fresh OJ, fresh pineapple and a squeeze of maracuya and I’m in smoothie heaven. No need for milk (batido) or yogurt, just fresh fruit does the trick for me. And speaking of fresh fruit, the baby bananas here are so delicious, sweeter and creamier though a bit firmer than regular bananas. There is a whole host of fruits that are still absolutely alien to me. One day, I want to just buy one of each thing I’m not familiar with and turn my kitchen into a lab. There seem to be a lot of spiky fruits without edible raw flesh, nevertheless parts that are used in ways that are common here, just unknown where I come from. And I know it makes me stand out like a sore thumb, but I hate papaya. I’ll leave it at that out of deference to those who love it. I can’t imagine being without maracuya now, something I had never tasted less than a year ago. In addition to the smoothies, I’ve started blending my own herbal teas through trial and error. Yerba Buena, cheap and plentiful here, is always an ingredient as is a touch of maracuya. If you ever have an upset stomach, yerba buena tea with a bit of ginger is a sure cure. And so far, Kotowah dark roast is my favorite Panamanian coffee. You can buy it in Boquete, in duty free at Tocumen or at the Albrook Airport. I even like their normal roast and I’ve been a French / Expresso Roast drinker for so long, I can’t even remember the last time a regular roast seemed good to me.

I’m sure there is lots more I could write about eating out, shopping, and eating in, but in short, even eating here presents an adventure because of all the new things I’m either tasting, cooking or seeing. I look forward to the day I finally take someone out with me to learn about all the herbs and all the herbal remedies so common down here. And that is one of the coolest things about living in Panama…no matter what, there’s always something new to learn, somewhere new to see, something new to taste, someone new to meet….it’s an adventure for the mind, body, soul and all of the senses. And I do love an adventure!