travel zen on friday: the colors of bogota

Bogota.

restaurant review: harry sasson in bogota

Outside Harry Sasson.

While researching places to eat while visiting Bogota, I wanted to make sure that our limited time in the city would not be wasted on bad meals. There were a few candidates and the final choice boiled down to Harry Sasson, which has received a lot of favorable reviews and has been dining destinations for heads of state. So, Mr. Sazy Rock and I thought that Harry Sasson should be a no-brainer.

The Scene 


We were not disappointed in Harry Sasson's aesthetics. Located in a beautiful and tony neighborhood of Bogota, the restaurant looked like a big, fancy European home. In fact, we almost missed it because the facade did not particularly look like what a restaurant's facade should look like. But, google maps did not lead us astray.

restaurant review: andres carne de res in chia, colombia

Outside Andres Carne de Res.

About an hour outside of Bogota is a tiny town called, Chia. It is known for a party restaurant called, Andres Carne de Res. It is also a steak heaven. There is a branch in Bogota itself. But, people I've met have suggested that the one in Chia is a lot more fun.

Andres Carne de Res.

The Scene

travel zen on friday: a kite surfer in cartagena

Cartagena, a beach side city, is lucky to have a lot of breeze to help with the heat. Locals and tourists take advantage of that breeze by going kite surfing. I took this picture in the late afternoon and the sun's fading rays created this golden color. Happy Friday!

A kite surfer in Cartagena.

dining with a real life "most interesting man in the world" at juan del mar restaurant in cartagena, colombia

It's a shame I cannot officially review my meal at Juan del Mar because the food was delicious and the atmosphere was so much fun. I can't, in good conscience, review it because the proprietor would not let us pay (we did tip generously though). Although I believe I can still be impartial despite the free meal, it seems cheeky for me to so. So, I thought I'd just tell you why I think it's a fun restaurant that serves good food with full disclosure that we only tipped. Plus, I met Mr. Juan del Mar himself, the most interesting man in the world. Seriously.

Juan del Mar

Mr. Sazy Rock's colleague recommended we check out Juan del Mar and proceeded to introduce us to its proprietor, Juan del Mar Iglesias. Why do I think he is the most interesting man in the world? 

restaurant review: marmoleo in medellin

Marmoleo.

For a romantic dinner in Medellin, I'd like to suggest a steakhouse restaurant called Marmoleo. It is located up in a hill overlooking the city. The views there are fantastic as one can see a valley of city lights surrounded by towering mountains.

I know, you might say that usually restaurants with great views do not deliver on the food. But, I can tell you that my experience dining here with Mr. Sazy Rock was positive.

Tip 1: when reserving a table online, check the website for the configuration of the tables vis a vis the view. Then, choose the perfect table. 

Tip 2: The place is usually empty until about 8 pm, when everyone starts arriving.  

travel zen on friday: medellin at sunset

Medellin is a land-locked town that's quite hilly.

Medellin at Sunset.

restaurant review: carmen in medellin

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I travel to research the food of an area, we tend to try street food, casual dining and fine dining options. After all, we believe that all the food - whether street, casual or fine - reflect the people. After all, those who can afford fine dining are just as much a part of the populace as those who can only afford street food and vice versa.

That being said, whether a particular restaurant or a particular dish is good is more a reflection of the proprietor and not of the food of the region or country. Put another way, not all restaurants serve good food. Some are better at creating tasty dishes than others. That, I believe, is true everywhere around the world.

Carmen.

During our recent trip to Medellin, one of Mr. SR's colleagues suggested we try Carmen, a fine dining restaurant in the Poblado neighborhood. We decided to give it a go since we have been eating at a lot of fast casual restaurants and sampling street food at stalls around town.

restaurant review: mondongo's in medellin

There was once a time when going to Colombia (not Columbia), and specifically, Medellin, would've triggered plenty of alarm bells. These days, not only is the country safe (as safe as any other big city) to visit, but it is also a great place to sample the local cuisine.

Medellin is land-locked in the country's interior (and quite hilly). So, the restaurants in town had plenty of good meaty options. My visit with Mr. Sazy Rock started at a very popular fast casual joint called, Mondongo's, in the Poblado neighborhood. (We found out later that they have another branch in town, and one branch in the US - in Miami.)

The line outside Mondogo's.

travel zen on friday: botero's medellin

Medellin may have been famous because of Pablo Escobar but it is also the home town of the renowned artist, Fernando Botero. In fact, the downtown area housed many of his sculptures. But, for a concentration of these sculptures, head to Botero Plaza.

One of Botero's sculptures.

what is an arepa?

A very short video primer on the Arepa, the ubiquitous bread found in Colombia (not Columbia). Enjoy!

the uber situation in colombia

Medellin.

Good news for travelers who want to use Uber in Colombia. You can do it!

For those unfamiliar with Uber, it is a ride sharing app that allows anyone to hail a car to get them from point A to point B. While there are plenty of arguments pro and against using Uber (such as the cheaper cost compare to a taxi or how drivers are not as well vetted as taxi drivers), there is no dispute that Uber has been very popular in a lot of communities.

Based on my trip earlier this year, I can report that Uber is available in Colombia.

In Medellin, I found an option for Uber English, which ensured that the driver spoke English. The option came with a bit of a premium (say a $4 ride vs $2) but, it was useful for me (I lack the local language skill) when I wanted to chat, get to know some people and get local recommendations.

Unfortunately, the Uber English option was unavailable in Cartagena and Bogota. That being said, I was still able to get from Point A to Point B with the non-English speaking Uber drivers so long as I had the destination inputted in the Uber App.

Happy travels!