Lunch in Bogotá

Some parts of the Mexico City neighborhood of Roma are very hip with lots of trendy restaurants, cafés and watering holes.  But other parts are more traditional, and the neighborhood is home to many immigrants from Colombia and Venezuela.  As I was walking around Roma a Colombian restaurant called "Pollos Mario" caught my eye.  I had noticed the place on an earlier trip when the exterior was being refurbished.  Now it looks like a quaint Colombian house with a wooden balcony on the upper floor.

I decided to give it a try.  The inside is cute but nothing fancy.

As I looked at the menu I saw that many of the dishes included "morcilla"... blood sausage... which, even though I have never tried it, does not sound appetizing.  I decided upon a dish called "ajiaco".  I later read that it is a favorite in Colombia's capital of Bogotá.

"Ajiaco" is a thick soup made with shredded chicken and chunks of potato.  There is even a chunk of corn on the cob.  It was very tasty.  The "ajiaco" was served with a plate of rice, a small salad of shredded cabbage, and slices of avocado and fried plantain.  Even though the rice looked very plain, it had a nice flavor.  To drink I had "maracuyá" (passion fruit) juice.

It was a filling and very good lunch, and a nice change of pace.