After
landing into Orlando, I headed straight to my hotel hoping that there might be
the slightest chance to check in early.
It was only 10:30am EST, so the outcome wasn’t looking too good. I was told that I could wait around for an
hour if I wanted to, but opted to walk around nearby to grab some breakfast
instead. Less than a block away was a
nice little restaurant called Sofrito Latin Café – a Latin restaurant that
specializes in Venezuelan, Colombian, and Cuban cuisine. Venezuela is one of my Top 10 countries to
visit in the world mainly because of its untapped source of ecotourism,
culture, and historical significance in South American history. However, given its current political climate
under President Maduro with its ongoing civil unrest, it’s going to be a long time
before I’ll ever get the chance to visit this hidden gem. For now, Sofrito Latin Café would have to be
my “first experience” of this culture.
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| Sofrito Latin Cafe - A Little Taste of Venezuela |
Upon
entering the café, you have two choices – sit at the bar and order directly
from there or place an order with the cashier near the entrance like you would
at a pizzeria and then grab yourself a free table in the dining area. I wanted to sit outside on the patio, so I
placed my order with the cashier, grabbed a small stand with my order number on
it, and then proceeded to the back of the café where the patio was located. Despite the beautiful sunny weather, I was
the only person who chose to sit outside on this particular morning. Whatever.
It just means I sit wherever I wanted to without being disturbed.
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| Enjoying a cold Polar Pilsen - a Venezuelan beer |
Breakfast
consisted of a Polar Pilsen and a cachapa.
Brewed by Empresas Polar, Polar Pilsen is a very light and sessionable Pilsner
with aromas of grainy and sweet Malts followed by citrus and apple
flavours. Cachapa is a sweet corn
pancake filled with Queso de Mano (handmade white soft cheese) topped with
cream. A Venezuelan delicacy, I found the
cheese to be very chewy and pungent. Although
I could’ve paid a little extra to add slices of pork or shredded beer on top, I
figured a basic cachapa alone would fill me up sufficiently for the next few
hours. The overall cost with tax and tip
was just under $20 US, so a bit expensive for a standard breakfast. However, it gave me some insight as to what
the Venezuelan food culture is like. I
just hope I can visit one day to enjoy it directly from the source.
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| Cachapa - a Venezuelan sweet corn pancake filled with Queso de Mano |
The
next morning, I decided to go back and order an Omelet de Jamon y Queso. It’s a ham and Gouda cheese omelet served
with applewood bacon, fried yucca and Cuban toast. For $8.50, it was a good breakfast, but not
great. I paired this up with a Spanglish
– a light-bodied American Lager brewed by Miami’s Veza Sur Brewing
Company. It’s an average light-bodied
American Lager with a crisp, clean finish.
Although it had very sweet Malt and fruity flavours, much like my
breakfast, there was nothing very memorable about this beer. This just made me appreciate my Venezuelan
breakfast from the previous day even more.
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| Omelet de Jamon y Queso - Ham & Gouda Cheese Omelet |
Sofrito Latin Café
8607
Palm Parkway
Orlando,
FL 32836
Phone:
(407) 778-4205
Hours of Operation:
Sunday
– Thursday: 7am EST – 9pm EST
Friday
– Saturday: 7am EST – 10pm EST
