Good Eats

DW and I had budgeted so that we'd be eating out most of the time that we were in Costa Rica. Some of our lodgings included breakfast, while others did not. But we were able to check out typical restaurants and small dining spots, called sodas, online before we left, and so we had an idea about how much each meal would cost.

Our first lodging, just a short distance from the San José airport, included a light breakfast of warm croissants, fresh fruit, and a carafe of coffee. It was the perfect start to our first full day in the country and set us up for our trek to La Fortuna.

Wherever possible, DW and I chose sodas for our meals, which were typically the least expensive of restaurants, charging between 4,000 and 5,000 colones ($10.50 to $14 CAD) per dish. We also preferred typical Costa Rican dishes, which gave us an authentic taste of the country and also tended to be less expensive than going with more North American-styled dishes, like burgers and pizza (though, I did have a few burgers over our two-week stay).

I'm not going to share every meal that I had during our vacation, though I did photograph almost every meal so that I could share it in a Google review. But what I would like to do is share the best meals that I had on our trip so that if you ever plan to visit this beautiful country, you'll know what to expect.

Typically, I started off my day with the traditional breakfast of eggs, rice and beans, fried plantains, and fresh fruit. But one morning, in Dominicalito, when we stopped at a café at the bottom of the hill from our Airbnb, I had one of the best breakfasts I have ever had, period. At Kunjani Café, I had a skillet meal that consisted of homemade chorizo in a tomato sauce, onions, and beans, with a fried egg on top. The flavours were incredible and the meal was filling.

I washed it down with a smoothie made from mangoes, collagen powder, avocado, and peanut butter, that made me not even think about food until the late afternoon.

The best typical breakfast, gallo pinto con huevos, or rice and beans with eggs, was served at a restaurant just to the west of La Fortuna, at a place called Red Frog Coffee Roasters, in the community of Zeta Trece. It was so good that we returned to Red Frog for dinner, later that day.

The rest of my breakfasts were fine but no other stands out like these two. Most mornings at our Airbnb in Dominicalito, I would make a fruit smoothie for all of us. I'd use pineapple, papaya, mango, avocado, ginger, carrot, and orange juice to make a thick, tasty treat. We'd have it with eggs, toast, and coffee.

When I think of places where we had lunch, three places stand out. When DW and I first arrived in Santa Elena, in Monteverde, we were a bit early for checking in at our hotel, so we sought out a highly rated place, Stella's Monteverde. It was a small café/bakery with a lovely garden patio in the back, and I had a wonderful chicken and bacon sandwich on fresh bread. Served with fried wedge potatoes and an herbed cream dip, it wasn't exactly traditional Costa Rican fare but it was exactly what I needed.

The next best lunch came in Dominical, after we had spent the morning hiking to Nauyaca Falls. We were hot and we were hungry. And, as luck turned out, it was Taco Tuesday at Del Mar Taco Shop. This meant that all tacos were half-priced, as were bottles of Imperial beer, the national brand.

I ordered shrimp tacos and learned that I'd have to wait, as they had just sent someone to the fish market to buy the fresh catch. I sipped an Imperial Silver, a lighter ale, while I waited. To make up for the delay, the owner stuffed my tacos to bursting with shrimp, and the taco was already generously filled with fresh guacamole  and veggies.

And with their house hot sauce, it was a perfect lunch.

Another great non-traditional lunch but one that hit the spot was from a place that we discovered in San José, on our last full day in Costa Rica. I mentioned this spot, just outside the crowded central shopping district, in a previous post but it bears mentioning again.

Café Rojo serves a fusion of Asian and Costa Rican food that was worth the extra walk to get to. And even though DW was a bit nervous about the neighbourhood to start with, the food gave her the energy to venture deeper into it afterward, as we tried to find a good spot from which we could order an Uber ride.

That ban mi and pork meatball sandwich is still on my mind.

Of notable mention is the Café Kahawa, at the bottom of a deep valley near the Quetzal National Park. We never thought our RAV4 would be able to climb back out so I went for a great meal, if it was going to be my last.

Also not a traditional meal, it was at least made with an ingredient that the area is famous for: trout. I had a spaghetti bolognese dish that was loaded with fresh trout, instead of ground beef. Served with two mini paninis that were stuffed with melted cheese, this was a tasty meal, for sure.

There are very few dinners that stand out as exceptional. We had lots of rice dishes and I ate a bucketload of shrimp over the two weeks. But there are a few dishes that will stick with me for a long time.

The first was the very first dinner that I ate in Costa Rica, on our second night, in La Fortuna. DW and I had spent the late afternoon soaking in the hot springs of Tabacón, relaxing after a harrowing day of driving through clouds at the tops of mountains.

Driving back toward La Fortuna and our hotel, we stopped in Zeta Trece and found Soda El Turnito. Lots of other sodas along the main strip seemed to be closing but this one was hopping.

Always a good sign.

When we got our table, I ordered a dish that I hadn't heard of before but whose description sounded perfect. It was a chifrijo.

The photo isn't the sharpest but I was tired and hungry.

Basically, this dish is filled with cubed pork, rice, fresh veggies and avocado, and is surrounded by tortilla chips. I squeezed fresh lime over the whole thing and tucked in.

Fresh flavours exploded in my mouth. I shared a bite with DW, who told me that it was one of the best dishes she's ever had, too. I saw chifrijos on menus at other restaurants throughout our travels but I didn't want to jinx this perfect experience. But if I ever see them on a menu in Ottawa, I'll be sure to give them a try.

The absolute best dinner I had on the entire trip came from the family-run hotel, Belcruz, in Monteverde.

The son of the family had training at the Cordon Bleu cooking school and put his knowledge on display. We had to order our meals by 2:00 on the day of the dinner. I ordered the Tamarind Pork, which was served with a sweet potato purée and a grain and rice muesli.

The pork melted in my mouth. I would swear that we were in an upscale restaurant. I sent my compliments to the chef and the next morning I told the owner of the hotel just how wonderfully talented his son is.

The man beamed with pride.

That meal is one of the reasons why Monteverde is one of my personal highlights of our trip.

DW and I can't really say that we're foodies. We like a lot of different types of food but dislike many types as well. I can be an absolutely fussy eater but Costa Rica always offered something that would send me on a happy dance.

I can't really comment on the food that DW ate because I only took a few photos of her dishes and she would have to rate her own experiences. But in addition to the beauty of the country, the friendliness of its people, and the wonderful food, there are many reasons for us to want to return.

Happy Tuesday (hey, it's Taco Tuesday at Del Mar!).