La Fresca: "the real deal in empanadas" Top 5 Page for this destination Colombia Restaurant Tip by richiecdisc

Hosteltrail turned out to be a great hostel, but not just because it was a nice place to stay but because the young couple that own it are foodies. They turned us onto a few good places but mostly what I would like to thank them for is telling me about La Fresca. I asked where I could find the best empanadas de pipián and without hesitation they said this little place was THE place to get them. I had a few up on the hill in front of the Capilla de Belén but it only whetted my appetite to try more and hopefully better ones. Here was my chance. Unfortunately, D was still not feeling great and after our cheesy arepas con queso decided to take a nap. I headed for La Fresca. This small local snack shop might draw you in if you were looking for a cold beverage to quench your thirst but even at that there are countless more enticing places in Popayán more likely to garner your attention. Needless to say I would have never found my crispy treats without the tip. Once inside, it was a very typical South American hole-in-the-wall kind of place with simple tables at one of which I seated myself. The girl behind the counter quickly came up and warmly took my order. My beer was brought out immediately and the food not long after, piping hot.

Favorite Dish: Since I was alone I just grabbed a Club Colombia beer and an order of ten of the very tasty empanadas de pipián. The girls mother and grandmother were busy hand-making these babies so you are talking fresh. They are two-bite size and very crispy, almost like a corn chip with a tasty filling of yellow potatoes mixed with peanuts. But the real star is the dipping sauce which is peanut-based and infused with chilies for an extra kick. Now, this sauce was hot, unlike the more watered down one up on the hill near Capilla de Belén. My bill came to 3800 COP ($1.70) for the empanadas AND beer! And this was an ICE cold Club, one of Colombian's most expensive mass-produced beer. As mass-produced beers in Colombia go, Club is about as good as it gets. Is it great? No, but ice cold, it goes very well with these babies!

I could not wait to bring D back the next day when she was feeling better as this was the rare place where you could eat a snack and have a beer with it, and not stick out too much. Typically, all the Colombians had soft drinks with theirs. They do not generally mix drinking with eating for some odd reason even if these empanadas are made for beer! Your mouth practically cries for a beer once you taste this sauce. We got 24 this time around, in 12's to ensure they stayed hot. Along with three Clubs our bill came to 10,000 COP ($5). Though I found them again and often they were good too, I never enjoyed them as much as at La Fresca, definitely one of my favorite Colombian dining/drinking experiences.

Comparison: least expensive
Directions: In Popayán
Price: less than US$10
Rating: 5
Theme: Local