大咖福利影院

Almuerzo is basically lunch, and the biggest meal of the day for many Ecuadoreans. Some go home to eat their lunch, but some also eat out at restaurants or markets depending on their circumstance (job, location, etc). In my neighborhood in Quito, some traditional Ecuadorean food serving restaurants open only to serve breakfast (desayuno) and almuerzo and close thereafter.

Almuerzo times at these places generally range from 12-3pm, or when the food runs out. So if the menu of the day consists of 3 types of meals, don鈥檛 be surprised if by 2:30 it鈥檚 down to only one.

This thread is for members to share some places they eat at, and so we are not comparing apples to oranges, it would be helpful to include:聽 city/town, name of restaurant/market, cost and description of the meal.

In Quito I鈥檝e seen almuerzo prices range from $2-$6.50, and the $2 was only once. Unfortunately, people blog online only about the cheaper end prices and however unintentional it is misleading because it only reflects the lower end prices, at least in Quito. There is also this misconception that Ecuadorean restaurants that charge $4+ are mainly for expats or tourists, and that鈥檚 also misleading because some Ecuadoreans can afford a $4-$6 lunch.

Which brings me to my first review of Su Lunch on the corner of Suiza and Republica del Salvador in Quito. I had a nice lunch there today for $4.50.There wasn鈥檛 an expat in sight nor tourist and as a matter of fact a couple of Zona Azul people were having lunch there as well. Zona Azul people (blue zone) are street parking attendants that oversee street parking spaces and whom you have to pay.

Anyway, this place is popular with the office crowd and also nurses and staff from medical facilities down the block near Eloy Alfaro. It鈥檚 a clean restaurant and only open Monday 鈥揊riday and only for breakfast and lunch.

So what does one get for $4.50?

For today, their menu consisted of:

1.)聽 聽 Locro de Zapallo (Squash Stew) or Cordon Blue (basically a panne) or Pastel de Carne
2.)聽 聽 Beef or Chicken Soup
3.)聽 聽 Rice and small side of cooked salad (carrots, peas, potatoes)
4.)聽 聽 Apricot Juice
5.)聽 聽 Slice of watermelon

I ordered the 鈥淐ordon Blue鈥� which I liked, and the only complaint was that the portion was on the smaller side, and I鈥檓 not a big eater.

With the exception of the Zona Azul folk, this place mainly caters to middle class.