Cali Food Court

Today, we went to a Cali, Colombia food court for lunch. The idea was to give the large group that I'm with a wide variety of options from which to choose. I'm hungry for local cuisine and worried that my options would be limited to multi-national chains. But I soon realized that part of the cultural experience is not necessarily what I eat, but where I eat.

Throughout the city are numerous gated areas where where people can park their cars and walk, shop and interact without worrying about security problems. While I'd prefer to find a street vendor serving up freshly fried arepas, gated community dining is also part of the cultural experience. So, we hopped in our cars and drove to a secure parking area and then entered the food plaza.

In the food court the offerings ranged from Burger King, to a local fried chicken chain to a higher end steakhouse and salad bar. Everyone but me went to Lenos for steak. They each ordered Beefy -- a thick cut of tenderloin cooked medium rare and served with plantains and salad.

I chose a different route, opting for a booth serving up a variety of Colombian soups. I was grateful for the photo-based menu and after my attempt to order in Spanish failed, I pointed to the soup I wanted. What I received was a thick smoky soup made with three different Colombian beans, curling hominy corn kernels, cilantro and potatoes. Floating in the soup were a number of gelatinous cubes. I hoped the hunks were a veggie I've never tried, but everyone I was with sampled and confirmed it was pork fat.

The soup was delicious and I was glad to sample Colombia's lesser-known variety of beans. Coffee beans get all the attention, so I was glad to venture off the beaten bean path -- even if I had to go to a food court to do it.

My soup: