By Elizabeth White
News Editor
Hidden in the back streets of downtown Hackensack is Villa De Colombia, an authentic Colombian restaurant serving classic dishes with style.
The scent of tostones greets diners as they walk in and transports them to the streets of Colombia.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated in hues of gold and red. Artwork dons many of
the walls. Upon first glance, it would appear to be an upscale place, but the prices are very reasonable for the quality.
As an appetizer, I ordered the tostones villacol, which are crispy green plantains served with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
The dish was superb. It was the perfect introduction to Colombian cuisine. The tostones were crunchy on the outside, but the inside had the consistency of soft french
fries. Paired with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo, flavors blended together wonderfully. The guacamole was fresh, with a hint of lime and crunchy tomatoes mixed in. I could have eaten three plates of tostones villacol.
My main dish was the chuleta caleńa. It was deep fried pork steak with carmelized onions on top, served with tostones, sweet plantains and yuca fries.
The pork steak had an awesome crispy layer to it that made it extra crunchy and delicious. The meat was tender and juicy. It was the perfect combination of meat and crunchy breading. The carmelized onions added an extra kick and paired nicely with the pork steak.
The tostones, sweet plantains and yuca fries on the side were too much in addition to the pork steak. Although they each had their own individual taste, the three paired together were too similar. It would have been better if only one of the three had been served in a larger portion with the pork steak.
The portion sizes were huge, but that was not a problem. They were tasty leftovers for lunch the next day!
For dessert, I got the caramel cheese an, a typical Columbian dessert. It was served with extra caramel, whipped cream, and a chocolate sauce. I am not usually a flan fan, but I loved this dish. Since it was cheese flan and not the typical flan, it had a similar taste to cheesecake.
The sta was friendly and attentive, always offering us more food and drinks. Overall, the experience was delightful.
Villa De Colombia uses traditional seasonings to keep the traditional Colombian taste alive, and eating just a few of their dishes proves that.
The owners of Villa De Colombia have been in the restaurant business for more than 10 years. In addition to the restaurant, there is a Colombian bakery on premises. It features a variety of Colombia baked goods, including empanadas, bunuelos, arepas, chorizos, chicharron, and more.
Villa De Colombia is located at 12 Marcer St. in Hackensack, New Jersey. Interested customers can contact them at (201) 343-3399.
