One night during our trip, I went out to dinner with a group of students at a restaurant that is famous among locals for having the most authentic and delicious Rice and Beans, which is the name of the dish we tried.The name of the dish is said in English mainly because of the Jamaican influence on the cuisine and on the culture of the area. This dish is not to be confused with another dish called gallo pinto, which literally translates to rice and beans, a staple dish all throughout Costa Rica that is prepared slightly differently. The heart of the dish is, not surprisingly, rice and red beans that are made with coconut milk and chilepanameño (habanero pepper). It is accompanied by the meat of your choice. I went with the chicken, which was covered in a somewhat bitter, dark brown bean and coconut sauce. On the side, there were some patacones (fried plantains), a couple of plantanos maduros (sweet ripe plantains), and a small salad. At the table there were also several different hot sauces available if you wanted an even spicier Rice and Beans experience!
The first thought that came to my mind when the waiter set my plate in front of me was “There is no way I will ever finish all of this food!” (a thought that almost always crosses my mind when I eat out here). Though the portion size of the dish was quite intimidating, I was determined to try all the different components. I tried the coconut milk and habanero pepper rice and beans first, and I thought it was delicious.
