El Chalateco, El Salvadoran Pupuseria

One of the joys of living in a cosmopolitan?ácity such as Montreal is the grand?ávariety of restaurants. We recently enjoyed a couple of meals at El Chalateco, an El Salvadoran restaurant located steps away from the Beaubien metro.

Pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador,?áare a specialty of the house. They are served as a street-food in El Salvador, and here in Montreal at El Chalateco?áthey are served on a plate with accompanying house-fermented cole slaw. A pupusa?áis a filled, fried corn tortilla.?áThey come with a tasty tomato sauce and a spicy hot sauce on the side. ?áOne of our favourites is?áQueso?áy loroco, which is?áfilled with cheese and an asparagus-flavoured flower called?áloroco.?áAt $2.25 a piece, one pupusa is insanely inexpensive, so itÔÇÖs only polite to order at least two or three of them. ?áIf you come as a large group, you have the option of ordering large amounts to be served family-style.

Besides pupusas, there are many other dishes?áto be tasted at El Chalateco.?áVegetarians will be happy here; there are not only veggie-based pupusas but a?áhealthy handful of other?ámeatless?áchoices. Vegans?ácan enjoy a bean?ápupusa?áwith the fermented cole slaw, and there is a delicious-looking plate of beans, rice, and vegetables. ?áFlexibility is an option because the kitchen is small. ?áAbout three people make?áthe food as it is ordered.

For meat-eaters, this restaurant provides many satisfying choices. Among the appetizers are traditionally-cooked?átamales. The masa is infused with other flavours because it is wrapped into a plantain leaf along with other ingredients such as olives and chicken. The tacos Salvadorenos are crunchy rolled-up meat-filled tortillas, served with veggies and a very hot sauce. With a pupusa?áthey are a?áplentiful good lunch, or they can indeed be eaten as?áthe appetizers that they claim to be. Another specialty of the house is the El Salvadoran version of the Qu?®b?®cois “Hot Chicken” sandwich, the Pan con pollo?áy escavechi. It is enormous and full of not only chicken and flavours, but vegetables too. The sauce is rich (but not overly so) and delicious. Pastelitos de carne are hot, crunchy packets of spicy goodness. ?áDefinitely give them a try.

In a word, the food here tastes of nourishment. ?áThe dishes are made with care, served hot and are nicely filling.

Even though our visit was in the dead of winter, the ultimate summer drink had to be tested. El Salvadorians call it ‘Michelada‘, which is a mixture of lager, salsa juice and lime served in a mug with a spiced and salted rim. One sip led to dreams of relaxing in the shade with the good company of several drinks shared with many friends.

There are?ásome good?ádessert?áoptions. ?áBite into a Torreja. ?áIt is a warm and delicious french toast-like dessert. ?áIt has a depth of sweetness that makes my heart race. ?áChocolate caliente is?áa rich, full-tasting and lightly spiced experience. Although my mug stayed?ávery hot for a full half hour, my hot chocolate was always easily drinkable.?áChilate is the choice?áfor a ‘super-sized’ dessert or a meal all in itself. ‘Chilate’ is a warm and filling drink thickened with corn flour and spiked with a sprig of lightly crushed cocoa seeds. Drinking Chilate is thought to strengthen someone and it?áis often served to the convalescing. ?áIt seems like a good meal for this time of the year. ?áThe drink is served inside a calabash gourd, accompanied by a dish filled with slices of fried sweet-potato and a plantain; these are garnished with a sweet, cinnamon sauce of cooked plums. Each taken in turn makes for a delightfully filling combination.

The atmosphere in El Chalateco?áis relaxed, family friendly, yet quietly festive. ?áThere are always seasonal decorations suspended from the ceilings, it looks like the place is ready for a party. It is clean, inexpensive, friendly, and welcoming. ?áIt is easily a go-to place in the Beaubien area!

(El Chalateco, 520 Beaubien Est,?á514.272.5585)

Tammy Schmidt and Natasha Henderson, Montreal