It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon as I stood in line at Amara Chocolate and Café in Pasadena. The small Venezuelan restaurant sits off of Colorado Boulevard in the historic Old Town Pasadena where people either come to shop or camp out for the Rose Parade. Since I wasn’t looking to shop and it was too early to see flower floats, I was there to eat.

As I stood in line looking over the menu to order, I found a few items that quickly caught my eye. The first was the Purple Lemonade ($4.15 for 16oz). The lemonade was made with mixed berries and was a vibrant purple color. I thought it looked as if it would taste delicious, and the moment I drank it I found myself unable to take my lips from the rim of the plastic cup. It had to be one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve had in quite some time. The combination of all the berries with the lemonade gave it a delightful balance of sweet and tart that made it hard to separate from. The minute I finished it, I had to order another one!

Reading the menu it was hard to make a choice on the main dish, but then I saw the one I had to have. “May I order the La De Pabellon ($10.45)?” The pabellon, a traditional Venezuelan dish, came served in an arepa — a Venezuelan white corn flatbread that was gluten free. I happen to like gluten just fine, but I didn’t mind if it wasn’t here in this plate. For my order, the pabellon came with shredded beef, white cheese, black beans, sweet plantains, and a salsa verde on the side. I absolutely adored how delicious this dish was! The shredded beef against the arepa offered a unique blend of flavors and textures that was quickly enhanced by the sweetness of the plantains. I tend to be a sucker for plantains so the moment I bit into the pabellon and the banana blended with the beef I was in heaven. My only warning is that the combination of the liquid from the beans and the beef can make it pretty soggy. That could be a turn off, but since it was wrapped in paper and I ate it quickly, it was a bit easy to look past that. As well, it tasted so good that it was easy to overlook it.

The last dish I had was dessert. I ordered the Miriam Anita ($7.99). Six Spanish churros were served with queso fresco (fresh cheese) and a guava and a dulce de leche dipping sauce. I was unsure of how churros would taste when paired with a cheese, but I was surprised to find that the two went together very nicely. The cheese was a delightful topping on the churros, especially when it melted atop of the warm deep fried dough. The churros themselves were sugary and crispy on the exterior and the dipping sauces were a tangy (guava) and incredibly sweet (dulce de leche). They were delicious!

My stop at Amara Chocolate and Coffee introduced me to unique flavors and tastes that were directly inspired from Venezuela. With each dish I was able to get bites of a country I have never been to, while staying in my own city. I loved that I got to explore the drinks and plates and that each one has become the reason that I will go back to Amara time after time.

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Address: 55 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: (626) 744-1765
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday – 8:30am to 7:00pm, Friday and Saturday – 8:30am to 10:00pm, Sunday – 9:30am to 7:00pm, and Closed on Monday
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