Esencias Panameñas

Esencias Panameñas Restaurant Review:

Way uptown in the Park View area along Georgia Avenue, this small Panamanian spot earns the credit of being perhaps the only such restaurant in the Mid Atlantic, if not the entire Eastern seaboard. In fact, its authentic cuisine teaches the public how interesting and somewhat exotic it is. As you sip a cocktail with orange juice and raspadura (unrefined cane sugar), consider kicking off the meal with carimanolas (freshly ground yucca formed into balls and stuffed with a filling) served with a sweetish tamarind dipping sauce. Other starters include tamales and codfish cakes. Main dishes --- some at lunch, others at dinner --- include chicken and saffron rice; oxtail with onions, peppers and tomato chutney; the Panamanian fish corvina; and spicy sirloin tips with fried sweet plantains. Choose from homemade ice creams, caramel custard and a Panamanian rum cake for dessert. If you enjoy this cuisine, ask the owner/chef about a catered event.