La Paz fine dining: Bolivian Popular Food restaurant

 After visiting the Valle de la Luna, I went directly to  Bolivian Popular Food restaurant to enjoy fine dining. Fine dining became popular in La Paz due to a new generation of ambitious chefs creating innovative dishes with high-quality, local ingredients, a shift in the city's culinary confidence, and a growing middle class with more disposable income. The movement is also driven by a desire to showcase the country's biodiversity and give a new sense of pride to local producers and ancient culinary traditions, drawing international attention and support from the community. 

I was lucky to wait only 15 min to get seated in the bar. Most people queued up since 11:45 am and got after 12:00 noon. The food on the menu today was delicious and beautifully presented. For only 99b ($8), I enjoyed bread appetizer and three delicious, healthy, and well-balanced colorful courses including ensalada rusa (Spanish potato salad loaded with tasty additions even cilantro), osobuco (a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth), and api con pastel (dessert). Api con pastel is a traditional Bolivian breakfast that combines a thick, spiced, hot drink called apiwith a fried pastry called pastel. The api is typically made from purple corn and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest, while the pastel is usually a fried cheese pastry or a sweet fritter called a buñuelo, dusted with powdered sugar. 

It was fun to seat on the bar and observe how chefs preparing the dishes. I attached the photos of two colorful dishes that I saw but didn’t order: sandía (watermelon desserts) and pastel de fideo (a baked pasta dish, similar to a casserole, made with cooked fideo noodles and layered with a meat sauce, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Ingredients typically include fideo (thin noodles), ground meat (like beef or pork), and a sauce that can be tomato-based or a béchamel, along with toppings like cheese and eggs). 

I had such a wonderful dining experience and will continue one new restaurant per day until my flights back home on 10/30.