El Rincón de los Canallas: Bite of worship in the heart of Santiago

 

Classic and typical Chilean restaurant, where you can taste the most typical preparations of our country.

 

The story that this restaurant was the site where they spent long nights with curfew during the military Government, hence comes the password that should be told to touch the door, tradition that still continues.

 

Located at the bottom of a passage, the entry is a very narrow Tin gate. Enter discovered the House in which the years have left their mark, on its walls hang old paintings, Chilean flags, clothing and posters that make reference to Chile. The rest is lined with cards of visits by many, but many people.

There are many dishes that are prepared on the basis of pork meat mainly. They have names like Amongelatina, for life.... But the best thing is to order a menu, you can choose between Vietnamese terrorist, guerrilla, which vary with respect to the combination of sausages, ribs, their chops, roll, rice, potatoes and salads. All for 4 people, but they definitely eat more than 4.

 

Among the beverages, the offer includes the sniper, Barabbas etc... be sure to try them. They also offer chicha and pipeño.

 

Separate point represents the attention of this restaurant: honestly, the garzonas and its own owner, don Victor Painemal are extremely friendly and certainly part of the global supply of this restaurant.

 

In short, a different place to appreciate the typical Chilean food in a very special atmosphere.

 

Average price per person: $5,000

 

For more information please visit the website http://www.canallas.cl/

Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys to headline Lollapalooza 2012

The inaugural Lollapalooza festival in Santiago last April was deemed a huge success with groups like Jane's Addiction, the Deftones and local cumbia band Chico Trujillo creating a cracking atmosphere.

And now that organizers have revealed the line up for the 2012 event, due to take place at Parque O'Higgins on March 31 and April 1, it looks certain that the second edition is going to be just as good - if not better.

Local newspaper La Tercera made a list of seven unmissable acts scheduled for the event and we think they're on to something. So here they are.

Foo Fighters: It will be the first time the explosive rock band led by former Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl, have played in Chile and expectations are high. And rightly so. The Foo Fighters stole the show at this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago with an intense performance that not even a torrential downpour could put an end to. This show is going to rock and if the group's recent set lists are anything to go by, expect to hear plenty of songs form their seventh studio album, Wasting Lights, along with a stack of old favorites including My Hero, Best of You, All My Life and Everlong.

Arctic Monkeys: This exciting indie quartet from Sheffield, England will also make their Chilean debut at Lollapalooza 2011. After being discovered on YouTube in 2006, the Arctic Monkeys have gone on to prove that they are one of the most important groups to come out of the UK in the past decade. With four successful albums to their name, including the recently released Suck It and See, this versatile group has plenty of talent to go with their quirky approach.

MGMT: Another big name that has never played live in Chile, MGMT will arrive in Santiago on a high after receiving plenty of critical acclaim for their first two albums. The alternative rock group is known for producing psychedelic shows and hits like Time to Pretend, Kids and Congratulations. There are also high hopes that MGMT could use the Lollapalooza stage to provide a sneak-preview of some of the songs from their upcoming, self-titled album, due for release next year.

Björk: Yes, the Icelandic singer-songwriter has come to Chile before but that won't make this appearance any less special. Every time Björk takes to the stage you know you're in for an audiovisual treat with eye-catching costumes, lighting and scenery. The eclectic singer is currently performing songs from her eighth album, Biophilia, which was recorded on an iPad.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: After making an impact with all-girl rock band The Runaways, Joan Jett went on to forge a career as one of the genre's leading ladies, receiving a nomination earlier this year to be included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jett is expected to play a list of classics in Chile, with hits such as Cherry Bomb, Bad Reputation and I Love Rock'n'Roll sure to get the crowd involved in the show. Hopefully, the Foo Fighters will invite her to share the stage with them again as well, because it sounded great when they played together in Madison Square Garden just a couple of weeks ago.

Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas: The Argentine funk duo, made famous in Latin America for hits like Abarajame, Jennifer del Estero and Coolo, has been confirmed for Lollapalooza just months after announcing they had reformed. In more good news for fans, Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur are also gearing up for a comeback tour which is set to take place after the mega-event in Santiago.

Gogol Bordello: This gypsy-punk band from New York knows how to put on a good concert. In fact, in 2007, Rolling Stone included them on its list of the best live music acts. Led by eccentric frontman, Eugene Hutz, Gogol Bordello will be out to impress once again at Lollapalooza Chile 2012.

Pre-release two-day passes are on sale for US$117 (CLP60,000) in general admission and US$311 (CLP160,000) for the VIP pass.
For a full list of confirmed bands and artists, go to the festival website.

Puerto Fuy: one of the best restaurants in the capital

Puerto Fuy and its chef, Giancarlo Mazzarelli, have been consistently ranked among the best restaurants and cooks in the city by El Mercurio and the Chilean Food Writers’ Circle, also garnering attention from major American magazine Travel + Leisure.

Influenced by years spent cooking in the Dominican Republic, France and England, Chef Mazzarelli’s creative seafood preparations, influenced by traditional Chilean cooking styles and inflected with modern techniques, made a splash when they first appeared on the plates of adventurous Santiaguinos.

Seven years after Puerto Fuy’s opening on the leafy uptown avenue of Nueva Costanera, the street has become the hub of a newly dynamic Santiaguino gastronomic world.

Giancarlo Mazzarelli, Fuy's Chef

Puerto Fuy defines itself, amongst all the new competition, as the stylistic middle-man. “Our food is not very classic and it’s not very modern,” Mazzarelli says. “We’re right in the middle.”

A modern spin on the riches of Chile

Mazzarelli describes his cooking succinctly as ‘Modern French.’ A starter of scallops over spring pea puree with lemon sauce is decidedly continental, and a dish of Patagonian Hake over ratatouille and yellow tomato coulis is a pitch-perfect Niçoise classic. A froth of musky, vegetal nori foam on top glances toward the more precious traditions of nouvelle cuisine. The dish is both classic and modern, perfectly balanced at the nexus of two traditions.

In a country where traditional cuisine rarely strays far from grilled meats, fried fish and stewed shellfish, Mazzarelli’s approach is not obviously recognizable as Chilean. Yet there is no mistaking the chef’s serious commitment to his homeland’s bounty - Puerto Fuy is a veritable grocery list of the finest food and drink that Chile has to offer.

Warm, flavorful breads from local bakery Le Fournil are served with olive oil produced in the Colchagua Valley. Still water is bottled by Aonni from a 10,000-year-old aquifer near Punta Arenas. Fish and shellfish come from up and down the Chilean coast and the carefully curated wine list features almost exclusively Chilean makers.

In some dishes, like the starter “Textures of Abalone,” Mazzarelli uses a uniquely Chilean ingredient (abalone, known locally as locos) to play on traditional preparations. In this three-part dish, Mazzarelli offers his version of regional classics like ceviche and locos with mayonnaise, rendered as a buñuelo (or fritter) of abalone, mayonnaise and various herbs, and served with a sauce of cilantro, parsley, olive oil and capers. “We try to include some more traditional Chilean dishes,” Mazzarelli says, “but done in a different way.”

 

The rise of Chilean cuisine

When Puerto Fuy’s Chef Giancarlo Mazzarelli returned to his native Santiago in 2002, the city’s dining culture was restricted to a handful of traditional Chilean restaurants and a single shrine to classic continental cuisine.

Today, the strip of Nueva Costanera where Puerto Fuy stands offers an international smattering of trattorias, cevicherias and steakhouses. The culinary landscape of the city has changed beyond recognition, thanks in no small part to Puerto Fuy. “In the beginning, everything we did was different,” Mazzarelli says. “Eight years ago almost every place here just made typical Chilean food.” Clearly, things have changed.

A new generation of innovative chefs has moved up through the ranks bringing a fresh battery of techniques learned in kitchens around the world. Mazzarelli and Puerto Fuy are no longer at the vanguard, but then, they don’t need to be. The expert staff, the quiet, warm intimacy of the space, a well-stocked bar and above all excellent and satisfying food all conspire to induce a state of absolute comfort and calm.

Mazzarelli has had the good fortune of not only observing, but also playing a formative part in the birth and creation of this new Santiago dining scene. “Before, no place really did anything different and that’s why I wasn’t working in Chile,” Mazzarelli says, glancing across the dining room of his flagship restaurant. “I returned to Chile at a good time.”

To contact Puerto Fuy, or make a booking:

Avda Nueva Costanera 3969
Santiago

info@puertofuy.cl
0056 (0)2 208 8908

 

Santiago de Chile #1 place to visit in 2011

From “the beaches of Mexico to the wilds of Kurdistan,” The New York Times choseSantiago over all else as the most gratifying tourist destination for the oncoming year.

The article - published in full on the newspaper's website - frames Santiago as a city bouncing back faster than ever from the aftermath of the country’s February earthquake. Its sparkling cultural scene and an array of top-class restaurants and hotels such as the boutique Aubrey, or ‘W’, lead the editors of the newspaper to believe it carved itself out as best of all. 

The declaration will undoubtedly send a flurry of open-minded tourists to Chile’s capital - The New York Times, whose readership averages 876,638 people daily, is one of the largest newspapers in the U.S.

The ranking puts Santiago’s upcoming culture scene as the top reason why tourists would want to visit. February’s earthquake, it says, only “briefly paused a cultural shift that had (already) begun to take hold in the city.”

Despite the devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake and widespread disruption across the country, Chile has been on the fast-track to a full economic recovery, with the last seven consecutive months recording financial growth. Many cultural sites in Santiago – including theMuseum of Fine Arts – were also heavily damaged. But the swift action on reconstruction has ultimately proved a bonus for the Chilean economy.

The Chilean government’s recent investment into the arts has seen resurgence of public spaces for art and contemporary art events. The article mentions the newly inaugurated Gabriela Mistral Center – a gigantic and atmospheric 200,000-square-foot building made of glass weathering steel.

Since its opening, the center has hosted a variety of open air music and art shows - to see more information about future events programs, visit the official website. Other upcoming cultural events around the neighborhood include the Providencia International Jazz Festival, which begins tomorrow, Jan. 11, and the ongoing, month-long Santiago a Mil festival.