el chalan

el chalan
1924 i street NW washington, DC 20006
tel: 202) 293-2765
hours: monday-friday 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm; saturday 1pm-10pm; sunday 1pm-8pm

what was consumed: lomo saltado (stripped beef sauteed with fried potatoes, onion and tomatoes), arroz a la chiclayana (rice with chicken cooked in beer, cilantro and spices)

when i first started at my current position, my coworker took me out to lunch as a sort of welcome as well as an intro to the team, to the work. he told me about this peruvian restaurant that he was fond of, which i was happy to visit. it wasn't until just last month that i got the chance to visit el chalan again (thanks, chris!) and boy, was it a treat!

el chalan, located near the world bank, is often filled with world bank employees (i'm not sure what that means, but coworker was sure to mention that to me. perhaps as a sort of warning? haha). also, if you don't look for it, you might just miss it. they have a small sign that directs you downstairs. and while your first impression may make you wary, don't fret! some really tasty eats are comin' your way!

i'm not really sure what authentic peruvian food really is/is like (seeing that i've never been to peru). but according to el chalan, peruvian food consists of meaty stews on a bed of rice. chicken, beef, goat, you name it! YUM. the flavors that we (or i) often associate with hispanic foods manifest themselves in the flavorful stews at el chalan. delicious.

the last time there, i had the lomo saltado. strips of grilled steak in a delicious savory sauce, accompanied by some veggies. and what else? french fries! or what they called 'fried potatoes' ... all mixed together! and when you mix the sauce coming from the beef and veggies and such with the rice, it makes me wolf down the entire serving of rice. all the way down in to my belly~

i look forward to visiting el chalan again! i have to remind myself that it's there when i think of good eats in and around the office, and at other times too! yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum ^_^

online: i can't find it! that is, there are sites that reference el chalan's website, but the website doesn't work. bah~ there are quite a few articles, though, so ...