I was introduced to arepas–essentially a sandwich using soft corn cake–through La Taguara. Now I’ve found another place to enjoy them, and that’s Caracas Arepas, a sister food cart to Caracas Empanadas.
The menu features eight choices, including queso ($5, with cheddar cheese and butter) and rumbera ($5, with pulled pork). My first choice was the pabellon ($6). The steak could have been more tender but the flavor was there. Overall the arepas is quite filling, especially with the black beans, and you’ll find a slight sweetness from the sweet plantains.
I don’t know if I can ever go back to a plain chicken salad sandwich after eating the delicious reina pepiada ($6). Instead of celery, the sandwich includes fresh avocado, green onions and cilantro. It’s packed with white meat chicken, and thankfully, is not overly creamy.
You can find Caracas Arepas during lunch at Library Mall.
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It’s easy to spot the bright green Jakarta Cafe food cart, which serves organic Indonesian foods and beverages.
My first selection was the chicken curry ($10). I was disappointed it wasn’t stew-like; rather, it’s mild curry seasoning on top of cubed chicken. It comes with candied hash browns and peanuts that add sweetness and crunch to this dish, which despite being dry, was still decent.
Meanwhile, I found the crispy veggie egg roll (two for $6) to be quite tasty, lightly fried and not greasy. It’s even better with some sweet chili sauce. Other menu items include sesame chicken with rice ($10) and a spicy mango salad ($6).
The primary flavor of the iced cendol ($6) is tapioca, although it’s also made of vanilla, palm sugar and green rice flour, along with milk and pandan leaves. It’s basically an iced coffee and makes for a welcome treat on a hot day.
These days, you’ll typically find Jakarta Cafe at festivals in and around Madison.
Tags: food carts
