Zaguan Latin Cafe

Alas! Our first entry that wanders well into Dallas (and hopefully, not the last). This week we went to Zaguan Latin Bakery and Café, a small place located in the middle of Dallas. Zaguan claims to be, as its slogan states, “A Mosaic of Tastes”. Now, this place centralizes in Latin American food, and god is that a sight for sore eyes. In a Texas who’s every notion of southern cuisine is almost by default a Mexican concept (or Tex-Mex, you have at it), any restaurant that offers a culinary experience that surrounds anything that goes deeper south deserves at least a chance. Zaguan’s specializes more in Argentinian, Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine. This being the food that we grew up eating (Venezuelan and Colombian), we would certainly know whether this was indeed a good interpretation of it, and were certainly eager to find out.

Entering Zaguan’s

Zaguan’s visual concept is probably its Achilles Heel. On the outside it has a small sign showing its name and slogan. If I had not known that this restaurant served the food of my hometown, I would’ve drove past the restaurant and not looked back again. Entering the local was already an upgrade, a couple table set in front of a long counter and to the deep end of the restaurant, some bigger tables for more sizeable parties. The decoration was not anything that would’ve stood out from your everyday café, big chalkboard, a display with all its pastries, you name the cliché.

The Service

Once we entered we took a seat and almost instantly a server came to take our order. He was very attentive, gave us recommendations, checked on us regularly and was always wearing a smile. The only hiccup I would have to point out, is that after we had our appetizers, and our main course came in, he must’ve forgotten to pick up the plates we used at the beginning of our meal, overflowing the table with plates that we weren’t using (I’m aware I’m splitting hairs here). Our food also took a generous amount of time to be ready, we didn’t mind, but if in a hurry, it is something to take into account.

The Food

Now this is where Zaguan’s excels. Amongst all we ordered, we had tequeños, cachapas, empanadas and alfajores (all of which I’ll explain as we go on).

Tequeños

Tequeños are a classic Venezuelan appetizer that consists in dough wrapped around cheese and the deep fried (very similar to a cheese stick). These were heavy on the dough, and a slightly mild cheese that got lost quickly. In texture they were spot on, but with some salt (or perhaps a tastier cheese) and a thinner wrapping, it would’ve been spot on.

Cachapas

Cachapas are a typical Colombian and Venezuelan dish. Imagine, in essence, a corn pancake which can be eaten either as a dessert or as a main course. Ours was, in this case, as an entrée. Filled with shredded beef and cheese, this was probably the highlight of the night, as well as what the server recommended me to get. A peasant dish that couldn’t of reminded me more of home, very generous in size and exceptional in flavor and texture.

Empanadas

The Colombian/Venezuelan take on the empanada (the Argentinian is made of flour instead of corn). Essentially a pastry stuffed with (in this case) beef or chicken. Same problem as the tequeños, heavy on the dough, which made it lose its crispiness.

Alfajor

An Argentinian dessert that consists of two round cookies in between “dulce de leche” and covered in powdered sugar. The cookie was a little hard, but taste-wise, was excellent.

Conclusion

A spectacular find for the nostalgic. Zaguan’s is the closest interpretation I’ve ever tasted of Latin American food in the United States. Whilst owning a couple of minuscule flaws, all were vanished as soon as our food hit the tables. We will be definitely be taking the long drive to Zaguan’s often with empty stomachs and high hopes.

If you want to see Zaguan’s page, click here: http://www.zaguan.com/zaguanbakery.com/