Puerto Rico

It's amazing how important first impressions are in a person's perception of pretty much anything and food is no exception. Eating the food in Puerto Rico for the first couple of days was somewhat disappointing not only because of the inflated prices but also due to the quality of the food. The breakfast on our first day was like a meal I would have at a normal diner with the exception of the plantains, but even that didn't have too much flavor. The lunch, although having some bright spots, ended on a sour note when having my first mofungo left me in a state of shock and not the good type of shock. I was legitimately hoping that the first mofungo I ever had in puerto Rico wouldn't be the flavorless, hard, and weird texture that I got, but it was. Even the Asopao that was supposed to be from an authentic food stand was at the most decent. As you can see, my first impressions of Puerto Rican food was, indeed, not a good one. I always had this mindset that the food really does define a culture and I just couldn't believe that this is what Puerto Rico had to offer.

However, in the midst of all this bashing, I would have to say that the once bad impression of Puerto Rican food I had would all but soon disappear. It was funny that because of my first impression of mofungo that I wouldn't have it again, but going to different restaurants in the San Juan and Old San Juan area and people's recommendations, I had to give it another shot. And trust me, that was the best decision I had made. Having the Monfungo at Raices replaced every bad impression I had, and having that spherical shaped cup filled with the monfungo and chrrasaco with chimichurri left me not only wanting more, but also imprinted what Puerto Rican cuisine was all about. Then, we also had great paella at a restaurant called Siglo XX and for what it was worth, it had some really really good paella (some of the best I've ever had). Having seafood paella is something that I tend to have a craving for and when it's done right (seafood not overcooked, rice perfectly cooked with a good balance of spices, etc.) it's actually quite amazing. Finally, what's a vacation to Puerto Rico without rum. I do have to say that the mojito's over there are very good and quite refreshing. So to make a long story short, Monfungo, paella, and mojito's and you'll be good. Just kidding. There's so much more to Puerto Rican cuisine than just this. Unfortunately, i did not have enough time to explore the cuisine, but i hope to return and explore more of their cuisine. It's so interesting how all of our food can really not only define our culture but also be similar yet different from everywhere else. While at first, I was left disappointed, I am now a person who is forever hooked and longing to one day go back to the island known as PR.