La Tapa Del Coco
Caribbean restaurant · Panama City ·
Afro-Panamanian heritage dishes: one-pot colonense, patties
Afro-Panamanian heritage dishes: one-pot colonense, patties
"Chef Isaac Villaverde began celebrating Afro Panamanian cuisine and culture with a food truck, before eventually transforming his business into one of the most spirited dining spots in Panama City. At La Tapa del Coco, the menu celebrates the culinary heritage of enslaved Africans and their descendants who settled in Panama’s Caribbean region. Signature dishes include brothy octopus rice, a creative take on patty de carne (a turnover filled with spiced meat, thyme, and ají chombo), and the standout One Pot Colonense: coconut rice with pork ribs, beans, and fresh shrimp, served with green plantain chips and pickled vegetables." - Jorge Chanis
"An Afro-Panamanian pioneer kitchen where chef Isaac Villaverde highlights one-pot colonense — coconut, rice, pork ribs, beans, and shrimp — underscoring Panama’s Creole and coastal culinary traditions." - Eater Staff
"On any given afternoon, the patio of La Tapa del Coco in Panama City is full of both residents and tourists feasting on salt-cod fritters and clams in coconut-curry broth. Executive chef Isaac Villaverde, who also has a pop-up called Calypso Burger, explains that many dishes are riffs on those of his greatest culinary influence: his grandmother." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"In the city’s San Francisco district, I went for lunch at this Afro-Panamanian–owned spot helmed by Chef Isaac Villaverde, one of the few such restaurants in Central America. Seating included a shaded patio, and watching nearby neighbors arrive to eat reassured me I’d made the right choice. Chef Isaac’s soul-satisfying food is intentionally crafted to honor the resilience and cultural contributions of Afro-Panamanians and to tell the history of the country through Afro-Panamanian cuisine, and he views the restaurant’s successful navigation of the pandemic as proof of that endurance and a call to lead by example for new generations. That often-overlooked legacy truly comes through on the plate." - Kristin Braswell
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