Sabor Colombiano

"There are two kinds of Colombians: team tamales vallecaucanos (tamales vallunos) or team tamales tolimenses from the Tolima region. At the best Colombian restaurant, tamales tolimenses are made with seasoned corn flour mixed with cooked rice and filled with pork, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, and peas, served with hot chocolate and bread, or an arepa. Tamales vallunos are formed with ground corn and filled with pork, chicken, tomatoes, and onions. Clear your schedule for these behemoths as they are meals unto themselves." - Bill Esparza

"Sabor Colombiano is a long-standing Colombian restaurant in Pico-Union serving two different kinds of Colombian-style tamales: Tolimense and Vallecaucano. The Tolimense is made with cooked rice, pork, chicken, carrots, peas, and hard-boiled eggs, while the Vallecaucano is filled with pork, chicken, tomato, and onions. We recommend getting one of each, and bringing a friend—these are truly gargantuan and should not be taken down alone." - brant cox, sylvio martins

"This downtown restaurant is the place to go for a wide-ranging menu of Colombian classics, like bandeja paisa, sancocho de gallina, and arepas rellenas that can be anything from wonderfully simple to enormously big. Here you can choose between shredded beef, chicken, or crispy chicharron as fillings, but we strongly suggest going con todo to get a taste of each of the meat options, avocado, and some melted cheese because... why not? We also love the delicious arepa de choclo, a cheese-filled arepa made with sweet corn. When it comes to sweet corn, pairing it with dairy in any form has never done us wrong, and this arepa proves it with the salty cheese being exactly what the chewy dough calls for. It’s a sweet treat and a side dish all in one, but also what might fill you up before you tackle your fully-loaded bandeja paisa." - sylvio martins

"It’s easy to eat a few rounds of Sabor Colombiano’s cornmeal empanadas, which come in a smaller size with a thin, golden yellow crust that’s crackled from the hot frier. The final result is extremely crispy pies filled with a hearty potato and beef filling. Dip the empanadas in the kitchen’s green ají salsa for some heat and a nice hint of acid to round out the flavors." - Sylvio Martins

"Sabor Colombiano is an excellent Colombian restaurant in Pico-Union serving two different kinds of Colombian-style tamales: Tolimense and Vallecaucano. The Tolimense is made with cooked rice, pork, chicken, carrots, peas, and hard-boiled eggs, while the Vallecaucano is filled with pork, chicken, tomato, and onions. We recommend getting one of each, and bringing a friend - these are truly gargantuan and should not be taken down alone." - Brant Cox