It has been a long time between catch ups for me and M and her boys and when she suggested a meet up before they left for the gorgeousness of a Tasmanian holiday I suggest La Cumbia, a South American restaurant in Kingsford. M is Austrian but her boys are half Peruvian and she takes great care to ensure that they are aware of their heritage on both sides.
We arrive at 6pm for an early dinner. Inside it looks markedly better than perhaps the outside. There are wrought iron chandeliers with glowing candles inside and large comfortable seats that look like they belong in the dining room of someone’s home. M has Colombian friends who frequent La Cumbia and indeed apart from another table and we gringos, the rest of the patrons are South American. M also comes armed with a list of must eats. One item that they recommended the Bandeja Paisa which is said to be big enough for people to share. We start with the array of drinks as they have a lot of South American drinks here and we choose a Manzana and a Pony Malta . The menu is divided into Mexican, Colombian and Spanish cuisine but since this is a predominantly Colombian place, we go for the Colombian choices.
While we are waiting M and I have a look at the shelves of the small shop they have towards the back of the restaurant. There are all sorts of goodies there including an array of tinned beans, chilli sauces, chocolate to make Mexican hot chocolate, brown sugar cane which is mixed with water and lime juice to make a version of lemonade, guava pastes and tinned as well as fresh dulce de leche in the fridge.
Arepa Choclo $4.50
Our entrees arrive first and the Arepa Choclo is a warmed up corn cake with melted cheese on top. It’s lovely and sweet but savoury at the same time and melted cheese in mid lava formation is one of my weaknesses.
Emapanadas $4
Now the empanada. I know so many people have an opinion on empanadas and what makes a good one. These ones are different from the other empanadas I have tried. The coating is yellow from cornmeal and it’s deep fried. It’s also a different texture to regular pastry deep fried and if anything it’s a cross between the Yum Cha dumpling Ham Sui Gok and a regular pastry. And it’s good, oh so good, especially with a drenching of the salsa.
Manzana and Pony Malta $3 each
The drinks are yet to arrive so M tasks the boys with asking for them. The Pony Malta is as the name suggests full of malt (but no Pony). It’s thick, rich and sweet and a bit too malty for me although if you like a strong malt taste this soft drink is for you. Described as an apple flavoured drink “with something extra” the Manzana is incongruously a pink fizzy drink. It’s sweeet and quite good and as the waiter described, flavoured with apple, faux of course which gives it that apple “and something” flavour.
Bandeja Paisa $ 19.50
Our huge plate of Bandeja Paisa arrives and it’s lumberjack size. Made up with rice, beans, pork belly cooked to a crisp, some finely ground mince, the Columbian version of chorizo, fried plantain (a type of banana), a rice cake, avocado and a fried egg. To give you an idea this is what Wikipedia had to say:”The main characteristic of this dish is the oversized amount of food and the wide variety of ingredients, which don´t allow this dish to be served in a single regular plate, so it must be served in a Platter or a Tray”. It’s true here and the interesting parts to this are the chorizo which is a coarsely ground sausage, less spicy than chorizo and with lots of greens inside. The fried banana is interesting and floury and the avocado helps to add a creaminess to the meats. It’s quite mild tasting though and I find it goes really well with the salsa from the empanadas. The pork belly is nice and fatty but a bit on the dry side.
Tamales $12
Whenever I think of Tamales, I think of the phrase Hot Tamale and then I think of Salma Hayek. But aside from that admission, this tamale is huge and about the size of a fat burrito. It comes unwrapped from the banana leaves that it is steamed in and it is made up of corn polenta and large chunks of pork and chicken. It’s quite good and very filling and the pork inside it is very generously proportioned.
There is no set dessert on the dessert menu but the dessert on offer is flan or creme caramel which we have no room for given the sizes of the servings.
So tell me Dear Reader, how was your holiday break? What did you get up to? Are you one of the lucky people still on holiday?
La Cumbia
14 Gardeners Road, Kingsford NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9662 8231
Open 7 days from 10am
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33 Comments | Add your own
yum yum yum – that all looks SO good
What a find! Looks yummy!
What a shame not to have room for dessert! I had a great time in the Hunter Valley for Christmas then in a close friend’s wedding party this past weekend. I’m not lucky enough to still be on holiday, I go back to work this morning but as I love my job I wouldn’t call myself unlucky either
Holy empanada, mate! Those look amazing. Anything made with cornmeal is a winner for me. Gorgeous.
The corn cake looks huge!
Oh and Colombia is spelt with an ‘o’.
6 pm for an early dinner? that’s a late dinner for lil’ ol’ me.
corn cakes doused with cheese, empanadas slathered with salsa, and awesome tamales–this place looks magnificent!
Wow, what a great find! The food looks so interesting and I think I would go nuts buying stuff in the shop alone.
Good morning L. I am hungry again. Yes, the Empanadas were great, probably better than the ones I had in Chile. Much love M
Sounds like you and M had a great feast! I have the Goya Brand in my home town of Lakeland FL USA.
Shops in restaurants are so much fun because I like to shop as well as eat!
How exciting. It doesn’t look that great from the outside but inside looks welcoming. I luv melted cheeze too! =)
Oh, yummy! I’ve been holidaying (staying with family) so haven’t had much internet access lately. I have missed your drool-worthy posts! Happy New Year.
Oh I love the look of those empanadas! Ham sui gok was the very first thing that came to my mind when I saw them. I love places with all sorts of interesting food products on sale.
My word! Everything looks amazing!! I see I will have to get a Columbian cookbook soon
I’m sure we walked past this place on our foodie tour? Looks tasty!
Heading into my second month of holiday traveling with a possible three more to go
Oh, the joys of having graduated with no job set up… (Methinks that will quickly become NOT a source of joy, though.)
Mmmm, plantain! That’s something I’ve only encountered here, in the U.S., where you can buy plantain chips (like potato chips) in the supermarkets.
Wow, all that food looks delicious! And it’s in Kingsford too – definitely going to go try it! When I saw your first photo, I think the first word I saw was actually ‘sangria’ though hahhaha. When I saw the Emapanadas, my first reaction was that it looked so similar to a Ham Sui Gok too! I’m salivating now…
I need to learn more about South American cooking. Perhaps I should go there to learn. Where is that lotto win I’ve been hankering for?
Had a lovely holiday break thanks, and am still not back to work due to an upset tummy. Boo!
Yum! Looks great!
I’m not Latina, but all these foods look SO familiar to me, esp since I frequent the Hispanic grocery store near my school!
I wouldn’t have imagined Colombian food being represented in Australia.
A couple of things:
It’s arepa de choclo, fresh corn arepa.
As for the empanada, it’s an empanada Valluna, which is filled with meat and potato and is probably the most popular Colombian empanada. It is indeed a cornmeal dough, but there are also deep-fried empanadas made with short pastry in Colombia. A few Latin American countries do deep fried empanadas rather than baked (I am Dominican and our empanadas are made with a yuca dough and deep fried).
I’m glad you got to sample Colombian food. I love it, and get annoyed when I find subpar interpretations of it, which is all too often!
Speaking of Salma Hayek (hehe), I’ve been catching up with season 3 of 30 Rock and you ain’t seen nothing yet till you’ve caught her doing the Macarena in Central Park! I love that places like this exist to be discovered in Sydney, the food looks amazing.
Lovely post Lorraine. I’m definitely going to try it out – I have family living (ex pat) in Columbia at the moment – in fact Natalie wrote a guest post on Inside Cuisine about Bandeja Paisa too.
Hope you have a great year in 2010 x
Amazing I will definitely have a look at this place.
Well done on the find.
Diego
I think I gained about 2 kilos, which isn’t too bad considering I ate and drank the whole time!
Started back at work today!
Those empanadas look interesting – they’re missing the usual pleats!
very nice! how did you find all these interesting places all the time? Never had Columbian cuisin before.. Definitely looks like something I’ll like
What a great place! I love the wrought-iron chandeliers, and the food looks delicious, espcially those empanadas! And I could literally spend hours in an ethnic food market like that, lol!
This post totally brought me back to my neighborhood in NYC (which i’m missing immensely while i’m in England!) There is a Columbian restaurant I always eat from and I always get the Bandeja Paisa which looks almost identical to the one you had! The empanadas and Postobon apple soda as well!
ps: I have extended my holiday with the fam in England and am spending it baking cakes and making no resolutions to eat more vegetables or anything crazy like that! Happy New Year!
Greetings from Seattle,
I love your blog and the whole idea of creating not just a review but an ‘eating tour.’
Cheers, and Happy New Year!
Hi Lisa-Hehe thanks! It was a fun night!
Hi Liss-It was indeed!
Hi Amy-I know, it’s almost a crime isn’t it! You looked like you had a great time!
Hi SarahKate-Haha! I think Robin should say Holy Empanada!
Hi LC-It was about 10-12cms across?
Ahh cool thankyou!
Hi grace-Haha no really! It was good I tell ya!
Hi Y-I know, so many cool finds! I wanted to buy lots too
Hi Big M-Hey M! They were great, maybe we should go again!
Hi Julia-We sure did! Oh cool, do you use it at all?
Hi Aubrey- I couldn’t agree more!
Hi Brianna-Hehe yes the outside doesn’t look as good as it does on the inside. I’m crazy for melted cheese!
Hi MrsDesperate-Hope you had a great holiday!
Thankyou! Happy New Year to you and your family! :d
Hi Steph-isn’t it funny how that texture would turn up in an empanada! Me too, shopping and food is good indeed
Hi Krista-Great idea! I love it!
Hi Reemski-I’m pretty sure we did!
Hi HannahOh how fabulous! Hehe well it’s to be enjoyed while it is there I think!
Yes we don’t get it much here!
Hi AY-I know, what a nice surprise! I would love a dozen of those I think
Hi Conor-I know, me too!
Hehe I’ve been waiting for to no avail too 
Oh no, I hope you’re ok?
Hi Megan-Thanks, it was!
Hi sophia-Ahh of course! Lucky you being so close!
Hi Sairis-It’s slowly but surely being introduced. Thanks for the info! This looks to be okayed by the Columbian community which is a good thing!
Hi Moya-Haha I saw that scene
I loved the double episode last night! 
Sydney has so many little secret places!
Hi Rebecca-Thankyou! Oh fabulous
Thanks and I hope you have a wonderful 2010 too! X
Hi Diego-Thankyou so much!
Hi Fiona-Not too bad huh!
I suppose everyone is still in holiday mode!
Hi mlle délicieuse-Yes they’re quite different!
Hi YW-I stumble across them in my travels and sometimes readers email me but this one is near me
It’s well worth a try!
Hi Faith-Yes I could have bought so much in there!
Hi La Pastry Chef-Ahh of course! OH cool, good to know that it’s the same as what’s served overseas!
Aww you’re having a great time, that’s wonderful. Happy New Year! 
Hi Sortachef-Hello Seattle! Thankyou, it’s so much fun
Happy New Year!
I am so happy to see the food from my country on your blog….Glad you liked the empanadas.
Does anyone know of anywhere in the Gold Coast or Brisbane which sells Colombian products?
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