Hey everybody.
We are in Columbus Circle, 59th Street and 8th Avenue
in Manhattan in New York City.
But where we're going to eat is actually
way underneath the ground.
That's right, we're going under
to try a cuisine that I've never
had before, and that I would be willing to bet
that a lot you haven't had either.
So three brothers own and operate
this restaurant called Bolivian Llama Party.
And they specialize in the food of their home.
A salteña, which, they're sort of empanada-like.
Sandwiches called cholas, traditional flavors
and drinks and menu items from Bolivia.
And what's also really neat is that they are using
their success here in New York to help Bolivian
single mothers go to work when they have children.
Bolivia is a developing country.
There's still quite a bit of poverty.
So it's nice to see that these brothers are using
their platform and their success to give back
to the county they came from.
We're going to try some of this Bolivian food.
I'm super excited.
And let's go.
(lighthearted music)
So we're at your place, Bolivian Llama Party.
First of all, that's like the best name of a restaurant.
I think I've ever heard.
Yeah, it's attention grabbing,
but it's a lot of what we do
which is, yeah we're Bolivian food.
I had a pet llama as a child.
You did not.
Yes I did.
We love llamas.
That's amazing.
They're quirky animals.
And party, we love to party.
Do they make good pets?
They do. They do.
Although they spit if they get angry.
So you got to make sure you don't get on their bad side.
Party in, Bolivian Llama Party, is really also
about not just partying as a festive environment
but also celebrating our traditional food
and our salteñas for example is what we're known for.
They are traditionally found to have
beef or chicken in them with a stewy, juicy, soupy interior.
We use bone broth.
So basically the same way soupy dumplings are made.
Once it bakes, the filling turns into a stew.
So inside, if you shake it, you here a juice in-
it's like a soup inside.
And that's traditionally- I've never shaken
an empanada before on or here.
That's how Bolivia is.
Yeah, Bolivians will take something
and shake at the ear to hear how much juice...
- [Lucas] To make sure that, oh wow.
Yeah, it's basically a brunch thing that you do
with your family on the weekends.
It's a bonding thing.
It's kind of like comfort food.
This is Bolivian style, South American, Andean comfort food.
(dancing music)
Hello.
You know, he said you're suppose to shake it
but you're really suppose to talk to it.
You give it a little kiss right before you eat it.
And you say, "Thank you salteña."
(Lucas kissing)
These look delicious.
I'm frankly impress.
The seal on these is very good
because there is a lot of liquid in this.
I can hear it.
It sounds like a little slushy maraca.
These are not empanadas.
Do not call them empanadas.
Empanada like, in that it resembles it.
But it is baked, it is not fried.
And the inside, you get that soupy quality
by having that congealed aspect like stock.
Which then, when it's being baked, it melts.
Taste like a beef stew.
Very thick. Very rich.
Very fatty.
I'm going to pour some of this hot sauce on it.
Again, forgive my pronunciation.
The quilquina, which is an herb...
If you had Mexican papalo,
the very first episode Dining on a Dime,
they put it on tacos.
It almost taste vaguely soapy.
Which is not in this case necessarily a bad thing.
What's nice is that it really cuts the richness
of this very thick hardy beef stew.
But basically this is just like
a perfect little handheld package.
Totally just like take this to go.
And just munch on it.
You got to be careful not to spill it all over you.
But, I love it,
and I really love it
with that sauce, gives it a little herbal kick.
A little bit of spice.
Super nice.
So we had our juicy non-empanada salteñas.
We're going to get into the cholas.
So this is a chola.
And this is just straight up like...
pulled pork style, slow roasted, smoked shoulder.
Just sort of pull apart,
stringy, very melt in your mouth.
We've got the hibiscus, pickled onions,
pickled carrots, and some of that white salty cotija cheese.
A little bit of herb on it.
So very rich.
very salty, tender, juicy, marinated pork,
slow roasted pork shoulder.
Pull apart, falls out the bottom.
What is really great about a sandwich like this,
is when they're generous with the pickles
because then you get that nice acid to cut through the fat.
This is a very good little sandwich.
So yeah, Bolivian Llama Party,
awesome, fantastic little place.
And they're doing wonderful work.
And they're representing Bolivian food
in a way that is not being done in Manhattan
and in most of the country.
I haven't been to a Bolivian restaurant before this.
It was super tasty and really interesting too.
I can't eat it.
(crying)
It's hard being a llama.
(elated music)
I really hope you enjoined this episode of
Dining on a Dime from Bolivian Llama Party
at 57th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan.
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