La Reyna Latin Restaurant – Hot Lunch

“It’s just so…” My brother pauses, his mind grinding for an adjective while his jaw works on some Honduran enchiladas. “It’s just so … fresh.” That is as good a way as any to describe this Central American jewel on Perkins Road east of Siegen Lane. Delicious, wonderful and charming also present themselves, but the overriding sense is the freshness. Place an order of tostones (fried chips made of plantains that are a sweet and salty substitute for potatoes in much of Central America), and the sound you hear from the kitchen is not a bag being opened or a freezer door sliding ajar. You hear a knife slicing through whole, fresh plantains.

Enjoy the tostones ($3.99) and chimol ($1), a spicy relish, while you consider your lunch options. With the weather getting cooler you could try the hearty, beef rib-based stew called sopa de res ($7.50) or the always reliable tacos asada ($6.50). The latter radiate lime and cilantro, a tropical and zesty interpretation of fajitas. La Reyna also offers a tender, simmered pork dish called puerco guisado ($8.50) that is fiery from a red chile sauce. It is hard to go wrong with fragrant foods wrapped in warm corn tortillas, so try a few things. The portions are large, affordable and above all, superior to just about anything you can get elsewhere. Between mouthfuls, try to pause and come up with a better way to describe La Reyna. It’s just so… lareynarestaurant.com

For more by Frank McMains, including blogs from his trip to China, click here.