Dec. 11, 2020
By Casey Cirne
Staff Writer
After receiving a menu in the mail for Punto Paisa, I knew I needed to try out this new Colombian restaurant as soon as possible.
The small restaurant and bakery located on 293 Ridge Road in North Arlington has a full menu with a variety of appetizers, meals, desserts and drinks. With beef, chicken, fish and pork to shrimp cocktails, sweet plantains and quail eggs there is certainly an option for even the pickiest eater.
As a picky eater, I am always nervous about ordering food to eat at home because if I don’t like it, there is no way to order something new. However, this meal exceeded my expectations.
My family decided to order dinner from this restaurant based solely on how appetizing the picture-filled menu made each option appear.
Starting with appetizers, I knew I wanted to try all three types of empanadas offered: beef, cheese and chicken. We also ordered blood sausage and pandebono, a Colombian cheese bread.
For dinner, I chose bistec asada, my go-to for a safe steak dish I know I will enjoy. In addition, my family ordered two chicken dishes, pechuga asada and pechuga empanizada. Each dish came with one or two sides. I chose plain rice for both my sides.
Ordering on the phone was extremely easy and the wait for our food was less than 40 minutes. All of the food we ordered was successfully included with no mistakes. Unfortunately, the empanadas and pandebono were lukewarm, but this is understandable since we ordered delivery.
As a picky eater, I am always nervous about ordering food to eat at home because if I don’t like it, there is no way to order something new. However, this meal exceeded my expectations.
While I was not a fan of the beef or chicken empanadas because they happened to have potatoes in them, I loved the cheese-filled version. Also, while the pandebono would have certainly been better warm and gooey, it was delicious nonetheless.
Next, I tried my bistec asado, which was tender and perfectly cooked throughout. The rice on the side was a perfect complement to the ideally seasoned steak. I also tried the pechuga empanizada (breaded chicken) and fell in love with it. The crispy coating and juicy chicken was an unbeatable combination.
This meal was exactly what I expected from a local Colombian restaurant. The simple but satisfying menu had many options. Also, the menu offers various beans, salads and vegetables that are fitting for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
I would highly recommend ordering from Punto Paisa because the service was quick and the food was cooked to perfection. Also, the portion sizes were large, so there were plenty of leftovers for the days to come. No matter your preference, there are sure to be dishes at this local Colombian eatery to fit your needs and satisfy your Colombian food cravings.
PHOTOS FROM CASEY CIRNE
Punto Paisa features a delicious assortment of appetizers.
