Food Trippin': La Fonda Latina

We, Filipinos, are rice people.  Since coming to Atlanta, I have been on the lookout for restos that serve generous amounts of rice without beans.  Mexican restaurants offer entrees with rice but often they're in burritos or some other variation with beans.  The problem is I don't like beans very much.  It's a little frustrating when you dine out here, order a great entree, and rice is not offered as a side dish.  Think ribs, then you have several slices of white bread accompanying it.  Or fried chicken: eating it with buns or corn bread just doesn't do it for me.  No amount of mashed potatoes or mac 'n' cheese will ever compensate for white rice.  Only fellow Pinoys will understand my longing for rice.

I chanced upon La Fonda Latina while driving on Ponce de Leon several weeks ago.  Curious, I checked out their website and menu.  Aha!  They serve paella!  For those unfamiliar with Spanish cuisine, paella is a rice dish with meat or seafood, vegetables, and some magical spices.  Paella is something we have every now and then back home.  The Philippines was under Spanish rule for a couple of centuries and Spanish influence is still prevalent in our culture and cuisine (not to mention, religion).  I made a mental note to try it very, very soon.  I wanted to try it for dinner on Cinco de Mayo but parking was just terrible and I could see by the line that it was gonna be a long wait.  The opportunity finally came last week when I was able to swing by for lunch with the hubby.  The lunch crowd was modest, which was good because we got a table right away.

We were served some nachos and salsa while we studied the menu.  The salsa was very refreshing and it didn't seem like it was store-bought.  Their appetizers included Tostones (fried plantain chips), corn chips (which they called Platos Grandes), Ensaladas (salads), and Sopas (soup).  We decided on Grilled Pork and Mango Salad for starters.  I particularly wanted to order this dish because I missed 'manggang hilaw' and 'bagoong' (green mangoes with shrimp paste), a popular Filipino appetizer.  Westerners will probably cringe at this.  LOL

Our salad soon arrived, and it was nowhere near the Filipino equivalent I was hoping it to be.  For starters, the mangoes were ripe and sweet.  Then in lieu of 'bagoong', we got 'mango vinaigrette'.  I think it was wrong for me to expect that it would come close; this is, after all, a Spanish restaurant.  I set aside my disappointment and tried to enjoy the salad.  I was a little confused with the 'mango vinaigrette'; I think it was more mayo-based than anything else.  The pork was a little unseasoned for my taste, too.  The salad wasn't bad, but I found it forgettable.

Now on to 'paella'.  La Fonda has three types of paella:  Paella, Paella del Mar, and Paella con Verduras.  Loosely translated in  English:  Their basic paella, seafood paella, and vegetable paella, respectively.  We decided to go with the basic paella.  Their menu described it as 'yellow rice cooked with calamari, shrimps, baked chicken, chorizo, green peppers, onions, pimientos and clam juice'.  I don't know if clam juice is popular here in the States, but back home it's used as stock in a variety of dishes.

I was pleasantly surprised with La Fonda's paella.  I was expecting bits of baked chicken but instead got two whole thighs, nicely browned.  The calamari and shrimps were, surprisingly, not tough.  The green bell peppers were not mush either.  Things were looking up!  The rice wasn't sticky but instead, creamy.  It was lightly seasoned with some spice that I cannot quite put my finger on (could it be saffron, but that's very expensive? curry, then?).  The only downside:  for me, the chicken was not seasoned well enough.  I found it a little bland.  Nevertheless, we finished the dish in no time.  What do you expect from two hungry Pinoy rice lovers?

While La Fonda's paella is nowhere near Alba's or Casa Armas', this Midtown version will have to do.  At least I now know of a place where I can satisfy my rice cravings.  I think I'll try the seafood paella next time, or maybe even something from their grill.

La Fonda Latina
923 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE
404-607-0665

Good eats!