Norwalk, CT: Memo’s Restaurant & Bakery

Denise de Castro

13 years ago

Memo’s interior

Memo’s Restaurant & Bakery, formerly known as La Orquidea Bakery & Restaurant, is located in SoNo, CT, about a block away from Chocopologie. It is a great place to get authentic Colombian food. I’ve eaten at Restaurant La Sopresa, which is about a mile away from Memo’s, and I’ll say the quality of food at Memo’s is far better – and less greasy. Be prepared for a heart attack with the heavy baked goods at La Sopresa.

I came to Memo’s with the hopes of having a bowl of Sancocho, a Colombian chicken and lentil stew. I haven’t had it in years, and was really itching to have it. I was saddened to hear that it was only served on Sundays, as they prepare one soup a day.

I was also in the search of a good Colombian restaurant in the area as I was disappointed in the quality of food at La Sopresa.

No worries, the platos tipicos (typical dishes) had plenty to offer that would satisfy my cravings.

We ordered the Bandeja paisa (country platter), $10 – thin pieces of grilled steak, pork chicharron, an arepa, rice and beans, topped with a fried egg. A very filling meal, probably enough to be shared between two people. The steak was a tad bit on the salty side. The chicharron was at room temperature, but was still good. The plantains were soft and sweet. And the bonus piece of avocado was a nice palette cleanser to break up the oils.

Bandeja paisa

We also ordered Carne Guisada, $11 – stewed beef served with potato, fried yuca, sweet plantains and rice. The huge chunks of tender beef with perfectly cooked potatoes were a hit and took me right into comfort land.

Carne guisada

Hogao

On your table, you’ll notice a small jar of sauce. I believe it’s hogao, a condiment made of tomatoes, garlic, chili, scallions, and cilantro with a hint of vinegar. I didn’t think of using it, until I saw a neighboring diner savoring the soup of the day pouring heaping spoonfuls of the sauce into his bowl. Being observant pays off – it was delicious and gave my food another dimension with a little amount of heat.

After a filling meal, we picked up a couple of our favorite baked goods from their panderia (bakery) counter. Available to order:

Pandebono
Pastel de guayaba y de arequipe – pastries with guava, or dulce de leche
Empanadas
Pandequeso
Buñuelos – fried balls of cheese and dough
Roscones – Colombian guava bread
Pan con queso
Brazo de reina – a Swiss roll

My favorite treat is the buñuelo. Their buñuelo is the best I’ve had in the area (including the great Colombian bakeries in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY). Although these treats are fried, they did not taste like they were soaking in oil (which is a great thing!). The outside was crunchy; inside chewy and dense. Biting into one of these gave me a flashback of the first time I ate a buñuelo – when I was Bogotá, Colombia several years ago.