First Look: We Love Dallas’ Tiny New Peruvian Sandwich Shop
click to enlarge
El Poderoso, a chicharron sandwich at La Llamita, with guanabana juice in a glass in the background.
Brian Reinhart
When chefs start a new restaurant, they often go through years of development, testing recipes, looking for real estate, hiring architects and much more. Or they could follow the path of Keiko Vinatea Williams and Paola Irrarazabal, the Peruvian-American women behind a new sandwich shop in Dallas.
In March, Vinatea Williams and Irrarazabal decided to start a casual Peruvian grocery store selling street-style sandwiches. In June, La Llamita Sanguchera opened its doors to the public.
“There are Peruvian restaurants here, but they only have dishes, plates,” says Vinatea Williams. This is true; Many of the area’s Peruvian restaurants specialize in great main dishes like ceviche and lomo saltado. “We were looking for something like Peruvian street food.”
At first the women bought a food truck, but food trucks that meet Dallas’ strict inspection requirements are hard to find. Instead, they lease a corner of a Mexican bakery, La Poblanita, a decade-old institution on Spring Valley Road in north Dallas. La Poblanita also bakes all La Llamita loaves.
similar posts
I support
Local
Community
journalism
Support the independent voice of Dallas and help keep the future of the Dallas Observer free.
Keep the Dallas Observer Free.
La Llamita Sanguchera has its own separate entrance door and its own mascot – a cute little llama, of course. Right now, Vinatea Williams is making six sandwiches and baking alfajores (dulce de leche cookies) that are surprisingly shaped like llamas (one for $ 2.50, three for $ 6.50; you’ll want more than one). Irrarazabal is the friendly face in front.
click to enlarge
The owners Keiko Vinatea Williams (left) and Paola Irrarazabal (right) in front of La Llamita.
courtesy of Paola Irrarazabal
Deciding which sandwich to order is difficult and could become more difficult as the menu gets longer. (The length of the original three items has already been doubled.)
Butifarra with homemade ham and the choripán, the iconic sandwich of Argentina and also popular in Peru, with its simple combination of sausage and chimichurri tempted me.
“It’s a homemade chimichurri,” says Vinatea Williams. “I tried to do it the Peruvian way, with some ingredients from Peru.” She also makes mayonnaise for the chicken sandwich and makes a leg of vegetables out of three pieces of bread.
However, on my first visit, I tried the biggest sandwich of them all, El Poderoso ($ 8.55). It’s simple and effective: chicharrones, seared hard and extra juicy, with deep fried sweet potato slices and a handful of salsa criolla, Peru’s red onion relish with a pinch of citrus, salt and pepper. If the fatty pork, the crunchy onions and the sweet starch are not enough, there is a side dish called “hot sauce” – honestly not that hot, but with a lot of garlic. I’ve emptied the bowl.
Mexican bakery bread isn’t exactly what you find in Peru, but it’s still perfect for making sandwiches. The breads are similar to short, chubby baguettes, and the outsides are medium-crispy – you can’t punch a hole in them – but the insides are fluffy and malleable. With the first bite, the inside of the bread collapses, but the crust stays intact and prevents the filling from sliding out.
“Sanguchera” is a word that means that someone makes sandwiches and, colloquially, someone who likes to eat them. Many sandwich lovers will find their way into this little kitchen, but not all of them at once. There are only three tables at La Llamita. The co-founders are already considering finding a bigger restaurant space, but right now this is a tiny slice of Peruvian street culture in north Dallas.
La Llamita Sanguchera, 7800 Spring Valley Road. Open from 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.
[ad_1]