After our food poisoning ordeal, we thought we’d lay off the street food for a while and needed a safe alternative. Thankfully, we had just moved rooms to Hotel Casa Salome, which was located near the Pepe Ganga C.C. Mall Plaza El Castillo (i.e. a mall). And in the mall was a food court. And that food court had a Don Jediondo, probably the most saintly restaurant I’ll ever have been blessed to encounter. This was partly the food poisoning speaking. But for a chain restaurant, its food was also REALLY GOOD.
The food at Don Jediondo broke down into two categories: grilled meats and soups. We could get fresh, high-quality chicken, pork, sausage or beef along with fries. Or for soup, we could get a massive bowl of soup that came with rice, an arepa, and a huge slice of avocado. Regardless of what we got, any entrée was a 2-person meal and cost only 15,000-30,000 Colombian pesos ($5-10 USD). Knowing our stomachs were sensitive, we mostly stuck to the soups and found this particular gem: Cuchuco, a rich beef and bean stew that came with a massive slab of tender stewed beef:
Also, their drink cups tell you random facts! Did you know that a chorizo sausage went to space in 1995?
Don Jediondo, the namesake of the restaurant, is actually a character created by Colombian comedian Pedro González, who partly owns the Don Jediondo Restaurant Franchise. It’s been around for 10 years now and has over 50 restaurants throughout Colombia. Although they haven’t made the international jump yet, here’s to hoping it appears in the U.S. soon. Until then, I’ll just have to make my own Cuchoco. I’ve already got recipes to try lined up here and here. For those of you weathering the cold winter, want to give it a try and let me know how it goes?
– Natalie
Neverending Everywhere 
And we, your parents, of both of you, had a reason to feel blessed on Christmas.
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