Last Wednesday, I asked my brother Chris if he was interested in empanadas. He had never heard of the Colombian meat pastry, but was willing to drive down to Milohas bakery in South San Jose to give it a try.
We arrived at Milohas around 1pm and picked up four empanadas: a large beef, a large chicken, a small beef potato, and a small chicken potato. The plan was to split the large beef and chicken between the two of us and give the small empanadas to our parents. I footed the entire bill, which came out to around $27. That may seem like a lot, but the portions were generous.
The pastries smelled really good in the car. However, we stopped by Los Gatos Whole Foods and did some shopping on the way back so they were not straight out the oven by the time we got around to eating them. I liked the breads. The crispy, flaky exterior reminded me of Portuguese egg tarts. Chris was not as enthusiastic about them, but admitted they were decent.
Neither of my parents went for the small empanadas we brought back, so Chris and I split them for dinner. Truth be told, I was already stuffed from a large salad, but curiosity got the best of me.
My brother liked the beef more than the chicken, which he deemed “too dry.” I agree. Both of us rank the pastries as follows: beef potato > chicken potato > beef > chicken. The potato pastries rank higher in my book because they provide a spicier, more unique taste. (Note: my opinion might be biased because I prefer the higher bread to meat ratio of the smalls.) Anyhow, if I ever go back, I would try the dessert pastries like the guava finger.
PS: during the drive, Chris revealed that he had never eaten Ethiopian cuisine; perhaps Zeni’s could be our next outing
