From the exterior, Borinquen
is almost unnoticeable and
entirely too easy to miss at its
two popular neighborhood locations.
As you pass through the
doors and wind your way to a
table, Borinquen begins to paint
a picture of a true island getaway.
Judging by the movies I
have seen and pamphlets advertising
Puerto Rico as a tropical
paradise, it certainly felt like this
restaurant hit the nail on the
head. The menu language, the
wait staff, the interior design
reminiscent of a
cabana beach
house and the
spread of stuffyour-
face food
all contribute to
an experience
that will whisk
you away for a
brief jaunt to
sunny Puerto
Rico.
If there is
one food Puerto
Ricans love to
cook with, it is
the plantain.
With this versatile
ingredient,
Borinquen can
proudly lay
claim to their
unconquerable
“Jibarito,”
Pronounced “hee-burrito,” it is a
sandwich made with a variety of
chopped fillings pressed
between fried plantain slices
instead of bread. The restaurant
proclaims itself as the originator
of the jibarito in Chicago, and on
behalf of the dining public, I
would like to say “thank you.”
The most popular filling for
sandwiches here, both of the
fried plantain variety and the
usual bread selection, is “lechon,”
or roasted pork. There is also beef,
fried chicken, light chicken breast,
ham and vegetarian. It is essential
when at Borinquen to partake in
the jibarito, with whatever filling
you desire. I can think of nothing
more mouthwatering then biting
into a hearty sandwich of crisp
fried tropical banana. On a side
note, this may not be the best place
for a date, seeing as the sandwich
comes with an embarrassing
amount of pungent garlic slathered
all over it. The most popular side
dish to accompany a meal is rice
and peas. This is a colorful mass of
orange rice with beans rather then
peas. It is, after all, common in the
Caribbean to refer to beans as
“pigeon peas.”
Another main dish, which is
sure to catch the interest of diners
in need of a little Puerto Rican
pick-me-up, is a breaded steak,
fried a la chicken fried steak. There
are also several spins on mashed
plantains, called “mofongo.”
Seafood-stuffed mofongo balls,
chicken mofongo soup and a
good old mound of buttery
mofongo could put the best
mashed potatoes to shame. I
also like their selection of
dumplings, like the giant fried
banana ball, tasting like a fruity
mound of funnel cake. For the
adventurous eater, perhaps the
octopus salad, blood sausage or
diced conch will pique some
interest. Afterwards, wash it all
down with a tall glass of
tamarind juice
and a smooth-asvelvet
slice of
flan, available
with cheese,
coconut or vanilla.
With a
restaurant such
as Borinquen
nearby, who
couldn’t use a little
vacation to
the Caribbean?
Gobbling a plate
of fried plantains,
warm rice
and beans sure
beats holing up
in an apartment
with the same
old re-heated
frozen dinner, so
treat yourself this
month to that weekend getaway
you’ve been craving and let
Borinquen take you there.
Borinquen can be found at
two locations in Chicago: 3811
N. Western or 1720 N.
California. Call (773) 442-8001
for more information. Average
plate cost between six and
twelve dollars.