It’s been more than three years since the small restaurant CORA Bistró opened its doors on a very discreet street in Providencia, a town in the eastern sector of Santiago. There, its chef Manuel Balmaceda (35 years old) surprised the public and critics with a proposal that he defines as “contemporary Chilean cuisine”, which is characterized by careful preparations that evoke the most traditional dishes of national cuisine such as chupes, cochayuyo stews, lamb meat, tongue, braised onion and much more. All this, using seasonal produce and working with organic garden growers and regenerative breeders. Additionally, the wines he chooses to accompany his dishes generally come from small domestic producers who sell direct wood. But be careful, despite its sophisticated proposal which reveals Balmaceda’s time in restaurants with long tablecloths and his stay in the Cordon Bleu of Lima From Lima, this chef also has his more rebellious side which led him to set up more personal projects and even a series of communal pots specializing in paellas which, during the pandemic period, fed the inhabitants of different neighborhoods of Santiago. And of course, like any chef, he also has certain gastronomic preferences when it comes to eating outside his restaurant.
Ask. A restaurant that you recommend to eat in the evening?
Answer. I don’t know if it’s my favorite restaurant, but I go there often. Bacchus (Nueva de Lyon 113, Providencia). It suits my times and I love their wine and cheese selection in addition to their simple, well-executed dishes. I also like places like Marina Mar de Tapas (Tegualda 1375, Providence), Benito Vicente (Francisco Bilbao 707, Providencia) and Tony Lautaro (MUT, fourth floor).
Q. Where do you eat the best sandwich in Santiago?
A. The best steak in Swiss police (Irarrázaval 3361, Ñuñoa) and the best lomito in the German source (Pedro de Valdivia 210, Providencia). I also really like the chacarero and the Barros Luco in Marraqueta del Rucaray (inside Vega Central).
Q. A place that never fails when it comes to having breakfast or just having a coffee?
A. I really like Félix Café (Coyancura 2223, Providencia). He brown greyhound (Avenida Providencia 2035, Providencia) is quite good and also the Cafe Altura (inside Vega Central), always accompanied by the good Alen.
Q. Something you always have in the fridge at home?
A. I live alone, so I don’t accumulate too many groceries, but chili paste, Dijon mustard and butter cannot be missing.
Q. The essential in your kitchen at home?
A. I don’t cook much at home due to time constraints, but I always try to ensure a good breakfast, so I try to have fruit, free range eggs and good bread. Then there are the essentials: olive oil, good coffee, a variety of teas, honey, nuts and a few sweet tips.
Q. Where do you buy what you eat at home?
A. For the restaurant, I have to go to Vega Central (Dávila Baeza 700, Recoleta) every Monday, so I usually stock up on fruits, vegetables, eggs and dried goods there. The rest, in a supermarket. Also, two blocks from my house there is a free fair twice a week.
About The Author
