El Mercado Central

I opted to stay in Santiago and take it easy this weekend rather than travel to Buenos Aires or Pucón with the majority of the students in my program. About 4 others stuck around too, and we had a great time exploring Santiago with some new Chilean friends.

One of the more memorable places we visited was el Mercado Central. Located just 3 blocks from La Plaza de Armas, this seafood market was filled with a variety of stands, restaurants, and (somewhat touristy) souvenir shops.

Fresh Fish

Erizos (Sea Erchin)

wasn't feeling gutsy enough to try them...maybe next time

Restaurante Donde Augusto

After walking around for a bit, we decided to eat at one of the more famous restaurants, Donde Augusto, which serves about 1,500 people daily. For it's large size, I was surprised how quick and friendly the service was. It was a bit pricier than other restaurants (average 7,000 CLP per dish in comparison with 4,000 CLP) Overall, I thought the food was pretty good, but not amazing.

One of my friends is a big fútbol fan, so we couldn't help but stop and pose for a pic near a signed jersey of one of his favorite players framed in the restaurant.

While exploring, we also ended up chatting with one of the vendendores or salesmen for quite a while. He took a liking to us and gave us free Chile pepper necklaces. He was also selling a variety of ají, or salsas, that he wanted us to try so he gave us a free sample platter when we sat down nearby for lunch! We ended up snapping a picture with him and our new Chile necklaces as well. (above)

Free Ají Sample Platter

In Chile, "spicy" really isn't spicy compared with U.S. standards. That said, I really enjoyed trying this sample platter since it gave our food a bit more of a kick than I've had in a month or so.

Mariscos Especiales

My Entrée- a variety of clams, shrimps, mussels, and fish served in cold in a seasoned broth, served with limón.

Chupe

My friends ordered this seafood stew. It reminded me of a lighter crab dip- quite cheesy, but tasty!

In addition to the mariscos especiales and chupe, we finished off the meal with a few empanadas, which were quite tasty. Overall a pleasant and fun afternoon!