Written by Indu
with edits by Caleb
Every time we’ve visited Guatemala, no matter how careful I am, I inevitably wind up with stomach issues. It’s a pretty common dilemma that I won’t dive into here since this is supposed to be a review about DELICIOUS food. But, for anyone visiting Guatemala, food quality and appropriate preparation is definitely something you should keep a pulse on. That’s one of the many reasons I love El Rincon del Chef in Panajachel.
Panajachel is the main town on Lake Atitlan. It is where a lot of the locals live, but also where a majority of tourists and expats tend to stay. As such, a lot of the restaurants that have gained popularity happen to be the ones in the tourist-heavy stretches. In our experience, many of these restaurants tend to be overpriced, with underwhelming food and food preparation processes that have left our stomachs feeling less than stellar afterwards.
But if you wander 10-15 minutes outside of these areas (or take a short tuk tuk ride) to Jucayana, it all changes. Local cuisine. Affordable prices. And, the biggest diamond in the rough – El Rincon del Chef.
As soon as you walk into El Rincon del Chef, you will see a menu featuring the daily specials. The Chef & owner, Israel, changes the menu every day (and even has daily themes like Mexican day on Fridays).
The restaurant itself is quaint, clean and beautifully set. Every time we come here, Israel greets us, washes his hands & offers us hand sanitizer before he heads off to get started in the kitchen. It’s a small gesture, but when you are a foreigner visiting or living in Guatemala (like us) you know that many of the restaurants you eat at can leave you with a tummy ache for days. Not here!
As a classically trained chef, Israel has worked on cruise ships & high end restaurants. And it DEFINITELY shows in his cooking – he is meticulous about his preparation, uses only the freshest ingredients and, most importantly of all, his food is authentic & SO delicious. He prepares every dish as soon as you order it and you can see his full cooking process directly from your table.
You can see and smell your food being prepared!
Caleb and I will take the authentic, cheap eats over fancy dining any day, but Israel manages to combine the best of both worlds. El Rincon del Chef has the menu and quality of high-end restaurants (the best food we’ve had in Pana!) at a really affordable price. In fact, you will actually pay MORE eating in the touristy part of Pana for food that is nowhere near as good as the food here.
When we first came to Guatemala, we stayed in Pana, so we had the pleasure of having Israel’s cooking close by. We first tried his traditional Guatemalan dishes, which were out of this world. When we left, Israel told us about how he has different specials every day and encouraged us to come back again. He told us that Friday is Mexican day, which peaked our interest, so we planned to return.
Even though we live in Santa Cruz la Laguna now, we still require trips to Pana to pick up certain groceries you can only find there. Israel had told us that Friday is Mexican day. I was excited to see what the menu would be. So, on Friday took the boat to Pana and then made the trek to El Rincon del Chef to check it out.
Those who know me well, know that there are certain foods I go crazy for. Pad kra pao gai, my mom’s chicken curry & al pastor tacos. I was secretly hoping to see al pastor tacos on the menu when we arrived and guess what?! It was!
We ended up ordering Tacos al Pastor (of course) and Enrollado de Pollo a la Mexicana. I had never tried enrollado de pollo a la Mexican before, but it has easily become my favorite Mexican dish (at least if Israel is making it). It is chicken rolled with corn, chile, mushrooms, and cilantro in a slightly-spicy chipotle pepper sauce. The flavors are amazing. Spicy, savory and fresh. For dessert, Israel kindly surprised us with a special black pumpkin pie. We barely had any room in our stomachs for it. BUT, it was so good, we had to scarf it down.
If you are ever in Pana, you must visit Rincon del Chef. You will not regret it!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The address listed is correct, but for some reason it doesn’t take you to the right place on Google Maps. If you look for “Romantic Suites” (the biggest building nearby) in Jucayana, the restaurant is a few buildings down from that. If you hit Hotel el Sol, you’ve gone too far. Yes, it isn’t right in the heart of the touristy area of Pana, but that is the beauty of it. Just a short walk to something off the beaten path, with much better food, a great setting and fewer distractions during your meal (no vendors allowed inside).