La Reina, Queen of Venezuelan Arepas, Newtown

Have you tried an Arepas before? The guys at the Australian Good Food Guide facilitated an introduction to this new venue. It's one of Venezuela's signature dishes when it comes to street food. Now I must confess that I am no expert when it comes to Venezuelan cuisine but I was eager to check it out. Matt also loves trying new things. Are you food adventurous?

La Reina, Queen of Venezuelan Arepas is located in Newtown on the Sydney University end and is a short walk away. It's a little store and as Matt and I enter on this particularly hot day; we can see locals and South Americans dining here. It's a new venue so they are hoping that the locals will come by and try something different to the mostly Thai restaurants on the strip.

After talking to the owner about the menu; we order! For those who are Vegan or have Gluten preferences - there's also something for you on the menu.

We start with the Reina Pepiada which has chicken breast, avocado with lime and pepper aioli and slaw salad ($13.50, bottom left). I must say I under estimated how filling this would be as the chicken and avocado are quite filling. The Arepas bread itself reminds me of a soft English Muffin and is quite neutral in taste so it's all about the filling. I really like the chicken and avocado combination with a touch of the capsicum sauce. 

Matt tries the Pabellon with your choice of beef, chicken or pork, black beans, feta and plantains ($13.50). Matt has the beef on this occasion and enjoys the combination of flavours from the meat, the plantain (cooked banana) and the black beans. He also enjoys the capsicum sauce as well on this one although you may want to try the green sauce as well.

For those who want a bit of everything - you should order the Sampler ($15) which has your choice of smaller Arepas and also those banana platains. The Arepas bread is naturally coloured with vegetables so that pink Arepas is dyed with beetroot. How cool is that?

I am kinda full but Matt and I continue on with the Sampler with a nice variety of chicken, beef, pork and beans as well as the platains. My favourites are probably the beef and the beans which works out well as Matt likes the pork and chicken. The beans are quite flavoursome and all the meat is soft and tender.

Summary: So if you're a local or a Sydney University student, why not drop by for an Arepas. Whether you're curious about what Venezuelan cuisine may entail or wanting to try something different - why not drop by. I highly suggest the Sampler which you could easily share or if you are really hungry then you could finish on your own

Price: $12-15 per person

Location: 69/77 King St, Newtown OR You can check them out at Glebe Markets every Saturday or Paddington on a fortnightly basis

Opening Hours: 
Monday and Tuesday - Closed
Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 9pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.