Periódico Casco Antiguo News EDICIÓN 24 · JULIO - AGOSTO · 2018 | Page 19

EDICIÓN 24 · 2018
L
POLO GASTRONÓMICO
F onda L o Q ue H ay :
W e M ake Y ou F eel
L ike H ome
o Que Hay offers the diners of Casco Antiguo an uncomplicated con-
cept, nothing ostentatious, with surprising simple dishes, and seaso-
ning inspired by Panama.
The 5th Street West of Casco Antiguo was a quiet place. It was a narrow and
hidden road, but a few months ago Lo Que Hay opened and now it is a commute
of hungry locals and tourists. Some say it’s a hidden treasure, a place away from
the pretentious and luxurious restaurants in the area.
The menu is written on a blackboard with a red marker, there are no waiters
and only a few tables to sit at.
In Lo Que Hay, as its name implies, what there is, is served. The dishes are
inspired by Panamanian cuisine, but with a twist that brings together the diffe-
rent cultures that make life in Panama, according to Fulvio Miranda, chef and
member of the restaurant.
“This is like neighborhood food, honest and lovingly prepared. We have an
open kitchen full of very good cooks. It’s not a fancy restaurant. You can come
dressed as you like or you can even come in wet because a rainstorm fell on you.
We make you feel at home here.” Miranda says.
In the background, Rubén Blades sings Tiburón, while the dishes come out
of the kitchen. Every week they vary a little, except for some that have remained
on the menu at the request of the diners.
Toasted yucca with tuna carpaccio and onion ceviche, for example, is ser-
ved on a bijao leaf and is the perfect starter to whet your appetite. Another must
is the guacho with short rib, an egg cooked at low temperature, bananas and
sofrito criollo, but the one that has stolen the heart of the regulars is the conco-
lón, a crunchy cookie of toasted rice that has become the main companion of
each dish.
José Olmedo, Fulvio’s partner in Lo Que Hay and cook of the restaurant
Donde José, also located in the Casco, tells about the beginnings of the restau-
rant, which opened in November last year on the ground floor of a small buil-
ding. “We wanted a space where we could cook and taste new flavors in a more
relaxed and casual way, but once we opened the place it began to have a life on
its own and is now completely independent.
Olmedo hopes that Lo Que Hay will become a restaurant as well known
as Donde José. In his opinion, both are opposite concepts but at the same time
they complement each other. While a potential member of the list of the 50 best
restaurants in Latin America, the other keeps a rather peculiar, simple, and ac-
cessible style, which does not cease to impress by its rich gastronomic proposal.
Lo Que Hay serves lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00 to
3:00 p.m. and from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Instagram: @FondaLoQueHay
Fotos: Cortesía.
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