My top question says it all… why haven’t been to Cilantro Latin Fusion more often? The eatery located at Bethel and Sawmill roads (in the original Chile Verde space!) is home to amazing fare from Venezuela, Peru, and other Latin American countries.
Cilantro started as a food truck, which still operates near King and Kenny in Grandview/5xNW, but in recent years they opened a storefront near Sawmill and Bethel on the northwest side (in the original Chile Verde space, for those who remember).
Here’s a quick run-down of what we ordered! First up, the delicious piononos pops: fried plantain balls topped with shredded beef, nata (a spreadable cream), and panela cheese. It’s a lovely mix of savory and a little sweet.
The sweet and sour pork belly takes thick, fatty chunks of pork belly and dishes them in a sweet, pineapple-based sauce.
It’s hard to argue with an order of fried plantains.
And one of their signature dishes is the collection of arepas, large open sandwiches between thick slices of cornmeal. Our server rightfully recommended the pabellon arepa with shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantains, panela cheese, and cilantro sauce. Just delicious!
This was just a first trip to Cilantro, but you better believe we’ll be making many more!
Cilantro Latin Fusion
4852 Sawmill Rd.
Columbus, OH 43235
Web: cilantrolatin.com
FB: Cilantro Latin
IG: @cilantrolatin
