Restaurante Las Orquideas For Local Cuisine

After moving across the river and into town, this tipica restaurant has made a huge hit with visitors and locals alike.

The Restaurante Las Orquideas is located just one door from the popular Machu Picchu Restaurant, but is far different in menu and price.

Our daughter Kirsten had just returned to Boquete for a holiday visit and we were looking forward to showing her one of the new restaurants in town.  She likes typical Panamanian food and dining al fresco, so we knew she would like Las Orquideas.

The seating is unique in Boquete, with half the 10 tables located on the small front entrance patio, just far enough away from the traffic so as not to be a distraction.

When coming into this friendly restaurant, we were greeted with a smile and a rundown of the day’s 10-12 freshly-prepared dishes.  You may choose any 4 items to be included in your “plato del dia”, or plate of the day.

While waiting for our lunch, we noticed that the tables were decorated with holiday tablecloths and tiny Christmas trees trimmed with take-home candies.  Most of the tables were filled with diners enjoying lovely plates of delicious-looking dishes and orange drinks.

In only about 5 minutes, our lunch was served hot and fresh on matching blue-rimmed plates.

My selection was just what I ordered; chicken asado, fresh broccoli and carrots and red beans, including an unexpected garnish of sweet plantains placed carefully atop a generous mound of white rice.

This was a lunch worthy of a photo. The light-orange iced drink reminded Kirsten of the Tang she loved so much as a child.

Everything tasted as good as it looks. So good that we’ll be back again and again, especially when the entire check for the 3 of us was $6.75!

Boquete Key Lime Chicken

Key limes grow everywhere in Boquete, you wouldn’t think so because of our high, cool altitude, but our rich soil and ample rainfall make this area perfect for growing limes.  When a big bag of limes appeared on my doorstep a couple days ago, the only thing I could think to make was a big, tasty, fragrant, tangy, zesty Key Lime Pie, of course!

But wait, that’s what I always made when I lived in Florida – I’m living in Boquete now and that calls for making something “Panamanian”.  When I thought of taking the most popular ingredient in Panama and making it with limes, I could develop my own Key Lime recipe.  Chicken is served in Boquete almost every day – that’s it, chicken!!

I ran out the door to pick up 4 chicken breasts and fresh cilantro at a little store just down the street and I was ready to begin my creation.  The fragrance and taste of cilantro is very important to local cuisine and I had to use some in my new recipe.

A quick skinning and cutting each breast into two pieces, and I began creating the most “gourmet” Key Lime chicken recipe I can possibly make.  I baked the dish in a bright green oven-proof baking dish and served it last night for dinner, much to the delight of the diners gathered in front of our fireplace on our veranda.

A Bellagio Frizzante Dolce White Wine was served to compliment this big, tasty, fragrant, tangy, zesty Boquete Key Lime Chicken, please enjoy it.

Boquete Key Lime Chicken

1 cup Key Lime juice, freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon honey

½ cup water

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cilantro, fresh if possible

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled, if you have it fresh

3 cloves peeled garlic

3 pounds skinless chicken pieces

Place the chicken pieces into a Ziploc bag and the remaining ingredients into a blender.  Blend until well combined.  Scrape sides, if necessary.  Pour marinade into the bag, close tightly and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven 325° F.  Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.  Arrange chicken in an attractive baking dish and bake for 1 hour, 25 minutes, basting with marinade every 20 minutes.  Garnish and serve in the baking dish.  Makes 4 servings.