THE little family-run restaurants clustered near railway stations in any Honduran town -- called \o7comedores\f7 -- could be a template for El Katracho, an easy-to-miss 10-table Honduran restaurant that opened several months ago on a nondescript stretch of Burbank Boulevard.
Here, as promised by the slogan on the paper placements, you can enjoy authentic Honduran meals "\o7como si estuviera en casa" \f7(as if you were at home), savory though not spicy-hot and full of wondrous contrasts. Dishes combine soft, crisp and crunchy textures and tastes of tart pickled vegetables with sweet ripe plantains and smoky grilled meats.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday January 30, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 56 words Type of Material: Correction
The Find: An article in Wednesday's Food section about El Katracho did not include the restaurant's Sunday hours; it is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Also, the article stated that family-run restaurants called \o7comedores are clustered near railway stations in any Honduran town. In fact, they dot urban neighborhoods and are strung alongside highways.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday January 31, 2007 Home Edition Food Part F Page 3 Features Desk 1 inches; 54 words Type of Material: Correction
The Find: A Jan. 24 article about El Katracho did not include the restaurant's Sunday hours; it is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Also, the article stated that family-run restaurants called \o7comedores are clustered near railway stations in any Honduran town. In fact, they dot urban neighborhoods and are strung alongside highways.
Like its Honduran predecessors, El Katracho concentrates on breakfasts, light meals and short-order \o7antojitos\f7, or snacks. But \o7sopa de caracol\f7, a voluptuous Caribbean-style coconut milk-based conch soup -- the national dish -- is a specialty.
From a bowl nearly the size of a powder-room sink, you take a bite. Rich, comforting mouthfuls of green and sweet banana contrast with slightly chewy slabs of conch meat. Buttery chunks of plantain and logs of potato-like yuca absorb the creamy broth, which can be revved up with squirts of fresh lime juice and pickled jalapenos from the jar on the table.
The soup comes in several versions: one with shrimp and conch, and another with fresh blue crabs that have been quartered, making it possible to suck out their briny meat. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't fall in love with these hearty meals.
Although Honduras has two coasts -- the country stretches from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean -- most of the area is mountainous farmland. So in addition to a tropical aspect, the cuisine includes many dishes based on the traditional Mayan trilogy of corn, beans and cheese, illustrated by El Katracho's breakfasts (hunger-killing plates of fried green plantains, fried beans, cheese and handmade tortillas) and its \o7baleadas\f7.
Often compared to burritos, \o7baleadas\f7 are more like distant cousins. These slightly puffy, soft, thick handmade flour tortillas are folded over a variety of fillings that can be as simple as a smear of mashed beans or as baroque as the combination of eggs, avocado, beans and crumbly aged white cheese, drizzled with rich Honduran cultured cream. Served in threes, even the simplest $2 version can quickly satisfy; order them as an appetizer only when you can share.
