Where to Find Authentic Chilean Cuisine in Santiago

Ask any Santiaguino the best sandwich they’ve ever had and they will wax on about el lomito. Marinated pork slow-roasted, shaved, and piled high onto a sandwich with copious amounts of mashed avocado, homemade mayo, and tomato slices--beer on the side. The institution and reference for all things “lomito” in Chile were born at Fuente Alemana. Grab a seat at the counter and let the 30-year veteran waitresses make you an “italiano” with the fixings. Don’t even think about trying to pick it up--fork and knife a must. Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 58 (Plaza Italia, Metro Baquedano) Phone: 56 (2) 2639 3231

Want to try hearty, rustic specialties that are considered true Chilean cooking? Look no further. This sprawling place on the outskirts of the city, in the foothills of the Andes, is a winner. Agustina Gómez de Olivares (aka Doña Tina), now 72, started decades ago selling “pan amasado,” homemade dimpled bread along the road. Years later, the whole family is involved. She’s stickler for seasonality so visit her during the summer months when corn is in season to try the heavenly national dish “pastel de choclo” or “humitas,” fresh corn tamales with basil. However, faithful capitalinos make the schlep east for her baked beef empanadas with juicy stuffing. Camino Los Refugios del Arrayán 15125, Lo Barenechea Phone: 56 (2) 2321 6546

Every day 2,000 empanadas are freshly made at this historic food landmark on the corner of Bandera and Huérfanos in El Centro. Santiaguinos pop in for a gooey fried cheese empanada slathered in hot chili sauce, piping hot. Stand in at the counter and order a “Pap” soda, flavored with Chilean papaya like the locals. Bandera 347, almost corner Huérfanos Phone: 56(2) 2672 2375

Chilean “completos” are hot dogs piled high with the works--usually mashed avocado, chopped tomato, optional sauerkraut, and an obscene amount of mayo (maybe 1/3 cup). Actually, eating them is a feat of gravity without the toppings winding up on your shirt, or the ground. Chileans are passionate about their completos and no place draws them in like Dominó, an old-school soda fountain with locales peppering the downtown. Locals crowd around the counter to scarf down these dogs with Coca-Cola or freshly made juice. Various locales throughout downtown (see website)

If you’re aiming to see what last night’s catch looked like before it became your supper, head to Santiago’s Mercado Central, where every edible sea creature is up for sale. As boisterous as a stock market, the seafood exchange assembles hard-working fishmongers, clad in high rubber boots, who hawk a full fishy portfolio including conger, swordfish, and shrimp (peeled for an extra fee). Live sea urchins peek out from rock-like shells and oysters slam shut as scores of restaurateurs arrive early in search of what will become the chef’s daily special. The market is loud, bustling, and crowded . . . and it can be jarring to discover just how ugly in life that delicious reineta you savored really was. Following local tradition, students come here the morning after their proms—fully regaled in tuxedos and gowns—for a bowl of restorative broth.