Mi Bandeja Paisa, Orlando

I ate lunch at this Columbian restaurant near the Ritz on John Young Parkway about three weeks ago. It's in the back of a strip mall before 417. I had the Bandeja Platter for $18. It came with some skirt steak (they call it lomo, but, lomo in Spain was loin), deep fried pork belly (chicharron), sausage, rice, beans (a special kind that I can't recall the name of), arepa, sweet plaintains and half an avocado. I couldn't eat it all. It looked like no one in the restaurant could either. I saw a lot of to go bags. The meats were overcooked. The chicharron was like a crow bar. The beans and sausage were the high light. Very flavorful. The plating was nice (wood plank with banana leaf). Bandeja means " a landscape" or "a tray of different objects' in this context. This dish is a good primer into Cloumbian cooking. The menu has about twenty options. The price range is $10-$20. It's upper scale Columbian. The clientele and staff were mostly Colombian. The service (3) was pleasant. The place seats around fifty. It has a tiny bar area. The color scheme is odd. It looks like it was altered from an Italian place. The ceiling is black. The walls are red and orange. They employ wood accents and screens. It's a fine place. I'm not sure it's trek worthy. However, if you live in the area, you will receive a good exchange for your money. Just hope they get the timing right on the meats on the day you arrive.