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Cafe Mundi
Category: Restaurants Latin American Venezuelan Venezuelan
447 SW 152nd St(between S 5th Ave & S 4th Ave)
Burien, WA 98166
(206) 838-4181
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 7 pm
Sat 10 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
4 reviews for Cafe Mundi
4 reviews in English
-
Review from Mumbles Y.
Seattle, WA
3/9/2011
I was looking for something unique and decided to search for a Venezuelan restaurant. To my surprise, Cafe Mundi came up. So I checked it out and it is indeed authentic and awesome!!!! This is a great place, excellent atmosphere, very charming. One of the things that make a great city is the freedom and availability of choices, if you want to try something as exotic and unique as Venezuelan food here is a place :) great food!
-
Review from Joe P.
Olympia, WA
10/4/2011
Loved the arepas
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Review from Valentina V.
Seattle, WA
2/17/2009
Who would say my first trip to Burien, WA, was to try a Venezuelan-inspired Cafe?
First of all, there is a 4,000 miles distance between Burien and Caracas. Second of all, Venezuelan restaurants often are advertised as Latino or Cuban inspired food. I have seen very few "out there" restaurants when it comes to my homeland's food. When I ask restaurant owners why is that, the answer is pretty much the same:
"It doesn't sell as well to the public as Latin or Cuban food."
Venezuelan food has several common grounds with the deliciousness of the land of spectacular cigars, the beautiful "Son Cubano" and Buena Vista Social Club. But we have many differences as well.
So what's similar? Our food is hearty, comforting and savory, mildly spiced but very flavorful. Some Cuban dishes like "Ropa Vieja" are the exact, same "Carne Mechada" in Venezuela.
Differences? Many to list, but I'll point out a few: we don't cook black beans and rice together as Cubans do with the "Moros y Cristianos". We mix them on the plate if so (I don't do it), and that makes the consistency to be more liquid than in the Moros. "Maduros" are plump. Our "Tajadas" are flat.
And Venezuelan food have the arepas. Arepas, arepas, arepas, oh darling, how delicious are the arepas. Mundi serves them and you can choose fillers like ham and cheese, chicken or beef.
The Dude (a huge fan of arepas) chose beef (prepared pretty much like Ropa Vieja) and I chose the chicken. Both meats were delicious. I could use a bit more crispiness in the outside of my arepa, and it was a bit smaller than usual. However, the masa was good, flavorful and soft without being mushy or undercooked. I closed my eyes and went back to Caracas for 5 seconds.
We also had chicken and beef empanadas, a total hit. I liked the beef one better, but both were delicious. We had the chance to pair them up with a mild "picante" or hot sauce (tomato, onions, cilantro, garlic and a bit of hotness). Delightful.
Drinks were a highlight. I had a "Malta Polar," a typical drink from Venezuela that taste like a brown beer with sugar. While sipping on it, I got misty eyes. I hadn't had a Malta in ages, and being able to have one in Burien made my heart glow. The Dude had a "Café Latino", which had the everyday "cafecito de panadería" (bakery coffee in Caracas) flavor. It's different than what we have here in Seattle, as the roasting and brewing vary. But is good. So good.
We had the chance to chat throughout the meal with Juan Carlos, the owner of Mundi. He is not from Caracas, he's from the Andes, a place I hold close to my heart (for those who have seen my photos, remember the very old lady with the hat? That was taken in the area!). He took care of us himself, so I can say service was spectacular and warm.
Juan Carlos had the very nice gesture of giving us a taste of dessert on the house. We got some guava paste with cream cheese, also a little piece of my childhood. I was so happy to be there. The Dude loved this combination. I was a bit weepy inside, moved by the deliciousness and the meaning of this to me.
We'll be back for sure. I yet have to try their "hallacas" (Venezuelan traditional tamale-style Christmas dish) and Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread, also a Christmas classic).
Who would imagine I'd feel at home in Burien? -
Review from Beth C.
4/16/2009
I can't believe I forgot to review Cafe Mundi before now! My boyfriend is Cuban and moved to Seattle a year ago, and as such, always on the lookout for new Cuban food. Cafe Mundi is not Cuban food. It's Venezuelan food. BUT, it's delicious, and also quite close to Cuban food in many ways (See Valentina V's review - also, hi Valentina!).
So, we woke up one morning and decided we wanted arepas. Arepas are....in gringo terms...sort of like cornmeal English muffins or biscuits. They taste strongly of corn, like corn tortillas, but are formed into a ball of dough, then fried for a long time, then sliced in half, with various fillings, and served hot.
We wanted them. So we made the trek to Burien one chilly, grey, drizzly morning, to search out Cafe Mundi, which Valentina and Ryan had said was good.
When we arrived, the place had been open for a half hour, but the owner, Juan Carlos, told us that his helper (son) had not yet arrived, and that he wouldn't be able to serve us for a half hour. He was nice, and apologized.
We were STARVING and decided to go get some cash from the nearby Bank of America, walk around the strip, and weigh our options.
We ALMOST caved at the Elliott Bay Brew pub, and REALLY almost caved at the Australian Meat Pie place (we even went in!), but finally decided that hungry or not, we were here for the arepas!
We went back after a half hour and sat at the bar. Juan Carlos was super nice and chatty. My boyfriend had a regular coffee, and I had a latte - which was really delicious. I don't know what was different from a regular latte, but it just tasted...better.
The arepas, when they were ready, were definitely little - they were smaller than I expected, but we each had one. My boyfriend opted for the shredded chicken, and was really pleased - he said the meat was done just right. I had ham and cheese, and it was delicious as well.
While we ate, Juan Carlos chatted with us about Venezuela, and food, and Venezuelan food. The place is nice. It's small, but with a lot of light, nice displays, wooden counter and a couple of tables. It's clean and seems well cared-for. Neither of us used the bathroom, but I'm sure they're fine too.
When we were finished our coffees and arepas, Juan Carlos gave us each a small slice of quesillo, the Venezuelan answer to flan, to say thank you for coming back and sorry we had to wait. It had a similar caramely-outside to flan (the flavour was coconut), but was richer and eggier than flan. It was delicious, and much appreciated.
He was such a nice guy, I want to support the place, but even if he wasn't, I'd be back - the food was really good.
Go!
Specialties
Empanadas : turnover with shreaded beef, chicken or ham/cheese
Arepas : cornmeal tortilla. Choice filling: beef, chicken, ham and cheeses, scrambled eggs (perico).
Tequeños : cheese-filled pastry rolls.
Hallacas : Venezuelan tamal filled with chicken and beef wrapped in a plantain leaf.
Pan de Jamón : Bread baked with ham, bacon, olives and raisins.
Quesillo : Custard similar to flan. Flavors: Vanilla, coconut and passion fruit.
Merengadas : Milk shakes of tropical fruits: guava, guanabana, mango, passion fruit, Tamarind, prepared with milk or water.
Coffee (Venezuelan style) and all others
Italian Sodas
INTERNET CAFE
History
Established in 2009
In the mid 1990s, it was our dream to have a place where people could come eat, drink coffee and read. Instead of opening a bookstore, we decided to offer books for people to read in an environment that was comfortable and warm, with food that was easy to hold in one hand. This would be accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea, and in the summer, a tropical drink.
We knew that the name would have to encompass our love for culture, people and geography. Various names were thrown around until we came to several versions of the word "world." Then we had to decide on the language and decided on the root language (Latin) for our own native language (Spanish). And that's how Café Mundi was born!
Meet the Business Owner: Juan Carlos G.
Juan Carlos is a native of Venezuela, and grew up in the Andes, where his family grows coffee. In his late teens, he worked as a tour guide and led groups through some of the remotest and awe-inspiring areas of Venezuela, such as Angel Falls and La Gran Sabana.
He moved to the Bay Area with his family in 1989 and has lived in Seattle since 1991. He plays the Venezuelan Cuatro, a four-stringed instrument similar to the ukelele, and the viola.
Juan Carlos speaks Spanish, English, Italian and German.
Cafe Mundi Also Recommends
7545 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Categories: Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan
Seattle, WA 98115
Categories: Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan
"If you are looking for Latin Caribbean dishes like Pabellon Venezolano, Bandeja Montañera, ceviche, etc, this place is a must."
