Pura Vida Restaurant and Bar
228 Cummings Ave.
(609) 396-7472
Pura Vida sits in the second block of Cummings Avenue, on the south side of Chambersburg. The faux stone front and the small sign might make you think it is just a lounge, but don’t be fooled. Wander in for a taste of Tico culture and savor the homey welcome of Costa Rican hospitality.
Co-Muncher and I stopped in a little after six on a Wednesday evening. There was a couple at the bar, wrestling on the big screen TV’s and Latino Pop music playing at a decently low level (low enough to talk over) on the sound system.
Assured by the barmaid that the kitchen was open, we chose seats at one of the hightops opposite the bar. As with most of the Latino restaurants in town, the beer selection is long on mainstream brands and short on imports and microbrews.
Bottles of Corona and Miller Lite ($3) would suit us just fine as we perused the fairly large menu. A bowl of house made tortilla chips and some salsa completed the setup for our deliberations over what to order.
For starters, we selected a small order of fried yuca and a small order of tostones ($3 each). It took us a little longer to decide on entrees. Associate Muncher opted for the arroz camarones (rice and shrimp, $10 for the small, $11 for the large) and I went with the Casado, lunch platter, with Pollo en salsa ($10).
Our starters arrived promptly, piping hot from the deep fryer. The plate of yuca was full of generously sized chunks of this common root vegetable. They were perfectly done.
The light, golden crust surrounding a fluffy white center. Served with a squeeze bottle of a pink sauce that was essentially a mixture of catsup and mayonaise, the yuca was great as is, dipped in the sauce or dribbled with a little of the habanero and carrot-based bottled hot sauce already on the table.
The tostones were, bar none, the absolute best we have ever had. The fried, flattened and fried again slices of plantain were cooked through but still tender. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper, they were fine as is. A drop of the hot sauce and they were pure heaven.
Fried foods can be a gamble. If an establishment doesn’t take care with its cooking oil, off flavors and darkened crusts can ruin otherwise fine product. It was obvious that the kitchen staff knows how to properly handle the hot fat and fried items.
We were only halfway through our starters and filling up when our entrees arrived.
The arroz camarones consisted of small shrimp mixed into yellow rice. The meal was nicely presented, served on a plate with french fries along with Associate Muncher’s choice of a lettuce and tomato salad. The rice was flavorful, as were the somewhat overcooked shrimp.
The Casado was a feast. Savory black beans, white rice, a fried sweet plantain, two pieces of on-the-bone chicken in a tomato sauce with some sweet pepper and onion slices, macaroni salad, the Tico version of coleslaw and and a fried egg. The platter was enough to feed two people.
The chicken was tender and moist, the salsa was tasty in a subtle and comforting way. Costa Rican food is not spicy in the sense of hot and pungent. Rather, it tends to present a balance of soft flavors and fresh herbs. The Ensalada Repollo, the cole slaw, was bright with a citrus dressing and touch of cilantro. The macaroni salad, Ensalada Fria, consisted of elbow macaroni swimming in a mayonaise based sauce. Never one of my favorites, but this was interesting for its soppy contrast to the crunch of the slaw.
The whole, fried plantain was soft and sweet. It appeared to have a slight sugar glaze and maybe a spritz of lime juice to keep it from becoming cloying. The black beans were tender and tasty and served separated from their cooking liquid alongside the rice. A well fried egg topped off the feast.
The menu at Pura Vida is chock full of traditional Costa Rican dishes but includes typically American children’s fare like chicken nuggets. There is even a small selection of pasta dishes like vodka rigatoni, fettucine alfredo or spaghetti in red sauce.
But don’t go there for the familiar, go for the Tico goodness. And go hungry!
Pura Vida is open seven days a week. Hours vary. They accept cash and major credit cards.
Rice with shrimp
