Admittedly I have never eaten Egyptian food, so I have no reference point for good Egyption food. But I do know food, and the food at Al Masri is good. I’m pretty sure it’s authentic too since the owner, Mohammed Hussien, only moved to Costa Rica from his native Egypt six years ago.
I must have driven passed Villa Oro a thousand times before I finally went in. Every time I passed the “Comida Taiwanesa” sign out front, my curiosity grew, until I finally gave it a try.
Just up the street from the Jade Museum in San José, there’s a Chinese-style roof displaying a large gold and red sign with a glaring typo: there’s no “t” at the end of the word “restaurant.”
At Pad Thai, everything is grounded down fresh. I’m talking all the curry paste, turmeric, galangal, basil and coriander; all ground with a mortar and pestle.
Bar La Selegna has been run by the same family in Liberia since the 1970s. While the family has stayed the same, the name hasn’t. It started out as El Taconazo, then it became Discoteque Selegna, before finally adopting its current name: La Selegna.
To find Soda Lima, look for a yellow and red sign painted on a white wall that's shared with the neighboring Mini Super Feng. The sign is right beside a bookstore on Calle 2, between Avenida 6 and 8, and there's a glass display case full of yellow-orange Ají chilis that will let you know you've arrived at this authentic Peruvian diner.