tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post8311846946206905102..comments2024-03-21T00:30:50.423-07:00Comments on The Stay At Home Gringo--An Expat's Life In Panama: What's new in Panama?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13636449088192029991noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-47542068438677429512013-01-26T07:07:12.763-08:002013-01-26T07:07:12.763-08:00Hi Sunni,
It's funny because I just sat down ...Hi Sunni,<br /><br />It's funny because I just sat down to a plate of eggs, hojaldres (which is like fry bread or a flattened out donut minus the hole in the center), and fried chorizos. I've been good all week so I allowed myself to join the rest of the family for fried breakfast. <br /><br />So...about US breakfast food here. You can find the stuff you want. Most of it anyway. It's just not as easily accessible as you might be used to. There's a popular, kind of buffet style, restaurant here called Niko's Cafe. When I say buffet it's because you slide down the counter and tell the server which items you want. You'll be charged for each individual item. You can usually find pancakes and eggs and bacon and sausage...stuff like that at Niko's, along with all of the fried Panamanian breakfast foods. <br /><br />In a hip and trendy neighborhood of Panama City, El Cangrejo, you'll also find a New York Bagels, which I've never personally visited (I need to since I always complain about the lack of bagels here). It's a popular place and it's supposed to be excellent. Again, though, it's in one neighborhood in the city. <br /><br />Many of the hotels offer American-style breakfast, but it's not cheap. I went to the Marriott with a friend one morning (he treated me for my birthday) and I think one plate came out to about $25. That's expensive for breakfast anywhere, especially in Panama. I've heard that the Riu hotel offers American-style breakfast too, but the Riu is one of the nicest hotels in the city so I can't imagine it's any cheaper than the Marriott. <br /><br />What I meant by what I posted on Kris' site is that there's no good real pancake spot here. If there is, I've never heard of it. Places like IHOP or Waffle House or even Denny's don't really exist here. Panamanians sort of stick to their foods for breakfast and occasionally serve pancakes on the side. I'd love to get a plate of biscuits and gravy somewhere. <br /><br />If you like to cook, you can find any of the items you'd need to create a great American-style breakfast at the Riba Smith supermarket, which is the most Americanized supermarket in Panama. You'll find bagels (frozen and not cheap), cans of biscuits (much more expensive than what you're used to), and other things, but they're all imported so they cost more. But those things are available. Some of the more local supermarkets like Super 99 and El Rey are starting to pick up more of the imported items, but mostly only in the higher-end neighborhoods like Costa del Este and Punta Pacifica. <br /><br />I wouldn't let the food situation deter you from moving here. Plus, with the rapid rate at which this country is growing, and with the amount of foreigners moving here, someone will eventually open up a good ol' fashioned American comfort food restaurant. I'm sure of it. Hell, I'd do it myself if it weren't for the hassle of running a restaurant. <br /><br />Sunni, thanks so much for checking out my blog and for commenting. I really do appreciate it. <br /><br />ChrisAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13636449088192029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-2771068859844796732013-01-25T20:54:49.207-08:002013-01-25T20:54:49.207-08:00Wow Chris,
I was talking to Kris on her blog abou...Wow Chris,<br /><br />I was talking to Kris on her blog about moving to Panama, but all the fried food would get to me too. I like going out to breakfast once in awhile, although we don't go out much. Are you telling me there is no place that has US breakfast food?<br /><br />SunniSunnihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12671891696662548892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-36327075008552723372013-01-23T20:30:52.355-08:002013-01-23T20:30:52.355-08:00I guess I don't eat out enough here either, es...I guess I don't eat out enough here either, especially for breakfast. I've had lunch at the neighborhood fondas but it's rice, beans or lentils, chicken or beef, maybe a little salad or slice of plantain pretty much all the time. <br /><br />I enjoy your blog and I'm always interested in other Americans here and how it's working out for them. We're a couple old retired folks in David, which is very different from a young guy with a family in the big city so it's even more interesting to see things through your eyes. Krishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02721519083532232180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-48386418963731895952013-01-21T11:15:52.881-08:002013-01-21T11:15:52.881-08:00Hey Kris,
Thanks for commenting. I'm not sure...Hey Kris,<br /><br />Thanks for commenting. I'm not sure why web addresses aren't coming out as links in my comments section. I was hoping yours would come out as a link, but at least the address will be there. <br /><br />I checked out your blog. Great post. And I think you're right. I have mixed feelings about this. I don't want this place to become another US, but like I said in my post, I do get excited to see some things arrive...like the Chuck E. Cheese. But the Ikea, Walmart, Target, would probably all be bad ideas. They'd create tons of jobs, but rip apart the small businesses in this country. <br /><br />As far as fast food goes, I don't know if we could make it much worse for Panamanians. Panamanians love their fried food. In fact, even though I love an Egg McMuffin every now and then, I can't hang with the fried breakfast foods in this country. I was just out yesterday morning with an electrician I have doing some work around the house. I took him for breakfast. I couldn't figure out where to go to get normal breakfast at 8am on a Sunday morning. He wanted Pio Pio (which is like a local KFC here). I wanted something other than fried empanadas, tortillas, and all the other oil drenched breakfast foods around. Niko's Cafe offers a little more variety, but again, most of it is slathered in grease. <br /><br />In the end, I settled for what this guy wanted, and I wound up eating a fried chicken breast and two fried empanadas for breakfast. I felt horrible after. <br /><br />So maybe I should add to my list...an IHOP or something like that. I'd love to get a nice stack of pancakes, or waffles, or biscuits and gravy. I never know what to eat for breakfast here. At home I usually just eat hard boiled eggs and turkey bacon from PriceSmart. <br /><br />Kris, thanks again for checking out my blog. And for commenting. You too, Emma. I think it's great having a network of bloggers here. We all have unique perspectives and it's nice to see everyone's point of view. <br /><br />ChrisAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13636449088192029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-91407132600848227982013-01-21T10:27:05.712-08:002013-01-21T10:27:05.712-08:00There is a lot of US fast food and other businesse...There is a lot of US fast food and other businesses here in David as well. I'm not sure I like it though. I don't want this place to feel more and more like the US, and I'm not sure we're doing the locals any favors by providing less healthy food. Funny, I also wrote a post on this same subject just a week ago http://thepanamaadventure.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/america-is-taking-over-panama/ Krishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02721519083532232180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-43998550188489284772013-01-21T10:16:02.798-08:002013-01-21T10:16:02.798-08:00Hey Emma,
Yeah, I forgot all about that. That'...Hey Emma,<br /><br />Yeah, I forgot all about that. That's right. They do put up an ice skating rink sometimes during the Christmas season. I remember they had something like that in Anchorage, Alaska too, on the bottom floor of the mall, but it was all year round. I always felt weird knowing that people in the mall were watching me skate. I wonder if a regular ice skating rink would do well here? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13636449088192029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4872214367509138138.post-91603275018643490352013-01-21T09:16:35.423-08:002013-01-21T09:16:35.423-08:00two winters ago there was a small ice skating rink...two winters ago there was a small ice skating rink in multiplaza down the escalator from the mac store. this year it was the big christmas tree instead :-(Emma Cohen-Joppahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783035422203748512noreply@blogger.com