Sampling the Best Venezuelan Food in Orlando at Q’Kenan Restaurant

When I asked the gentleman on the phone about the meaning of the restaurant’s name, I got an explanation in heavily-accented, broken English that I didn’t completely understand.  Here is what I do know.  The second tallest waterfall in Venezuela (after Angel Falls) is Cuquenan Falls. These falls are the 11^th highest in the world and the drop spans well over 2,200 feet. Though these two falls are complicated to reach, they are an important part of Venezuela’s tourism industry and are frequently visited.

In honor of these important locales, Adi Marbelis Acurero named her establishment Q’Kenan Restaurant.  Q’Kenan serves the best Venezuelan food in Orlando.  To be fair, I have not eaten Venezuelan food anywhere else in Orlando (or at all), but I can’t imagine anyone doing it better. Having said that, if any Venezuelan restaurant owners want to take up the challenge and treat me to lunch, I will be happy to preside over a food competition.

I really, really wanted to try this place for Treat Day.  I was simply giddy when I entered the name into my vehicle’s GPS and discovered that it was five minutes down the road from the Sheraton Vistana Villages This was a wonderful surprise.

Q’Kenan is an unassuming little place in a Publix strip plaza.  It’s not the kind of restaurant where you expect gourmet food, but that’s what you are going to get.  Make sure to skip breakfast so you are hungry enough to try several menu items with your companions.

We split a ham and cheese empanada ($3.75). This was a lighter coating than I’ve had on empanada before.  It was still fried, but the pastry wasn’t as dense as others I’ve eaten.  It was served with a “tartar” sauce, which was some kind of mayo-based dipping sauce.  I don’t like the tartar sauce that most people serve on seafood.  This wasn’t that stuff.  It was actually good on the empanada.

We then split an Arepa Santa Barbara, which our server said was her favorite ($9.25). We were given the choice of beef, chicken, or sausage filling.  We chose beef. An arepa is a patty made from ground maize dough.  In this case, it was presented like an open Pac-Man mouth.  Beefy, cheesy goodness was spilling out of Pac-Man’s mouth.  The server said it could be eaten like a sandwich, but there was such a wonderful, overflowing amount of filling, I can’t imagine trying to pick it up and eat it like a sandwich. We used a knife and fork. The star here really wasn’t the arepa itself, although that was good.  The award goes to the filling.  This was comprised of bite-sized chunks of seasoned steak, veggies, and crumbles of what I believe was creamy cotija cheese.

The final item that we split was a cachapa.  This Venezuelan specialty is in the pancake family, but it is fried.  It is light as air and can be eaten plain or folded in half and stuffed with cheese, ham, or both.  We opted for the cheese ($10.50).  Sadly, I forgot to ask what kind of cheese was inside, but the cachapa arrived with a slab of creamy, white cheese inside.  Though, I could hardly find that underneath the mountain of finely shredded cheese towering on top.  If you need calcium in your diet and don’t like milk, this dish is for you! 

We did take some leftovers back to our villa, in case you were wondering.  My husband teased me because he said that when I am enjoying a truly phenomenal meal, I take on a certain stance at the table.  He says my posture and face change and that I get “in the zone.”  I don’t know how flattering a picture that is, but I don’t think I can really deny it either.  My happy place posture was definitely on display that day.

One of the quirky things about this place is that there is a stage in the middle of the restaurant with video screens and everything.  At night, for a $10 cover charge, you can have dinner during one of their Latin music concerts.  They book acts from around the globe.  If you like Latin music, this is the perfect option for you.  It would be less crowded than a club, there is a full bar, and the food is to die for!

One of the things that is most valuable about travel is the opportunity to experience other cultures.  Trying new foods, crafted with skill and served with pride and joy makes me happy, really happy.  When I think of a waterfall, I think of rainbows too.  Trekking to a waterfall and finding a rainbow that means joy and happiness is a worthwhile trip.  I am not traveling internationally right now, so I can’t experience Venezuela in real life.  Thank you to the staff and chefs at Q’Kenan Restaurant for bringing me a rainbow on a plate.

Tell me about your most successful food experiment in the comments.