Dining In San José

Overview

It’s safe to say no one comes to San Jose for the food.  Not great, not poor, not spice, not zesty, the cuisine is regarded as singularly unimpressive by most medical tourism vacationers.  The main ingredients are rice and beans with plantains, steak, and eggs thrown into the mix.  

Costa Ricans love their staples so much that they eat the same combination of rice and bean (known as gallo pinto) throughout the day.  The version that arrives at your breakfast table is simpler, and mixed with eggs and onions.   At lunchtime, an optimistically-named vegetable salad of cabbage leaves, fried plantains, steak, and chicken join the gallo pinto.  Other examples of local cuisine include bocas or Costa Rican tapas, and fried snacks made of plantains and vegetables. 

Local eateries, known as sodas, serve traditional Costa Rican fare throughout San Jose. If you must try something local on your medical tourism vacation, make it a glass of fresco – a fruity milkshake saved with or without ice creams.  

International Flavors

The cuisine’s reputation of being unimaginative has given rise to western eateries, restaurants, and bars in San Jose. For a city of its size, San José has an incredible range of international restaurants - both of the gourmet and fast food variety.  Not only do most foreigners tire of the local food quickly, but the locals also seem to favor international food.  Thai, Mexican, Peruvian, Middle Eastern, Lebanese and more – you can take a gastronomical tour of the world right in San José.  Most American-style fast food restaurant chains also have a presence here.  So, you don’t really have to subsist on rice and beans in San Jose on your medical tourism vacation.

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comment form