Sandwiches...

OK, maybe just one more food related entry...

The sandwich is an art form here. Take for instance the lowly hot dog. Here you can get what they call a completo which is a hot dog with the works. Now when we think of a hot dog with everything, it probably includes catsup, mustard, pickles, mayo, and sauerkraut (if going totally extravagent...). Here, that's barely a start. A completo has a hot dog buried somewhere in the center, then it's covered with chopped tomatoes, then pickles, then sauerkraut, then about a half cup (or more) of mayo, and finally a half cup (or more) of crushed avocados. Catsup and mustard are on the side. Often a completo will be delivered to your table on a plate with little knobs to hold up the completo like a trophy... Here's a picture of a fast food (Doggi´s Restaurant - avoid it at all costs) completo (it's the yellow and green thing in the upper left hand corner - yellow is mayo, green is avocado) along with the customary side dishes (french fries, empanadas, ice cream and a soda).

The other day Paula and I stopped into a sandwich joint in Temuco called Nau Nau. I'm not sure what Nau Nau means and I don't think Paula recognized it either. We ordered a Nau Nau Sandwich which was either ham or roast beef along with the usual condiments and Paula asked for the ham version. It arrived and the sandwich was easily 4 inches tall - maybe 5 - piled up with all the items on a completo along with lettuce and green beans. The sandwich also comes with a knife and fork because no one can eat them with their hands. But a closer check of our Nau Nau Sandwich revealed that it had beef instead of ham down there at the bottom. We asked the waiter if this was really ours or maybe someone else's and he assured us that it had been made just for us. When Paula asked about it being beef instead of ham, he said, "Oh, you wanted ham?" When we replied that that was what we ordered he offered to bring us the ham on a plate on the side if we wished... Hmmm... A different type of customer service. We decided that a beef Nau Nau would be just fine and not to have the ham delivered separately. Everyone was happy.

At the great restaurant in Ancud a couple days ago the 4 inch tall sandwiches were delivered on top of a plate of lettuce. A sandwich salad of sorts.

But the overall message that I want to pass along (that bit of odd Nau Nau customer service aside) is that when you order a sandwich here in Chile you should be very seriously hungry and prepared to eat a tall construction with knife and fork.