La Fonda Colombiana, the pop-up restaurant that has operated for the last few years in the garden of the Sheldon home of Teresa Perez is no more. Instead, lovers of Colombian food will be able get their fix closer to the CBD. Perez is currently in Colombia sourcing some specialist kitchen equipment for the new restaurant that she and son Sam are opening in Woolloongabba. Evo (short for "evolution", Sam Perez says) will serve a mix of Colombian and Asian-inspired food, with Sundays reserved for a La Fonda-style traditional Colombian menu. So why the change? Sam Perez says it was to bring Colombian food closer to the people.
"We've always had good support from the Colombian community but lately we've had lots of Australians beginning to follow us but we were a little bit far away in Sheldon - we wanted to make it more accessible."
Breakfasts will offer a bi-cultural menu of Australian and Colombian food, cooked by Theresa and Aussie chef Dan Carroll, with arepas (South American corn cakes), bunuelos (cheese fritters), chiccarones (pork rinds), empanadas, sliced crisped pork belly and fresh chorizo.
Carroll says everything will be made in-house, with the assistance of two part-time pastry chefs. As well as breakfast and lunch seven days a week, Evo, which seats 60, will be offering dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a drinks list of Colombian beer, a short wine list and sangria.
We have to admit, we'll miss La Fonda a little. Brisbane's first and longest-running pop-up restaurant was a unique experience and always a bit of an adventure for first timers, but we look forward to trying out Evo in Wooloongabba Central from mid November.
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