Donde Sam — Restaurant in Guatapé

We had been to Guatape and had the pleasure of visiting Donde Sam. It was a surprise for us to know that it is an Indian restaurant in town and importantly, serves authentic Indian food. We also had a Colombian friend with us who is vegan and hence we ordered vegetarian curries: Chole (Garbanzo Beans) and Dal (Lentils) with Naan. The curries were accompanied by rice. We had just returned from climbing the Guatape rock and were super hungry. It turned out to be a great lunch for us. The food was fantastic and we really enjoyed it. The fact that we were hungry made it even more special. We had the pleasure of having a nice conversation with the owner, Shekar, who mentioned that he made the curries with zero oil and the naans with whole wheat flour for health reasons. He mentioned that the spices are from India and it showed in the curry’s aroma and taste. It is very rare to find someone who could go out of their way and make such food considering “healthy” along with taste. The food was so good that we returned the next day just to have lunch again and the second time was above expectations as Shekar had made fish, veg Kofta kurma, pan puri and surprised us with vegetable biryani so that our vegan friend could have taste of it as well. The hotel has a beautiful view from the seating area. Don’t miss this unique...

AVOID

Yesterday - tired of three weeks of Bandeja Paisa with its plain white rice, beans, fried banana, and a slice of tomato and shredded lettuce - we walked upstairs at Donde Sam.

The sign in front read "Visa".

Upstairs the manager confirmed they take Visa and she offered us a sample of two of the restaurants dishes.

They convinced us to return for lunch the next day (today) and we promised the manager we'd return.

The food we were served today is salt - just salt.

Salt colored with a curry.

Salt colored with a bitter vinegar and something was supposedly Asian.

As we finished our lunch the server brought the salsa he'd forgotten to give us when we started eating.

Thankfully we didn't miss anything because when we tasted it - guess what - it was salt colored with fiery hot peppers.

During the meal - on the 2nd floor outdoor patio with a view of the mud flats - big diesel trucks and buses kept driving by.

Their exhaust pipes are just the right height to hit you in the face as you eat.

Time to pay the bill.

The same manager who told us yesterday that the restaurant takes Visa told us today only cash is accepted.

The sign in front is wrong - is it to lure you and me in?

Tip: Eat someplace else where your lungs - your palate - your tummy - and your wallet...

We met Sam en route to El Peñol, Guatape. He was riding on the same bus as my group. There he sparked a friendly conversation letting us know the ins and outs of Guatapé. In conversations, Sam told us that he owns his own Indian restaurant in Guatape and invited us over to have a meal. After we were done with el Peñol, we made our way to Sams. Sam had already prepped us few dishes. Sam was very kind and helpful in other ways as well. We wanted to rent her skis. His wife helped us communicate with the locals and got us an amazing deal. You can tell by meeting Sam that cooking is his passion. We felt so loved and welcomed at his restaurant. His food was on top of the world with his innovative creativity. We felt at home with him. Thank you Sam for your generous hospitality. We will remember this every time we think about our trip to Colombia. Also, check out his wife’s clothing store next door! She has amazing Indian art, clothes, pillow, and other decorative things for an...