Michelin-Star Favorite Elcielo Just Opened Elbistró in DC — A New Casual Colombian Spot Foodies Can’t Miss
Michelin-star restaurant Elcielo is expanding its offerings in Washington. Elbistró at Elcielo is a casual dining experience. Diners get to explore the menu that makes Elcielo famous around the world. The restaurant first opened its doors in Washington at the beginning of 2020. Since then, is has become a must-visit restaurant in the Capital city.
Washington diners and visitors can now try Michelin-star restaurant Elcielo
Elcielo wants to bring their incredible menu to more diners with their new dining experience, Elbistró. Elbistró fills what was previously the front of the Elcielo restaurant at Union Market. The restaurant is serving a casual, à la carte option for anyone who wants to patronize the Michelin-star restaurant.
People who go to Elbistró will get to try several delicious choices, including Colombian ceviche, torta de chocolo. For dessert, Elbistró is offering up cholao (Colombian shaved ice with fruit) and Coffee Field (Colombian coffee with petit fours).
“We’re very known for being a fine-dining restaurant, but we wanted to be more approachable to the guests around our neighborhood,” corporate chef Sebastian Moreno Henao told Washingtonian. “Elbistró will be more relaxed and more casual.”
Elbistró is a scaled-back version of Elcielo’s tasting menu, which typically runs $300. The dishes won’t have as many “interventions” as Henao told Washingtonian. The more simplistic menu will give the taste and experience with a more approachable point of view.
With the addition of the casual dining, Elcielo’s chef is hopeful that the fine dining will also benefit. Adding Elbistró to the front limits the number of people who can experience Elcielo at time. Chef Moreno hopes it will make the experience more exclusive for the guests.
The chef behind the globally renowned culinary experience is Juan Manuel Barrientos
Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos is the culinary expert behind the Elcielo restaurant chain with locations in Medellín, Bogotá, Miami, and Washington. At 41 years old, the Colombian chef has made a name for himself in the culinary world. Barrientos holds the distinct honor of being the youngest person recognized on the 50 Best in Latin America list for three consecutive years.
The chef is very attuned to the ingredients used for his food. According to an interview with El Restaurante, Barrientos explains how he sources his ingredients in a sustainable and intimate way. For Barrientos, the ingredients start with what is closest to them then they search for special ingredients to bring in Colombia and global flavors. The combination of local and further sourced ingredients gives the dishes a fresh taste with a global nod.
“We use all this because we are really interested in having an exceptional product, even if it comes from another part of the world, because it is not worth giving them up, even if we have to bring them from far away,” Barrientos told El Restaurante. “For example, in Washington we make a donut with special wheat flour from Virginia and we put a chontaduro cream from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) and sea urchin from Hokkaido (Japan). All the meats are traceable, that is, we make sure that the animals have been grass fed, and low impact.”
