Tortillaphilia

Bite-sized Mexican food reviews in the Pacific Northwest!

Paparepas: Arepas

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Of all tortilla-adjacent vessels, the Venezuelan arepa is a Tortillaphilia favorite. Similar to the Salvadoran pupusa—or the Mexican gordita—the maize patty is thick and prepared more like a sandwich than a taco.

Arepa on a plate
Reina Pepida Arepa flanked by sweet plantains.

Paparepas, a Venezuelan food truck that also has a Kent restaurant, serves a Reina Pepida Arepa which should make most happy. It comes stuffed with a creamy symphony of chicken salad and mashed avocado, held together admirably by the arepa—not a crumble lost. Impressive, when you take the creaminess into consideration.

The accompanying cilantro sauce adds a zesty oomph to the palate, flanked by sweet plantains and tostones (crispy plantain cakes).

The address below is for their Kent location, but you can always keep an eye on the truck’s location on their website.

What To Order: The arepas are top notch, but the cheese empanadas are true guilty pleasures.

— Remi A. Olsen