FoodyChile

El Tamiz: Bread, cheesecake and a bit of variety

14 Feb 2012 | Posted in: Places

Chile is a bread loving country, being the nation with the second highest bread per capita consumption behind Germany. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that local tastes demand a great variety. Most bread loving Chileans consume either Marraqueta, Hallulla or a more country Pan Amasado.

Each of these options have their place in the food world and when fresh can be a delicious experience with breakfast, as a sandwich, with a soup, etc. A narrow but popular selection of goods can also be found when it comes to other baked goods from empanadas (two options normally: pino or cheese?) and pastries as well.

But maybe you want something a bit different. A baguette, some “pan italiano” or pan tuscano with olives and spices. How about different options for empanadas? Tomato, cheese and basil go so well, but not too many of your averageempanada shops carry this on their menu.

We found a bit of an exception to this rule in El Tamiz, a small but well-designed bakery along Simon Bolivar in Ñuñoa. They boast panes del mundo, that is, breads of the world. They’ve of course got the regular Chilean selection but they also have a sort of flat bread with different varieties and even Naan, although it’s a bit thicker and tougher than what you’d expect from an Indian restaurant.

The selection doesn’t stop with breads, the owner Rodrigo Jerez, also appears to be cheese lover. They have an excellent cheese cake. Try the one with blueberries on top, it’s got that heavy, rich cheesecake flavor that most seem to lack in these parts. They also have yogurt based pastries and kuchen de ricotta, which are similar. In addition they have a nice selection of goat and cow cheese from an artisanal producer as well.

The place opens about 10am, but it’s recommendable to make a visit in the afternoon, between 17-19 hours because the selection is a little better. Most of their clients seem to be buying for a typical once. In fact you might even want to call ahead if you know what you want (a cheesecake for example) to be sure they have it on hand. But have a taste of the cheescake, the pita bread, the cheese and tell us what you think.