Went back to Viva Las Arepas for the first time in a while, and didn’t get arepas for the first time. I had gone to the place back before they moved into their new space in a building a stones throw away from their original stand. Actually, thinking about it, I couldn’t have had what I ordered this time at their original location (they didn’t have an oven before). Their new space is on the corner of Oakey and Las Vegas Blvd., so still Downtown. They’ve got a bright and open space, with a mixture of tables and booths. You order food at the counter, and can look back into the kitchen where all the food is prepared. I’ve had a number of their arepas before, so went with their half oven roasted chicken with french fries and black beans and agua de panela (whole sugar cane with lime).

Roasted chicken, french fries, and black beans

I’m a fan of freshly squeezed sugar cane, and it is hard to come by in the US. Adding lime to it was a nice twist. It took a little while to get the food, but it came in sizable portions. The half chicken was already cut into smaller portions as well, and it came with a unique marinade. It isn’t bbq, but it is really good. Same with the beans and the fries. All in all, everything was $13. Not bad.