Eating Out

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San Salvador is an interesting city in a number of ways.

Although I was born there, I've spent the vast majority of my life in Los Angeles, a city whose population and geographical size easily dwarfs San Salvador many times over. Sometimes these differences subconsciously cause me to be at least mildly surprised by some of the things I see around San Salvador, especially when I also compare it to other similarly sized cities I've visited during my life.

One of these things relates to the dining options available in San Salvador. 

Living in Los Angeles, one gets spoiled by the diversity of options one has available. After all, Los Angeles, is home to the largest population of expatriates from a variety of nations, including El Salvador, Japan, South Korea, Armenia and others. This translates into one being able to sample aspects from a lot of different cultures, including their foods.

San Salvador also offers a wide assortment of quality eats, perhaps even more diverse than some smaller cities in the States or Canada. I theorize the reason for this relates to the diplomats that are in town, and local businesses needing to cater to their needs. Lets take a moment to highlight some culinary styles you should expect to see, and continue on to share some important tidbits relating to the dining experience in San Salvador.

As you make your way around town, don't be surprised to see these culinary choices:

Japanese

Italian

Middle Eastern

Peruvian

Argentine

Taiwanese

Chinese

Mexican

American

Spanish

And various others...

Cash Is King

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A prior post made reference to the fact that the U.S. dollar is the official currency in El Salvador. I won't get into discussing the pros or cons of this matter, as that's not what this blog is about, but suffice it to say, the old Colón currency is long out of circulation.

For those of you travelling to El Salvador from the U.S., it means you no longer have to exchange money, which had a tendency to be a hassle. Those of you travelling from other places just need to be aware you won't be receiving local currency in exchange for your currency, so don't be surprised.

Side note: I am not entirely sure where one exchanges other currencies, but I am assuming local banks are the appropriate place for those transactions as that's where one used to exchange U.S. dollars. That's also the norm in most countries. I will investigate the matter and append the information to this post.

Alright, now lets discuss some useful tips pertaining to your cash. 

First, avoid larger bills as much as possible, and by larger, I mean anything over $10. Unless you go to the mall or a good size restaurant/supermarket/store or the like, it is unlikely you will be able to get change for anything bigger than a $10 bill. 

Local convenience stores are notorious for this. Whenever possible, save whichever $5 and $1 bills you come by as they will be very helpful, especially for cab rides. Note as well that the $1 bill is being phased out and being replaced by the gold colored $1 coin. Pay attention to any that you might receive as some folks claim to have received gold colored $0.25 coins in their place. 

As with any other place you might visit, it is not wise to carry large amounts of cash on your person. Bear this in mind when you go out. If you intend to do a lot of shopping in the neighborhood shops, mercados (markets) or restaurants, credit cards won't get you very far. Cash is king at these places, as it is with street merchants. It is better to make multiple trips than be sorry later for any loses you may incur due to theft or other unfortunate circumstances.