New restaurant Selva brings Colombian food to Long Beach’s Zaferia District – Orange County Register

Long Beach chef Carlos Jurado was a teenager when he first returned to his birthplace in Colombia. And nearly 20 years later, the sights, smells, and tastes he’s experienced stick with him as he aims to promote his hometown’s cuisine with the new Selva restaurant.

“I had to really experience the culture by seeing it, feeling it and eating it myself,” said the 34-year-old chef.

Located in Zaferia District in a place that used to be a residence The Hideaway The steakhouse, Selva, which means jungle, opened on February 4 with a menu inspired by the Colombian cuisine he experienced on a trip back to his birthplace.

“There’s a lot of great Mexican food around but I don’t think there are too many outstanding South American dishes. So you come here for traditional Colombian food with Colombian cocktails but you can also experience the whole of South America,” said the chef who moved to Long Beach when he was two years old.

Jurado is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu School in Pasadena and previously worked in the kitchen at popular restaurants like Border Grill and the now-closed Red Medicine in Beverly Hills.

As for Selva, he teamed up with Geoff and Karna Rau, who also own Roundin ‘3rd’ Sports Bar and Grill next door.

As the chef explains, Colombian cuisine relies heavily on the use of beans, rice, corn, and meats like pork and chicken.

“There was a lot of grilled meat, a lot of stewed beans with pork intestines, smoked belly, real buttered rice and the feeling of smoke and fire along with all those dishes. It’s also very heavy on cumin, cilantro and garlic,” says Jurado of Colombian cuisine.

And to welcome new customers to the forest, the chef recommends pairing these dishes together

Start-up: Arepa

Cost: $6 for three or $9 for six

Jurado says it’s a staple at most Colombian tables. It is cornmeal that has been dehydrated, steamed and then mixed with butter and fresco queso. “It’s an appetizer that goes with anything. In the South they have cornbread, which is our version of cornbread and it goes with everything,” he said.

Main dishes: Smoked chicken

Cost: $22 for half a child or $32 for a whole child

It takes three days to make this chicken dish. It is soaked in brine on the first day, dried on the second, and smoked and baked before being served on the third.

“In Colombia, it’s made a lot of dill, so when it’s baked, we whip it with cumin and butter. In Colombia, it’s all about chicken, rice and beans so this is my mission,” he said.

At Selva, the dish is combined with rice and beans. For the rice, the chef uses his mother’s garlic paella recipe and beans are made with smoked pork belly leftover from other dishes, plus onions and dill.

Desserts: Oblea

Cost: $6

This sweet dessert is found on almost every street corner of Colombia, so it’s a must-have for a truly authentic Selva experience, says Jurado. Oblea is made up of two thin flat cakes with dulce de leche in the middle and homemade jam.

“It was just a sweet, crunchy treat,” he said.

Drink: Refajo Colombiano

Cost: $5

While there are several cocktails on the menu, Jurado recommends this Colombian specialty for a first visit. It is a combination of lager beer and a Colombian soda called Colombiana.

“It’s just a super refreshing drink that helps make your beer a little sweeter,” he says.

Selva

Address: 4137 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach

Working hours: 4-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday

Info: 562-343-5630 or selvalbc.com