Food 149In addition to the large number of new restaurants, fast
food chains abound, both Chilean and the familiar foreign
chains. The first Chilean chain was Lomito’n, which serves
sandwiches and has pictures on the menu to help you make
your decision. A common topping on sandwiches is cold
sliced green beans. On the subject of sandwiches: a Barros
Luco is a grilled steak and cheese sandwich; a Barros Jarpa
is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. A Completo is a hot-
dog with everything, while an Especial is a basic hot-dog.
Stemming from the German tradition, a popular topping on
hot-dogs is chukrut (sauerkraut). Chileans do not share tables
at restaurants and even at fast food restaurants they would
prefer to sit alone.
Café Haití is a chain of coffee houses that has become
a Chilean institution. Concentrated in downtown Santiago,
patrons, predominantly men, stand at the counter and
drink coffee. The trick is that the waitresses are dressed in
the tightest and shortest dresses you’ve ever seen. This has
led to a common expression in Chile, ‘Café con piernas’ or
‘A coffee with legs’. This gimmick spawned a number of
imitators and there are now many coffee houses where the
women wear sleazy lingerie.
GROCERY STORES
In cities of any considerable size in Chile, supermarkets
are well-stocked and often cheaper than the open-air street
ferias. Imported goods are available at many supermarkets,
however, sometimes in limited amounts. Jumbo, a ‘hyper-
market’, has the largest selection of imported items, with
many products from the United States and Europe, especially
Germany. Lider is another hypermarket that in addition to
food sells clothes and household items. A few organic open-
air markets have sprung up in Santiago for those worried
about pesticides.
At the entrance to the supermarket you will notice a large
bottle return section. Most beer and carbonated beverages
come in glass or heavy plastic bottles marked retornable, for
which you will be required to pay a small deposit. You are
entitled to the deposit when returning the bottle, but you