Mayli's Resto & Co: a typical little restaurant serving empanadas and Chilean specialities

Parisian greyness getting you down? Then head for the sun and warmth of Chile, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, at Mayli's Resto & Co, for a vitamin-packed gourmet break! It's the perfect spot to discover South American gastronomy and its delicious traditional dishes, thanks to the expertise of Maylin and her brother Victor, Chileans by birth, and her husband Hugo, a family affair!

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Of course, the flagship product is the empanada, the delicious stuffed turnover that is so widespread in the region, and which has been revisited in all its forms here, making it accessible to all. With seating for around ten, this authentic place is quite small but very well placed, ideal for takeaways, which is what most of the customers we met do. As for us, we take our seats in the warmly-toned dining room and enjoy the homemade specialties right behind us. On the menu, you're spoilt for choice!

While we obviously had to try the empanadas, we hesitated for a long time over the burgers and hot dogs, so we'll come back another time. For veggie lovers, the Bowl Empanada offers a taste of the specialty, with rice, guacamole, mixed vegetables and plantain. On this day, the empanada of the week was original, with quince paste and mozzarella! A surprising but very good combination, with whole pieces of cheese and a well-filled, fluffy turnover that didn't change much from a normal pastry.

We also tested the vegan version, with a dough made from black radish, giving it an unusual color and two different flavors: caramelized tomato & grilled eggplant or three cheeses! A complete offer, accessible to all, inspired by gastronomies from all over the world.

The American with BBQ sauce, minced meat and gherkins, the Italian-style Chaparrita with ham, tomato and basil, the Caribbean with chorizo and plantain, or the Peruvian with chicken, Peruvian yellow pepper sauce and black olives - a true empanada world tour! Of course, there are also traditional Chilean versions, since every South American country has its own!

We continue our discovery of Chilean cuisine with desserts, which often involve dulce de leche, that delicious, very sweet milk jam. We opted for a mix of these sweet treats, to travel to the heart of this sunny country's most gourmet offerings, with a brazo de reina, a melting rolled sponge cake sprinkled with coconut, and an alfajor de maicena, a much crunchier shortbread cookie, a little dry, but perfect for dipping in the associated fresh yoghurts!

This is the perfect way to spend a lunchtime in the heart of Chile, with specialities cooked and served with a heart and a smile, to the sound of Spanish music. You can accompany your meal with a Chilean cocktail to honor the culture right to the end, sipping a pisco sour, as typical as it gets with its slightly acidic lime, which awakens the taste buds, or a horchata, a popular drink made from rice and cinnamon.

Buen provecho!