Tuna sashimi, fish empanadas and mezcal!

Good afternoon foodies and bon apetit!

Today I visited a restaurant called Mercado 24 which is Spanish for Market 24. I ordered something that isn't even on the menu. First, a little backstory on Mercado 24.

Guatemala City has 23 municipal markets where farmers, fishermen and butchers meet starting in the wee hours of the morning.

My friend, Chef Pablo Diaz, decided he wanted to open a restaurant that offered delicious food made from the freshest catch of the day with a gourmet feel. He wanted to keep a laid back atmosphere, so he dubbed his restaurant "the 24th market".

I'd like to add that Mercado 24 was listed among Latin Americas 50 Best restaurants along with Chef Sergio Diaz of Sublime, Diego Telles of Flor de Lis and Debbie Fadul of Diacá. All friends of mine of whom I'm very proud of.

Today, I ordered tuna sashimi with pesto and manchego cheese covered in red onions and garnished with peppermint leaves. This item is not on the menu, but I know Pablo makes it, so I asked if he could make me one. He said yes :)

After that, I ordered something that was on the menu: Fish empanadas. If you've ever had Argentine empanadas filler with beef and peppers, This is very similar. It has the same puffy pastry shell only it's filled with delicious seafood.

To wash it all down: a shot-glass of Tobalá mezcal, a smoky delicious beverage made from agave and brought here from Oaxaca, Mexico for me to enjoy

If you're ever in Guatemala City, I would highly recommend you visit 4 Grados Norte. It's downtown and it has plenty of amazing restaurants within walking distance. All four restaurants mentioned above are only a few blocks away. And half of them already accept Bitcoin as payment, which means if you know how to use @v4vapp , you can pay with #HIVE as well.

cheers!