We had finished our day of sightseeing at El Carmen, a beautiful ruined church best seen in the evening with its pretty lighting. Nearby is Ni-Fu Ni-Fa, a restaurant specializing in beef. We couldn’t resist. Off we went with big grins on our faces.
We were warmly greeted. The place was empty. I don’t know if we were early or late, but judging by the size of the staff, the place must get busy. Nobody else came in during our meal.
The restaurant is very comfortable. All the seating is outside on a raised, covered wooden deck. The tables are in individual little nooks and surrounded by hanging ferns with poinsettias as centerpieces. It feels, sort of, like dining on a fancy boat dock. The garden is full of rosebushes, which were in bloom while we were there. Off to the side is another seating area near a swimming pool, set up to accommodate large parties. There are rooms inside the building, but we saw no seating. Maybe it is used during busier times.
The waiter seated us, gave us menus, and explained that we could order by serving, by weight, or as a party platter. The party platter for five sounded good, but with only two of us, well, that would be unseemly. The menu, which offers mostly steaks, also has a whole or half a chicken, fettuccini, and fish filets listed. Also offered are a few appetizers and three kinds of soup, including their almost famous fresh cream of tomato soup. We perused the single portion options and quickly came to a conclusion. I would have the Lomito (tenderloin) and Libby would have the Puyaso. The waiter pointed us in the direction of the salad bar, which we had been clueless about - what a nice surprise.
The salad bar was small, offering only basic salad ingredients, pasta salad, and melon, but everything was very fresh. When we returned to our table, our drinks and a basket of bread were waiting for us. Shortly after, our steaks arrived. Mine was tender, juicy, and cooked just how I requested. Libby, who eats her meat very well done, also received a tender and juicy steak. The potions were large; we didn’t even have room for dessert - good thing we didn’t order a party platter. We left Ni-Fu Ni-Fa with even bigger grins than when we had arrived.
The service was good; the setting was relaxing and the steaks were great. For the true carnivore, there is no better place in town. Ni-Fu Ni-Fa is located just 1 block north of the plaza and a little to the east (maybe 1 block).
sample menu
Avocado Soup……Q35
Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup……Q32
Beef Tenderloin……Q75
Half a Chicken……Q65
US$1Q7.50