Underwhelming Cachapas — expected more

I was looking forward to Cachapas here based on the reputation. The reality was disappointing. The hearty and comforting character that makes this dish special was muted — either from shortcuts with papelón brown sugar or from scaling up production at the expense of quality.

hallacas Christmas preparation is a multi-day family tradition where the whole extended family participates. The a Caracas arepera setting I was hoping for wasn't quite there either. chicha de arroz was available but not suggested appropriately. I've had much better versions elsewhere. Two stars because the dish concept is sound; the execution let it down.