Hot chocolate, but not spicy food at Sazon

If you believe in saving the best for last, a trip to Sazon Restaurant and Cafe is definitely in order.

Sazon, a Venezuelan BYO located at 10th and Spring Garden streets, offers a delicious assortment of appetizers and entrees, but the highlight of any trip there is the chocolate caliente that follows the meal.

The homemade hot chocolate is made from pure cacao and comes in several varieties. The classic version is a rich chocolate concoction that's neither too thick nor too bitter. Owner Robert Campbell claims he can do anything with chocolate, except make it unappetizing, and that certainly seems to be the case.

And though dessert - the hot chocolate was accompanied by the incredibly moist tres leches cake - was satisfying itself, the rest of the meal was also an extremely enjoyable experience for my taste buds.

To start, my friend and I split an appetizer plate that included tequenos, arepas and empanadas. The tequenos - wheat-flour dough sticks filled with melted cheese - were similar in concept to mozzarella sticks, but with a much healthier taste. Served with a mild tomato salsa, they were a delicious start to our meal.

The empanadas, which are filled with black beans and cheese, and the beef and chicken arepas provided an excellent sampling of Venezuelan cuisine - which is flavorful but not spicy and often vegetarian-friendly.

My entree of pollo a la parrilla - grilled chicken with guacacasa sauce, yucca and a coleslaw-like salad - provided me with a meal of tender and filling chicken. The yucca and salad made me feel slightly less guilty about my later dessert splurge.

My friend enjoyed his pabellon vegetariano, a medley of grilled tofu, portabella mushrooms, brown rice and black beans. He liked the variety of vegetables, and said the flavors nicely complemented each other.

All of this was enjoyed in a comfortable, low-key setting that made it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. Prices are extremely affordable, about $15 for an entree, and the hot chocolate is well worth its $5 price.

In short, Sazon is perfect for those wanting to venture to the southern hemisphere for flavor, but with only the time to make a trip across the city.

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