Bolivian Llama Party

I was so excited to try this place!
Speaking with Alex was a delight! He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the food & home country.

I tried the truffle papitas, pork chola, chicken & beef salteñas, everything was RICISIMO (DELICIOUS)!!!
My friend order the vegan jackfruit chola and cheese bread special which were both really good. You'd never know it was a vegan if they didn't tell you.

Looking forward to trying more on the menu!
Support this small business, you won't be sorry!

Check out the other places I've been on Instagram
@mealswmellie

Bolivian Llama Party makes a point of telling you that their Salteñas are NOT empanadas although multiple sources on the internet define it as a type of one. It's cool - it's human tendency to all want to be unique little snowflakes and to define things as such. I don't necessarily subscribe to that point of view because I belong to a club who's first rule is that we don't talk about it.

Anyway, I digress, but my point regarding Salteñas and what BLP is doing is giving you a frame of reference. These are best described as slightly larger, baked empanadas, but a bit more difficult to eat due to the super hot contents that tend to drip, squirt and splatter everywhere when you try to eat them. With a learning curve on how to eat properly and a high risk factor of making a mess and mouth damage this certainly disqualifies Salteñas from being classified as a quintessential NYC handheld, on the go food such as pizza, sandwiches, burgers, etc... at least in my mind.

I tried the Beni, Chimba and Cliza ones and found the Beni with grass-fed beef & aji panka to be my favorite. I found the contents a bit sweet for my taste, but enjoyed it more with the balance of the spicy green sauce. At nearly triple the price of world class empanadas I can find in Queens it's hard for me to see the value here. I also tried the brisket mac and cheese and thought the brisket was generous and flavorful.

I hate to be a party pooper, because clearly my voice is one of dissent since the overwhelming majority write and speak glowingly of these little baked pastries so party on my fellow NYers and tourists alike!

The small Bolivian Llama Party food stall is located in the Underground Turnstyle Market, nearest the entrance of 59th St - Columbus Circle Station.

Stopped by Bolivian Llama Party to pick up a Beni Beef Salteña (a baked empanada from Bolivia) - what a tasty savory pastry! They are priced at $6 each. It was so wonderfully poppin' with flavor that I didn't even need to dip it in the green sauce (I believe it was pesto). Make sure to ask for a fork and knife because they don't provide it if you don't ask. Be careful not to spill the fillings inside, it's pretty juicy! I am waiting for the day I return back to this small stall to try their Chimba Chicken Salteña and order another beef saltena. Highly recommend this savory snack

Enjoyed the Beni Saltena and the green sauce definately a plus.
Not sure if I understand the existence of the boil egg besides having less meat..... lol

Bolivian Llama Party is the only reason I go to Turnstyle.

These guys perfectly nail the winning combo of sweet, smoky, savory, and spicy. They specialize in salteñas, which are Bolivia's version of empanadas but filled with a delicious stew, called jigote, and other ingredients like hard-boiled eggs. You can't go wrong with either the beni (beef), chimba (chicken), cliza (smoked mushrooms, roasted squash, and quinoa), or cochala (chicken, butternut squash, and peas).

Tip: The key is to hold the salteña vertically and take a small bite, then slurp the stew, then repeat. This used to be a knife-and-fork job for me, but the stew would leak out into the container and seep in. What a waste. Do yourself a favor and just hold it. Add a bit of llajua (spicy Bolivian salsa) to go with each bite.

They also have an interesting and ever-changing variety of refreshing drinks. I remember enjoying the tumbo (passion fruit with ginger) and mora-basil (blackberries, muddled basil, and basil seeds).

I live right above the underground market and always see this place, so after 2.5 years I decided it was time to try a saltena! I got the vegetarian cliza which is filled with mushrooms, squash, quinoa and a boiled egg. The inside is soupy/saucy and the outside is warm and fluffy. I wouldn't compare it to an empanada any more than I would compare it to a samosa because they taste quite different, but sure they're both pastries stuffed with something. (I think every culture has their version of this though, no?) They give you some salsa to eat it with as well.

I didn't love the saltena, but that's just a matter of taste preference. My SO tried a bite and liked it, and obviously so have many others. Even though I didn't love it, I can appreciate that it was very well made (the seasoning, the pastry, the filling). I wouldn't get another one, but I think it's definitely worth trying as you might love them!

I packed a small lunch to work today so I was poking through the Ritual app to see what else I could pick up without spending too much money. Bolivian Llama Party showed up as one of the few nearby places offering $5 off my first order - exactly what I needed. Plus my coworker loves this place and she's ordered from here quite a few times, so I finally gave it a try today.

I got the Beni (Beef) Traditional Saltena, which originally costs $6 + tax but I got it for $1.53. Defffff worth. I didn't grab any utensils so I guess I threw myself off the deep end and ate it the "Saltena Master" way? I had to be very careful not to spill the fillings (a little challenging) but I managed to do it! Even enjoyed it with a bit of the spicy green sauce - sooo good. It tasted like a juicier version of a beef patty. Overall super satisfying and hit the spot.

Summary:
Located inside of the Underground Market, the cost of two salteñas was about the same price as two salteñas and a drink, so you might as well get a drink if you go for that. The salteñas mostly taste the same, even with the different meats.

Food:
We had the salteñas, one of the beef and one of the chicken, as well as the matcha passionfruit drink. The salteñas both mostly tasted identical, you could only barely make out the texture difference from the type of meat, but the sauce and flavoring were pretty much the same. It was interesting in that the chicken essentially had the same hearty flavor as the beef version.

Service:
Pretty quickly made, they just grab the already made salteñas, and heat them up.

So good!! Especially for a food court restaurant! On a whim and because I love llamas I was into this place. I tried the chicha verde and a beef saltena. I really liked that you can see displays on the food items- very helpful. There's even a funny poster on how to eat a saltena.
The saltena- ah, delectable. Flavorful, homey- definitely not an empanada. Way more texture. I really will come back for another. The chicha was also really good. The only reason I am not giving five stars is because my saltena was kinda of burnt. I had to pick off the bottom.
Besides that- a good rare find by Columbus Circle (tip: the restaurant is part of the underground market.)

Your boy is back!! After a two month - stuck in a hole- hiatus, I'm happy to start reviewing again. My fiance being Bolivian has put me on to the good-ol-Saltena, and mijo, Bolivian Llama Party has the best in NYC! I also love, love, the chicken loaded with cilantro fries. All their food is packed with immense flavor. Try the truffle brisket and see for yourself.

I usually throw down when BLP is at the Schmorgesborg, so make sure to stop by if you see them. They also are using a Woodside kitchen on 48th ave, for those Queens heads that don't want to go far to Brooklyn or the City.

BLP has some of the best flavors in town and not limited to just Bolivian food. Do yourself a favor and check in, you will not be disappointed.