Medellin, Colombia hip travel guide! Colombian street art, Elcielo restaurant & luxe hotel, Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos.
That feeling when you finally make it to Medellin, Colombia!
For years, I’d heard fabulous tales of Medellin’s vibrant street art and restaurants. In November, I was honored to be invited to spend time in the City of Eternal Spring, and experience the best of its food and culture.
I wrote a foodie’s guide to Medellin, Colombia in my debut for TravelAgeWest Magazine — and here’s an extended diary of everything that inspired me during my stay!
As I wrote in my Travel Age West magazine piece: “Ask a food blogger or chef about the world’s best cities for dining out, and chances are that Medellin, Colombia, is at the top of their list. Over the past decade, the South American metropolis has developed an energetic food and drink culture in which the U.S. dollar goes a long way.”
Photos by me and DC-based photographer Albert Ting (@pootie_ting on Instagram), who was on the trip with me.
Can you tell I loved staying at the luxurious and chic ElCielo Hotel? I love my baths, and this freestanding bathtub with lights was an Instagrammable dream.
You’ve got to stay at El Cielo hotel in El Poblado (the nightlife/hip/upscale area) if you come to Medellin (I recommended it as one of my fav hotel rooms ever, in this interview with Alibi Zine.)
Elcielo Hospitality is known for its diverse range of restaurants in Colombia and the US — so of course, the hotel’s room service was delectable. I’m still reminiscing about the omelet with indigenous microgreens, and a generous side of Colombian avocado!
Every space made the most of Medellin’s native plant life — one of the elements I loved most about this green South American city in the mountains.
Love the clean and natural aesthetics at Elcielo hotel, such as the spiral staircase from the upper level lobby to the rooftop bar…
This was my happy place during my Medellin stay, surrounded by greenery.
I came up to Elcielo’s gorgeous rooftop pool multiple times to dip my legs in the water, and sip on an iced Colombian coffee with almond milk (and later, a pisco sour).
It was a delight to meet Juan Manuel Barrientos, or Juanma – the young Michelin-starred chef and entrepreneur behind Elcielo Hospitality. (It’s a family run business; his dad is responsible for operations.)
Chef Barrientos has a rock star presence that carries over to his visually arresting dishes at Elcielo, his much-lauded fine dining restaurant in Medellin. (There are locations in Bogota, Miami and DC as well.)
The appetizers included Colombian corn crisps topped with edible flowers, gold foil and a cheese emulsion from the town of Paipa — and small bites like tapioca cubes, served with animal heads!
We sat down to 17 “experiences” with playful visuals, including a beet rose salad, and a demo of fresh corn tortillas made right at the table.
As I wrote: “Chef Barrientos loves to put an imaginative spin on native products, such as by molding yucca bread into what looks like a Tree of Life from the Amazon. Between plates, El Cielo offers eye- opening sensory “moments” such as washing one’s hands in warm chocolate and coffee grounds: guests are encouraged to play with the sweet liquid and lick it from their fingers.”
Feeling tropical amidst the living green wall and plants in Elcielo.
I continued to eat my way around Medellin, which has become a hub for inventive plant-based cuisine. I was knocked off my feet by Kaime Restaurant run by Sara Barrientos and her mother, who have been plant-based for decades.
The women have channeled their years of personal experience into creative dishes like this ridiculously tasty pesto vegetable pasta, as well as vegan burgers and cocktails. Kaime’s Colombian-vegan dishes are such a hit that they are opening a US location soon.
More of my writing: “Colombia is famous for its coffee, which is the country’s third-largest export and has a distinct citrus, chocolate and nut flavor. Trek to Hacienda Santa Isabel farm in Fredonia, about a 1.5-hour drive from Medellin, to see how coffee is produced at high altitudes with the help of donkeys.”
The views from the coffee farm were unforgettable… and the polite resident donkeys followed us to say goodbye!
At Cuon restaurant, chef Juanma puts a spin on Asian cuisine such as sushi rolls and sake cocktails.
The cocktail menu features Asian flavors like lemongrass and passionfruit, with cool presentations that involve dry ice and flames.
Impressed by Chef Barrientos’ range… His Elcielo Hospitality Group has several restaurants within walking distance in El Poblado, the best dining area of Medellin. Here’s La Serenissima, which focuses on Italian favorites. (His sister is behind the chic restaurant/hotel interior designs.)
Can’t get enough of Colombian coffee… it lives up to its global reputation.
Happy to indulge in burrata pizza and prawns with handmade pasta.
After all that eating, I was excited to get to know the artsy side of the city through a walking tour.
I joined a Comuna 13 graffiti tour, in which a local shows you around the formerly dangerous neighborhood (now transformed into a street art living canvas).
Comuna 13 is filled with art galleries and murals in all styles. Here are two of my Gothic favorites.
The rainbow-painted houses on the side of the mountain are a sight to behold.
My Dutch braided hair matches the colors of this Comuna 13 art wall.
I felt safe during my Medellin travels — just be aware of your surroundings, and you’ll have no trouble in places like Comuna 13 and El Poblado / Parque Lleras where travelers tend to go.
Much of the artwork reflects on Comuna 13’s revitalization, and themes of local history and politics.
Nothing like the eclectic skyline of Medellin, with the jungle and Andes Mountains in the distance.
And I had to see the “thicc” sculptures of 20th century Colombian artist Fernando Botero!
At Plaza Botero in the old quarter, you can walk around dozens of giant bronze statues made in his signature “plump” style. (The area is a tad seedy, so watch out for your belongings.)
Botero aimed to emphasize volume and form in his works, which are a delight to behold.
The cute, rotund animals were my favorites.
Then, pop into the Museum of Antioquia to see more of Botero’s works including devilish paintings.
There are elements of surrealism and humor in Botero’s art, especially the religious paintings. I’m a fan after seeing his works at Museo de Antioquia in Medellin!
The city has a vivacious nightlife and late-night dining culture. Here’s the spooky decor at Agua Fresca Taqueria y Mezcaleria, a Tulum-style Mexican restaurant.
Be sure to order the dishes with “avo” — like the guacamole topped with local microgreens, with tortilla chips and a plethora of house-made sauces. The local Lorena avocado is round and creamy, and I could eat it by the bucket.
The modern Mexican restaurant also serves fresh-milled corn tostadas and tacos piled with generous portions of creamy avocado. Goes down great with a paloma or margarita.
Cheers to the day of the dead skulls found throughout. Photos by me and Albert Ting (@pootie_ting).
We packed a lot into our Medellin journey — including a drive to El Peñón de Guatapé. The giant granite rock looks like an alien monolith, and you can go up 649 stairs to get to the top.
Instead of doing the “Stairmaster” to El Penon, we took in the surrounding views and snacked on Colombian street food.
You can’t help but be inspired by Medellin, with rooftop views like these.
And there’s street art everywhere you turn. Here are some Satanic and Gothic favorites… how sweet is the baby devil?
Be sure to do some shopping as well — Oviedo mall is my favorite, and is known for its emerald jewelry stores.
At the “Kinky” store, I couldn’t resist getting this kawaii Baphomet amigurumi (crocheted plush).
Satan is indeed everywhere… The houses in Guatape are decorated with bright friezes, including this occult alien pentagram pyramid wall.
Speaking of Goth matters… I did an interview with Cherry Chu magazine about the Japan Gothic subculture, favorite clubs, clothing lines and more.
Hail Medellin! Such an energetic and warm city.
I will always think back to my lazy early afternoons at the Elcielo Hotel rooftop pool…
Relaxing poolside with fresh avocado and these views.
Must come back here… ahh!
What do you think of my offbeat, artsy and foodie travels in Medellin? Leave a comment if you have any questions about coming to Colombia.
SHARE & COMMENT
Harajuku shopping guide! Alternative Goth punk rock fashion stores in Tokyo. 6%DokiDoki, drag shops, purikura.
Looks like I got some plastic surgery when I was last in Japan… thanks to the extreme filters of purikura, or sticker-picture-booth machines!
Such is the weird, cute, underground and nonsensical vibe of Harajuku — which remains the center of Japanese subculture fashion and youth culture. As requested, here’s my updated guide to shopping for alt / Goth / kawaii clothing in Harajuku, Tokyo.
Harajuku isn’t as vibrant as it used to be… Many of the indie clothing stores closed down (due to changing trends, such as less interest in Lolita), or were pushed out due to high rents.
Nonetheless, you’ll still see young fashionistas walking around in alt styles such as Decora and Gothic (read on for many more photos).
To get here, take the JR train to Harajuku (or Omotesando Station). Exit Harajuku Station, and you’ll be right at the entrance of Takeshita Doori, which still holds most of the alt and rock shops.
Photographer Joey Wong and I made our way down Takeshita Doori, and wandered through the small side streets. You’ll encounter lots of punk and subculture stores along the way, as well as run into people dressed in wild styles.
If you want to take someone’s portrait, ask for permission first. We loved this teen’s neon decora outfit, which included rainbow hair clips, accessories all over, and colorful eyeshadow.
Contrast her colorful layers with her friend’s all-black J-rock look.
You’ll see every style tribe represented in Harajuku. Here’s a Goth schoolgirl meets jirai kei look with a bat backpack and plaid skirt.
Harajuku has plenty of hard rock / metal / Goth / punk shops, especially along Takeshita Doori. Many of the clothes here a cute twist to them, such as at the affordably-priced AC DC Rag.
You can’t miss the rows of platform sneakers and boots in Harajuku. Yosuke remains the go-to Japanese brand for alternative shoes.
Drag queens make a bee-line to Takenoko, which has been serving up fierce looks for decades.
The interior is a drag queen / clubbing paradise… booty shorts, pentagram harnesses, and glitter everything!
Love how many of the handmade styles have Japanese kimono influences. And those headdresses are to die for.
Yukiro has found quite a few fabulous garments at Takenoko for his drag shows with his Haus von Schwarz (check their Instagram page to see upcoming performances in Tokyo).
A devilish masked look with a gargantuan feathered ruff… yass.
Takenoko is neighbored by a variety of rock shops.
Yellow House is next door, down the steep stairs. It’s a classic J-rock indie shop run by an older lady that designs all the fashion.
She’ll show you her walls of signed photos from famous heavy metal rockers that visited. Quite a few Jrock / Visual Kei icons wear her Yellow House creations.
Another classic “Tokyo Punker” is JimSinn. Lots of punk dandy looks for men.
Fantasy gowns, Lolita boots, Victorian dresses… Harajuku has it all.
And be sure to hit up Closet Child, the secondhand store on Takeshita Doori. Go inside and find these looks for less. (There are Closet Child locations in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku as well.)
Next to the “No Sexual Services” boutique… there’s a bear that wants you to come in! He marks the entrance to 6% Doki Doki, the iconic Harajuku kawaii / experimental boutique founded by Sebastian Masuda.
Go up the pink staircase, which is a great spot for photos.
(I was wearing platform heels by Rojita, and a puff sleeved dress from Shibuya 109.)
When you enter 6%DokiDoki, you won’t know where to look first. It’s a bug-eyed cute sparkly wonderland.
Everything is on the funky, kawaii and eccentric side — like Hello Kitty shoes.
The staff’s personal style lives up to the vibe of 6% Doki Doki.
Lots of nostalgia here: My Little Pony hair extensions, Lisa Frank style plush toys.
Looks like 6% DokiDoki is dealing with a mouse infestation?
Many of Tokyo’s indie boutiques are gone now, but 6% Doki Doki lives on — and keeps the flame of Harajuku culture alive.
Same goes for Harajuku’s LaForet Department Store, which I’ll show you in an upcoming post. For now, I’ll take you to a few more must-see shops in the hood, such as Hypercore.
Take a peek into Dog, the high-end punk/designer boutique loved by Lady Gaga. Also venture into dollar stores like Daiso, and Kinji vintage store. Be sure to stop for cute snacks along the way.
A heavy metal Hello Kitty urges you to Stay Real.
The ultimate destination for kawaii mascot goods is Kiddyland Harajuku.
Kiddyland has three floors of merchandise for every cute character you can think of.
Kirby, the Nintendo cutie, encourages you to shop til you drop.
Of course, you can find Sanrio items like Pompompurin keychains, plushes, and wallets. You can also find Totoro, Peanuts, Moomin…
… and my personal favorite, Miffy the bunny.
Kiddyland has an entire section for all things Miffy Style.
There are also stores dedicated to Doraemon and other mascots at Tokyo Station Character Street, which I’ll share soon.
Finally, swing by the Line Friends store in Harajuku to hug the cute-faced Korean character statues.
The Line store also has BT21 characters (representing the South Korean K-pop boy group BTS).
I’ll end with some Japanese purikura photos, which are rather extreme-looking these days. Harajuku has plenty of arcades or shops filled with booths for you to take sticker photo booth pictures.
After choosing a machine, you snap about 8 photos and then have a limited amount of time to decorate them with drawings and stickers. You can also change your facial features (but the machine does that already, to the extent that you look like a creepy alien…)
Here are our finished purikura pics, which you can print out and get sent to your email. There aren’t as many sticker customization options as before, and the “beauty” face filters are too much. As always, things were better in the 90s and 2000s!
Joey and I did purikura another time… The results weren’t any better. (If my nose really looked like that, I wouldn’t be able to pick it!)
At least there were Halloween background and sticker options, which added ghosts and bats.
While the subculture fashion scene has gotten smaller, Harajuku remains one of the best places on Earth to shop for alt styles and get inspired by the out-of-this-world street fashion.
I hope you found this shopping guide useful for planning a trip. Stay tuned for a look inside La Foret — as well as tours of Shibuya, Yokohama, Koenji, and more. Hail Japan, and hail Harajuku!
LA CARMINA
