This is my first time using Groupon. It's one way to enjoy various cultural experiences without investing too much money just in case. Obviously the restaurant can well benefit from the exposure without costing them too much. It's $20 voucher that I've paid $10 ahead. The restaurant only got $5 I believe. And I did Yelp! extensively before hitting the BUY button.

I understand that it's hard to find authentic foods in USA. Everything is Americanized for one reason or the other. Most Americans I know (not those that I don't know) can't handle strange taste, texture, weirdness, repulsion, and various dislikes. And I know that it's hard to get the same fresh or processed ingredients and spices from home countries.

Those are my pet peeves alright. And there is one more before I get onto the review. Comparison can be deadly.

I have tried Latin American foods (including Yucatan, Oaxaca, Belizean). So my knowledge is nil on Venezuelan foods. But I do have taste buds and experiences from various food cultures.

Overall. It sucked. I was referring to the taste, variety, and uniqueness. It didn't worth my dime. My friend and I had the Media Bandeja (1/2 the regular portion) for $25. The big plates came with 2 big serving of steamed white rice, 2 small cups of black beans sprinkled with cheese, half an ordinary avacado, 2 fried eggs (Chinese style, I cooked that all the time), 2 plain arepas (round flat breads), one chorizo sausage, one blood sausage, 2 scopes of shredded beef, one small steak, few green plantains, and few sweet plantains.

The blood sausage tasted like burned tired. I had blood pudding much tastier and smoother and more colorful that that. I grew up with blood pudding. Yummy!!! That maybe the reason that I'm vicious now. Heed my warning, it's not good for cholesterol.

The steak had tasty flavor; it's ordinary though. I believe it's 5 oz shrunk to 3 oz. The shredded beef reminds me of sloppy Joe. It's OK for the taste. The sweet plantains are regular fried plantains as found in some Chinese buffets or regular dessert menu. It's good for the sweetness but nothing more than that in this restaurant.

If you give me a steam bun or silver thread roll (both are steamed rice dough), I can tell how much salt it contains, the chewing satisfaction, the freshness, and the steamed distinct aroma. And I can eat it plain. Arepas? What's that? It's an tasteless, odorless, chewy carb that didn't excite my taste buds a bit. Boring!!! Honestly, I had no clue how special it was supposed to be. It tasted better after I stuffed avocado and shredded beef inside.

The green plantains were like hard cardboard. Fried carb without taste, but it has a green tinted color.

My friend also ordered Tequenos (fried breaded cheese sticks)... really tiny for $1 each. Chinese egg rolls ($1 each) are twice as big and they are greaser and tastier. (I ain't a size queen).

The Empanada Ham Queso was so tiny with 2-bite size for $4. Come on... are you kidding me!!! Calzones are more complicated and much bigger with ham and cheese and more ingredients, for similar price. (Again, I ain't a size queen).

My point is that it's so ordinary that I couldn't see the cost value especially for Bandeja. I can serve up the same plates at home with minimal cost. I know the restaurant needs to earn money for cooking, serving, paying wages, and renting the space.

We were the only table that night. The wait service was ordinary... between a bus boy and minimalist. The ambient was plain... and not a place you expect to pay $40 for two (before Groupon).

So diners, I enjoy a chance to have a different cultural experience. You should give it a try. Due to a lack of familiarity, the foods tasted bland and boring. I don't feel like gaining any new knowledge except a few words on the foods. I feel like they were serving home cooked meals or peasant foods as ambrosia and they charged accordingly. That's my problem with this restaurant. And I have a totally different experience than the Yelpers here.