Pleasing Pupusas

Izalco, a cozy, white-tiled North Hollywood cafe filled with tropical plants, is named for an active volcano in El Salvador. It’s casual and friendly, but no one there is confident enough to explain the differences between Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine, which are considerable.

But I can. Roughly, Salvadoran is milder and sweeter than Mexican and makes greater use of tropical starches, such as plantain and manioc root (yuca). When you eat here, get at least one of the pupusas. These are round, crisp, griddle-cooked stuffed corn cakes, and Izalco’s are some of the best in the city. Pupusas de harina de arroz use rice flour--softer and more pliant than corn. They’re wonderful, too.

Queso con loroco is filled with melting white cheese laced with the herb loroco. Equally good are revueltos, with their filling of cheese and minced pork. All pupusas come with a wonderful condiment of cabbage shredded like coleslaw and tossed with fresh oregano, red peppers and lots of vinegar.

Izalco’s menu has lots of other snacks, too, such as pasteles Salvadorenos, little pies that spill out a spicy ground pork mixture when you bite in. Tamal de gallina is a cylinder of soft white masa filled with shredded chicken. A few dishes are more challenging. Yuca frita con chicharron is fried chunks of starchy manioc root topped with a pile of deep-fried pork skin. Chilate con nuegados y platano en miel is essentially corn porridge with yuca and starchy bananas, drenched in a dark brown syrup.

But you can fall back on familiar dishes that would be at home in many tropical countries. For instance, pollo guisado, a comforting stew of chicken, potatoes and carrots, or costilla de puerco, pork ribs baked with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers.

One of Izalco’s best dishes is relleno de ejote, which the menu calls stuffed green beans in English. It’s actually a wad of beans bound up with an egg batter and some minced pork. The dish goes magically well with its side dishes, white rice and black beans.

There are also some wonderful soups. Don’t miss caldo res, beef short ribs, potatoes and carrots in a broth that is the very essence of boiled beef.

Izalco features a variety of tropical fruit drinks to embellish the experience. Among the tropical milkshakes (licuados), sapote, banana and strawberry are particularly good.

I draw the line at ensalada, an iced drink made of finely chopped pineapple and lettuce. Yes, lettuce. Most of us, I fear, still prefer salad on a plate, not in a glass.

BE THERE

Izalco, 10729 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Street parking. No alcohol. MasterCard and Visa. Lunch for two, $12-$25. Suggested dishes: pupusas, $1.60; caldo res, $6.50; relleno de ejote, $6.95; costilla de puerco, $7.25. Call (818) 760-0396.