Del Alma dishes up enormous Colombian plates & even bigger smiles

"That can’t be for one person,” I gasp, as a pork schnitzel the size of a dinner plate lands in front of me.

Juan Valera, co-owner of Del Alma cafe on Greville Street in Prahran, assures me it is. The chuleta valluna is a Colombian specialty, pre-ordered via social media by Melbourne’s South American community and clued-up locals who know what day to arrive hungry.

The deep-fried breaded cutlet is three times the size of what I’m used to at the pub. It overhangs the edges of the plate, nudged aside just enough to squeeze on rice, tomato sauce, and lightly pickled red onion. There’s no room for anything else, so the chips and lime wedges are tossed casually over the top.

“They’re actually bigger than this at home in Colombia,” Juan explains. “They come on a—”

He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose while he fishes for the word in English.

“Valeria!” he calls to his business partner behind the counter. She passes him a familiar black plastic serving tray.

“Platter!” we say in unison, grinning.

Juan is a trained chef who has cooked across South America, the US and now Australia. He radiates warmth and sincerity, smiling with his whole face. Although he's in his mid-thirties, there’s something boyish about Juan. After spending a few hours at Del Alma, I’m tempted to pinch his cheeks – but settle for a hug.

Juan opened Del Alma (meaning “of the soul”) in April 2024 with his partner, Bianeth Santefe, and another couple, Valeria Caracas and Michael Pantoja. Bianeth is a GP who’s currently retraining to practise in Australia. Together, the four of them transformed what used to be a stark Italian coffee shop into a gathering place brightened by joyful Colombian murals. It's a narrow space with only a few tables by the counter, but on weekends customers book ahead to nab a spot in the dog-friendly courtyard. 

“You come during the week in the morning, you’re going to find so many Australian people here trying to speak Spanish, even though we know already what coffee they’re going to order,” says Juan.

At first, the cafe served only Italian coffee and basic snacks, but when customers began asking for traditional food, Juan started making arepas and pandebono (cheese bread) and switched to Colombian coffee beans. From there, things snowballed.

“People started asking for more, saying why don’t you make the calentao,” says Juan. “What we do is use the leftovers from the day before (rice, beans, egg, potatoes, chorizo, etc.) and eat it for breakfast, but you ask Australian people what they want to eat and it’s too heavy.”

Or at least so he thought. When Juan first advertised pargo frito – a whole Colombian-style fried snapper served with coconut rice, salad and green plantains – queues formed outside.

“The first time we did the fish we never asked for bookings or payments before. We started with 10 fish and my friend had to run to Footscray to get more fish. We sold 45. I was by myself in the kitchen,” he says.

These days, Del Alma’s kitchen opens from Thursday to Sunday, serving dishes like montañero (also known as bandeja paisa), Colombia’s answer to the big breakfast. A mound of rice and beans arrives with avocado, an arepa, chicharrón, chorizo, a fried egg and sweet plantain. Then there’s the tamal tolimense, a hearty Colombian tamal made from masa that’s chunked up with rice, pork, chicken, a boiled egg and vegetables, steamed in banana leaves. Del Alma’s signature is the optional croissant on the side – a buttery, unexpected companion that simply works.

But despite the cafe's success, Juan and his team are passing the business onto friends in the community. The end of Juan’s visa is looming, and he needs sponsorship to stay. Melbourne is crowded, and the advice is to move to Tasmania.

It’s bittersweet. Juan has been cooking for some 20 years. He has worked around the world as a restaurant consultant, chef and sommelier, initially studying gastronomy in Argentina. He had to take another course in Australia to qualify here, but was so overqualified that on one occasion, a teacher asked him to take over when they cut themselves while demonstrating how to fillet a salmon.

Then, slipping effortlessly into Italian, he quotes his former boss: “Se prendi il treno è tuo, se lo perdi è perso.” Catch the train and it’s yours. Miss it, and it’s gone.

Juan is now also working five evenings a week as a bar supervisor across the road at a Latin American restaurant and mezcaleria. 

“It’s hard to work all day and come here on a Saturday at 7am in the morning and feel happy and all ‘hey guys’!” he admits.

But he manages. One customer recently told him, “I just come here because you receive us with a big smile and you change my day like this,” repeats Juan as he clicks his fingers.

“We try to make Australia our home. We love it here. We like the people, we like the food,” says Juan. “People start coming here for the coffee, then after a couple of months, they become really good friends.” 

107 Greville Street, Prahran, Melbourne, instagram.com/del_alma.au

As of June 2025, Juan and the team are handing over to their Colombian friends, who will keep the food, the murals and the soul of Del Alma alive.