Restaurant Review: Salta

Where: Icon Village, 12 Gopeng Street
Cuisine: Argentine
Website: http://www.saltaparrilla.com.sg/
Rating For The Meal: 8.5/10

We were a little sick of the all-too-common mexican and brazilian joints in Singapore. That is why we were overjoyed when we remembered Salta. An argentine restaurant that a friend of ours recommended before. We arrived a little late, and extremely hungry. What greeted us when we first stepped in was a cool and well airconditioned restaurant with a nice woody setting. We observed it (for all times sake), brushed it off and impatiently looked through the menu. That was when it occured to us that the menu and restaurant interior seemed more european than latin american (not surprising as argentina has an overwhelmingly white majority). While deciding what to order, the waiter came and placed a variety of breads in a basket in front of us, along with a complimentary meat pate covered in what seemed like pomegranate molasses. It tasted really good. Placed on the table too were 3 condiments (which we constantly used later on with the meal). They were the argentine form of salsa verde (a salty blend of green herbs and oil), chimmichuri (a spicy condiment made with oil and chilli peppers) and salsa criollo (what seems to be a mixture of chopped vegetables tosses in a sour vinegar mixture).

We started our meal with a Matambre (stuffed beef roulade with mushrooms served with mixed salad and balsamic reduction). It tasted amazing. It kind of reminded us of chinese cold cuts. Except that this one had an egg inside and was served with bell peppers, olives, and a tasty spiced mayonnaise. Next up was empanadas which is basically like a western version of curry puff. Except that they use a more chewy and buttery pastry. We savoured 4 flavours of empanadas. Corn with cream, ham and cheese, spinach, and beef with capsicum. They all tasted amazing. Most of us agree however, that the beef with capsicum empanada tasted the most ordinary out of all the 4.

We then moved on to pasta. Besides italy, argentina also has a huge amount of pasta dishes as most people from argentina are either partly or fully descended from the italian immigrants that poured into the country hundreds of years ago. We had a ricotta and spinach ravioli tossed in pistachio pesto, as well as a ham and cheese sorrentini with basil in a tomato sauce. The ravioli tasted great and had a nice bite to it. And the sorrentini (which looks like a giant tortellini) fared just as good. The ham and cheese sorrentini filling tasted like what you can find in any american ham and cheese premix. Except that it was much more flavourful. And the tomato sauce that drenched the sorrentini was just tart to the right level. The sauce may be a little on the oily side but it tastes just like what anyone can find in a decent italian restaurant.

We had 2 main courses. A flank steak, medium rare, served with sweet potato fries and 3 types of butter, and a solomillo de cerdo (black pork loin). The flank steak was salty and plain at the same time. It tasted like a normal good quality steak but there was nothing special to it. A pity as salta prides itself for its steaks. And the pork loin was possibly the worst dish we had for the night. For its fairly high price, 2 small pieces of tough pork was simply not right. However, the sweet potato fries paired off well with the 2 meats. Crisp on the outside and moist on the inside with just a sprinkle of salt, it tasted delectable. And the 3 butters were the best flavoured butters we have ever tasted in our lives. The 3 flavours were jamon/ham (which tasted like bacon), gorgonzola/blue cheese (had just the perfect level of strength) and porcini mushroom (earthy and bursting with flavour).

Dessert was a gluten free chocolate cake served with 2 ice creams. One is banana, and the other vanilla bean. We were quite torn in opinion between the dessert as some loved it and some hated it. Therefore, we can only say that this dessert is a matter of personal opinion and preference.

It was a joy dining in Salta. And to top it off, it was not even that pricey. For a meal of this calibre shared between 5 of us, the bill only came up to $40 per person. A very decent price for a meal like this from our point of view.

Food Focus: Mexican-Style Albondigas

Country Of Origin: Mexico (duuh. lol)

Albondigas basically means meatballs in Spanish. And they were introduced to latin america during the Spanish conquest. Naturally, there are many different Albondigas from Mexico to Colombia, and from Venezuela to Argentina. There are 2 popular Mexican versions of this dish. One in soup and one in tomato sauce. We will only post the recipe for the one in tomato sauce as we have not experimented with the one in soup yet.

Mexican-Style Albondigas

Ingredients For Meatballs:
- 500g frozen minced beef, thawed
- 500g frozen minced pork, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese one)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Ingredients For Sauce:
- 2 cans plain, canned tomatoes in juice (about 423g each)
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 2 large white onions, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus extra for greasing
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons chicken stock powder (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to its maximum. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and lightly grease it with vegetable oil. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the meatballs until mixture is well combined. Roll about 1 tablespoon worth of mixture into a ball and place onto baking tray. Continue with this process untill all the mixture has been used up. Make sure the meatballs are spaced well apart. Reduce heat to 180 deg celcius on 'top heat' mode and place meatballs in oven. Allow to grill for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and brown at the top. Meanwhile, pulse the canned tomatoes and jalapeños in a blender or food processor until well-blended. In a large, deep-dished pan, fry the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil under medium-low heat until onions are soft. Take care not to burn the garlic. Add cumin powder and fry for another few minutes until fragrant. Add the tomato mixture and water mixed with stock powder. Bring to the boil and mix well. Remove from heat, sample the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. When meatballs are cooked, remove from oven and transfer to a plate. Pour away all the liquid that has been 'excreted' onto the baking dish. Add meatballs slowly to the saucepan, taking care not to break them and bring back to the boil again, basting the meatballs in the sauce. Remove from heat and serve.

Food Focus: Pão de Queijo

Country Of Origin: Brazil

Pão de Queijo is a Brazilian cheese bun. Commonly eaten as breakfast or as a snack. It can be found in many Brazilian bakeries, although many Brazilians also love making it at home from pre-mixes. It goes best with a cup of hot coffee or tea. As it is almost impossible to find a Pão de Queijo pre-mix in Singapore, we decided to make it from scratch. Do note that although the recipe and steps are simple, the dough can be a little difficult to handle as it can be rather sticky.

Pão de Queijo

Ingredients:
- 500g tapioca flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup ready-shredded or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to maximum. In a heavy-based, non-stick saucepan, bring milk, vegetable oil and salt to boil over medium heat. Take care not to burn the milk. Remove from heat and whisk in tapioca flour, bit by bit until it forms a smooth batter. Leave to cool while still in the pan. When batter has cooled, whisk in the beaten eggs, bit by bit until batter is smooth again. Add all the parmesan cheese and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough at this point will usually be very sticky.
Line a baking tray with aluminium foil, lightly grease it with vegetable oil and set aside. Use 1 tablespoon to scoop a generous portion of dough and another tablespoon to help shape it into a circle (not very easy) and drop it onto the baking tray. Continue this process until all the dough has been used up. Make sure the cheese balls are decently spaced apart. Reduce oven heat to 180 deg celcius (on fan mode) and bake the cheese buns for around 30 minutes. Monitoring it every now and then to make sure it doesn't burn. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or chopstick into the bun. It should come out clean. Allow to cool down a little before serving. It should be served warm, not piping hot.

Food Focus: Moqueca Baiana

Country Of Origin: Brazil

There are 2 main types of Moqueca that exist in Brazil. Moqueca Capixaba which is a speciality of Espírito Santo in south-eastern Brazil. And Moqueca Baiana which is a traditional dish from the state of Bahia. Which is in north-east Brazil. Moqueca is a pink or sometimes orange coloured seafood stew that has a history of a few hundred years. Moqueca Capixaba is prepared in a more Native American way, with annatto seeds being used and containing no coconut milk. Moqueca Baiana displays more African influence, and is usually prepared with ingredients like dendê oil and coconut milk. This post here focuses on Moqueca Baiana as we have prepared it for a birthday function before. Here are a few recipes, simplified for your convenience.

Moqueca de Peixe (Fish Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 750g to 1kg white flesh fish fillets (such as Red Snapper), cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream and mix well and add fish. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer until fish is cooked through. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Camarão (Shrimp/Prawn Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 750g to 1kg frozen raw prawns. Must be raw. Thawed, peeled and deveined. Reserve its liquid after thawing
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream, chilli paste and the reserved prawn liquid, mix well and add prawns. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer until prawns are cooked through. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Mexilhão (Mussel Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 1kg raw mussels, soaked and scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

In a large pot. Bring the stock to a rolling boil and pour in the mussels. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for a few minutes. Shaking the pot once or twice to turn the mussels. Allow the mussels to cook through before removing from heat. Drain and reserve the liquid. Heat oil in a large, deep-dished pan. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in the reserved mussel liquid, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream and mix well. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Add the cooked mussels and turn off the heat. Mix well and stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste if still necessary. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Moqueca de Caranguejo/Lagosta (Crab/Lobster Moqueca)

Ingredients:
- oil for pan frying
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 green bell peppers (capsicums), finely sliced
- 2 large white onions, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tin tomato paste (such as Hunt's or Contadina)
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water to form a paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or juice of 2 limes
- 1 to 1.5kg of crab or lobster, cleaned, scrubbed, innards such as gills removed and cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons melted palm margarine (such as Planta)
- salt to taste

Pat crab or lobster dry with a paper towel. Hit the shell with the flat side of a cleaver to crack the shells. Do not overcrack them as this will cause bits of shell to fall into the stew. Dust all over with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat oil in a wok or deep dish pan and pan-fry crab or lobster in batches. Preferable to use metal tongs. Pan fry till shell turns red. Remove crab or lobster from heat and set aside. Fry the onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomato paste under medium heat until onions turn soft and tomato paste darkens. Add in hot stock and, chilli paste and vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add crab or lobster. Bring mixture to the boil and turn heat back down to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until crab or lobster is cooked through. Add in coconut cream and bring to the boil again. Remove from heat and stir in melted Planta. Add salt to taste. Ladle stew over rice and serve hot.

Food Focus: Vatapá

Country Of Origin: Brazil

Vatapá is a thick seafood and coconut stew that originates from the state of Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil. Superbly filling, this dish has become extremely popular and commonly associated with other areas in northern Brazil too. In Bahia, Vatapá is usually eaten with Acarajé (a deep fried bean ball). Elsewhere in Brazil, it is usually eaten with white rice. Vatapá is not very well known in Singapore as most Brazilian restaurants here are Churrascarias, which is a speciality of southern Brazil. Vatapá on the other hand, hails from the north, where African influence is much stronger. Here are a few simple Vatapá recipes that one can try at home. They have been modified to fit the Singaporean kitchen. Each recipe serves 6 people.

Vatapá (The Original Vatapá Recipe)

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 500g to 750g frozen raw prawns (shrimps). Thawed, peeled and deveined. Make sure they are raw
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.


Vatapá de Galinha (Chicken Vatapá) 

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 chicken stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 750g to 1kg frozen skinless chicken breast meat. Thawed, boiled and shredded.
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.


Vatapá de Peixe (Fish Vatapá)

Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup chinese dried shrimps (hay bee), ground till fine in a blender, and pre fried in oil till golden and fragrant (remember to strain off all the oil after frying first)
- 1/2 cup creamy (not chunky) peanut butter
- 2 cups hot water mixed with 2 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (the western, not japanese type)
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 750g to 1kg firm white-fleshed fish fillets (such as red snapper), cut into chunks
- black pepper to taste, salt to taste if you feel that the stew is still not salty enough from using stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons palm margarine such as Planta, melted in a microwave, cooled and mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (do not omit this ingredient)

Place the onion, ground dried shrimps, garlic and jalapeño peppers in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep dish saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the stock and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in breadcrumbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the fish and coconut cream. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so, until shrimp is cooked through. But not overcooked. Remove from heat, stir in the planta and food colouring mixture. Taste the stew and add salt if still necessary. Serve hot.

* important note: The reason why Planta with food colouring is so important is because any authentic Vatapá will contain Dendê oil. A type of palm oil that originates in Africa. It has an extremely strong taste and stains any neutral coloured food yellow. Dendê oil is very common in north and north-eastern Brazilian cooking but is almost impossible to get in Singapore. Hence, we chose Planta as it is stronger in taste and smell than our local palm oil. And yellow food colouring as it will give the dish its desired colour. Do not be fooled by the deep yellow sheen in plain, melted Planta. The yellow colour from it is not strong enough to colour the stew.

Food Focus: Salsa Verde & Salsa Roja

Country Of Origin: Mexico

Salsa Verde (green salsa) and Salsa Roja (red salsa) are the 2 most common types of commercial salsas found outside Mexico. They are extremely versatile and can be eaten with many types of food such as tacos, nachos, burritos and fajitas. However, they can be rather pricey when bought from stores, especially when one likes to consume them in large quantities. Frankly, it is not extremely difficult to make at home. And it is much cheaper. Which is why we are providing you with these tried and tested recipes.

Salsa Roja (red salsa)

 Ingredients:
- 7 tomatoes, insides scooped out into a separate bowl (for the green salsa), roughly chopped
- 1 big white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small tin tomato paste (like Hunt's or Contadina)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 local green chillies, sliced (use the seeds too)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a non-stick, deep dish pan. Add in the tomato paste, onions, garlic and chillies. Fry under medium heat until tomato paste starts to change to a darker colour. Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry under high heat until tomatoes soften. Add in the water and bring to a boil. Mix well and cover the mixture. Lower down to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stirring every now and then to prevent any burning. Remove the lid and off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool, stirring constantly. Ladle the mixture into a blender and pulse under its lowest setting until the sauce turns smooth (about 2 mins). Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool before refrigerating it. Keeps well for a week to a week and a half.

Salsa Verde (green salsa)

Salsa Verde is usually a challenge to make at home as it is quite difficult to find tomatillos (the original fruit used for green salsa) and green tomatoes (the first choice subsitute) in Singapore. So we have devised a recipe that produces a salsa that matches the taste and texture of the original Salsa Verde.

Ingredients:
- 5 green bell peppers (capsicums), seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 big white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch parsley (about 50g), roughly chopped
- the insides of the 7 tomatoes used in Salsa Roja
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a non-stick, deep dish pan. Add onions and garlic to the pan and fry until onions turn soft. Add the peppers, parsley and tomato insides. Fry on high heat until peppers turn soft. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Mix well and cover the mixture. Lower down to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stirring every now and then to prevent any burning. Remove the lid and off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool, stirring constantly. Ladle the mixture into a blender and pulse under its lowest setting until the sauce turns smooth (about 2 mins). Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool before refrigerating it. Keeps well for a week to a week and a half.