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.

Restaurant Review: Casa Latina

Where: 42 Waterloo Street
Cuisine: Mexican
Website: http://www.casalatina.com.sg/
Rating For The Meal: 7.5/10

Here it is, our first restaurant review. Many people, expats and locals alike have told us about a snug and authentic Mexican restaurant at Waterloo Street. Since this blog is now dedicated to latin american cuisine, we decided to check this place out. We arrived at a quaint colonial style bungalow which has been transformed into a restaurant on the first floor. We chose the outdoor dining area which looked like what used to be a courtyard and settled down quickly for a meal.

We started off with 2 frozen margharitas. Strawberry and peach. They were refreshing although not frozen enough. What made it special was the fact that it was neither too sweet nor fruity and had a good kick of tequila. However, we felt that a bit more fruitiness would be better.

We then shared 2 starters. A plate of tamales, half which was stuffed with shredded pork and half with chillies and cheese. And a special dish called Casa Latina Melted Cheese which was a sizzling stone pot of soft white cheese and salsa verde topped with chopped herbs. Eaten with flour tortillas, they tasted great. A little on the salty side but it was a good mix and delightfully chewy. The flour tortillas were so tasty that they can be eaten plain. It tasted a little like naan but compressed into the same texture as chappati. The tamales tasted alright. Nothing special about them. They were kind of dry too.

Main course was Mexican-style Milanese with guacamole. A breadcrumbed and deep fried flattened beef steak served with chunky guacamole, a small and insignificant side salad of shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes, as well as thick cut soft fries tossed with fried onions and fresh herbs. It was an extremely fresh take but nothing amazing in terms of taste. The milanese paired well with the guacamole. And the fries tasted great on its own. Pretty much standard. We tried to innovate the dish a little by cutting the steak into bite sized portions, piling each of them with guacamole and adding a squeeze of lime juice. It tasted amazing then, so much so that we had to order another bowl of guacamole. Which was a whooping $6. The other main course was a recommendation. Pork Carnitas with corn tortillas, salsa fresca and another sauce which was either salsa ranchera or salsa negra. The salsa fresca was not crisp and quite sour. The other salsa was biting hot and a little bitter. The carnitas were dry and not exactly tasty and the corn tortillas smelled like feet. However, they tasted amazing when mixed together and rolled up like a popiah. The tortilla was a bit small for proper rolling though, so we had to roll it burrito-style instead.

The dessert seemed to be the highlight for the night. Tres Leches Cake which is a special cake found in many latin american countries. It is called Three Milk Cake in English as the cake usually comprises of 3 types of milk. Fresh, condensed and evaporated. The version at Casa Latina was a buttery cake made from cornmeal flour and soaked in all 3 types of milk. It was a generous square of cake oozing with cold milk and topped with sweet cream and thinly sliced strawberries. The cream tasted rich but it came from a canister. Although we did not ask, we suspect that it was from the French brand 'President'.

In conclusion, our view for the night is that Casa Latina has a great menu range (it is available in their website) with an amazing selection. A lot of time and effort was used to piece together their menu items. They also have good service and a decent ambience. However, their food quality was only so-so. Nothing special or particular in terms of taste. The entire meal with GST included was about $145 for 3 people. From our point of view, that was quite a reasonable pricing. Considering the fact that we also had 2 alcoholic drinks.