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| - Partial review:
Steve's food menu is equally lively and approachable, with an emphasis on sharable plates for the table. There were five different ceviches to choose from, a section for street food inspired tapas-type dishes, larger share-worthy platters and a few classic desserts. While the appetizers (called "Stuff" on the menu) stuck fairly closely to the Latin theme, I noticed a little bit of fusion going on with the mains (referred to as "More") where Italian, Asian and American influences seemed to sneak their way in. While we would have loved to had tried the famed Adobe Pork, we didn't come equipped with a party of 8, nor did we give the required 48 hour notice, so decided on a nice little spread of:
Chips & Guac- Plantain, Yucca, Taro, Potato Chips with Guacamole ($8)
Simple but very good. Each of the root vegetable chips had their own unique flavour, but all retained a super crispy texture and were evenly salted for an addictive-cant-stop-myself effect. I also really liked the guacamole, which had a nice creamy texture and well seasoned. Kind of a small portion for the price, but a tasty starter to share regardless.
Croquetas- Rice, Chicken, Peppers, Saffron Stuffed Croquetas served with Chipotle Aioli ($6)
These were much like a Latin take on arancini served with aioli instead of tomato sauce. Admittedly, I couldn't really detect much of the promised chicken myself, but I don't think I really missed it. Now, had the menu promised juicy pulled pork or some spicy chorizo or maybe a little braised beef in there, then yes, I would have been upset. Protein aside, I liked how crispy they were on the outside, but found them a little dense and dry within. But thankfully with enough of the spicy creamy aioli (which was wickedly addictive by-the-way), it was still a tasty bite.
Fried Empanadas- Cornmeal Crust, stuffed with Pork, Potato, L5S with Aji Sauce ($9)
While unlike most empanadas I've had elsewhere (where sometimes the dough is too dense and thick), I really liked the light mildly sweet light cornmeal crust of these. My only quibble was that the filling may have been a touch underseasoned. Having said that, like the croquetas, the spicy hot pepper dip swooped in to save the day, and definitely added that hit of flavour I was looking for.
Pastel- Cream Cheese & Guava Paste stuffed in a Fried Wonton ($6)
Unusual, but surprisingly addictive, these little bites provided the ultimate sweet and savoury sensation. The wonton was light and very crispy, seasoned generously with coarse salt, and when you bit in you got the tangy bite of the cream cheese, sweetened by the fruity paste. If I were walking around and saw these sold on the streets, I would get a few bags and call it lunch (or breakfast or dinner or dessert).
Chuzos al Plancha- Beef Skewers with Chimichurri and Arepas ($7 x 2)
While I found the beef flavourful on its own, albeit a touch tough, I really liked the lively and fresh addition of the chimichurri. I also loved the texture of the pillowy arepa, but I found it could have used a little salt or spice. No biggie. A quick little rub-a-dub-dub in the chimichurri and voila, once again, I was good to go.
Atun Japones- Ahi Tuna, Watermelon, Radish, Ponzu, Pickled Ginger and Pear ($17)
I really enjoyed this unique take on ceviche because it had a lot of big bold flavours that didn't rely so heavily on onions (which I don't always like). The watermelon and pear were sweet and refreshing, while the ginger was tangy and aromatic. I also liked the little bit of pungent radish in there to balance out the fruit flavours and keep the dish in the realm of savoury. Maybe a little pricy for the size, but if I were feeling like a big spender, I would actually like to return sometime to try more of the ceviches.
Giggy's Trout- Togarashi, Quinoa, Yuzu, Mango, Avocado & Fried Shallots ($17)
The trout was seasoned beautifully and cooked to yield a perfectly crispy skin, but I found the sweet, tart flavour of the yuzu and mango in the quinoa a little overwhelming. I also found it made the grain a little too wet on the plate. Having said that, fried shallots? Yum! I am going to start putting salty crispy slightly sweet shallots on everything I eat. Starting... NOW!
Pupusa- Cornflour Pupusa stuffed with Gruyere & Mushrooms topped with Cabbage Slaw and Sundried Tomato Sauce ($13)
The pupusa itself had a nice flavour and I liked digging in to reveal the stringy salty cheese and savoury mushrooms, but the sundried tomato sauce just kind of threw me off. I think using sundried tomatoes (that's had its sugars concentrated) made the sauce little too sweet for the already somewhat sweet corn-meal based pupusa. I think all the dish needed was more heat and a creamy element to balance it out- maybe that chipotle aioli we dried with the croquetas would have.....
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