Steaking out El Gaucho restaurant

Pampas appeal: El GauchoArgentinean Steakhouse has a stylish interior with dark wood panelling and bare brick walls, adorned with black and white photos. — VNS Photos Hoang Ha Rare treat: The Argentinean style of adding a pinch of salt to the steak on the grill brings out the meat's flavour to the fullest.

Nguyen Sieu, a few metres from Hai Ba Trung Street, the crowded shopping street, is a quiet place where one expects a fine dining place to be located.

After passing through a glass door, my friend and I entered an impeccably decorated restaurant with dim lighting, brick walls, dark wood panels, black and white photos on the walls, and waiters in dark attire.

They seated us rapidly, lit a candle on our table, and brought chilled water along with the menu.

Since it was our first visit, we chose the recommended, typically Argentinean meal.

We first munched on the complimentary bread with garlic herbed butter and chimichurri, the popular Argentinean sauce served with meat.

The chimichurri has lightly pickled red and green bell peppers, coriander, lemon, parsley, onion, and garlic with olive oil and white vinegar.

This dense condiment is said to perfectly accentuate the taste of meat and spicy meals, but it was really great with chunks of crusty bread.

We started off the meal with the El Gaucho Sample Platter for two (VND390,000) – a good idea since it left space in our tummies for the steak.

The dish contained the home-made spicy sausage Salchicha, Argentinean spiced sausage Chorizo, and chicken/beef/mushroom Empanada, a traditional fried savoury pastry filled with mushroom, chicken, minced beef, and cheese. The dish was perfectly seasoned.

El Gaucho serves a range of cuts – filet steaks, rib eye, rib chops, veal chops – in four sizes from 250g to 1kg. But I opted for the smallest one and so did my friend, at my suggestion.

We got a 250g fillet steak-prime black angus and a 250g entrecote (rib eye) that were brought on a metal platter warmed by charcoal.

It was the perfect size for us, but anyone feeling hungry enough can order the mix grill for two (VND850,000) which comes with all three cuts of spring chicken, pork tenderloin, striploin, salchicha, and grilled vegetables.

Both were excellent, cooked rare as we like it.

The Argentine style of making steaks on the grill with a pinch of salt brought out the meat's flavour to the fullest.

The fillet melted on my tongue while the scent of the smoky grill lingered in each cut.

The meat is not tooexpensive: the rib eye costs VND350,000 and fillet, VND435,000.

There was a range of side dishes to go with the steak, we chose sauteed mushroom (VND55,000), cream spinach (VND65,000), and mashed potato (VND45,000). All were top class.

It was the most wonderful chocolate cake ever, warm and sweet; my friend raved over the apple and raisins wrapped in fillo pastry which was absolutely delicious.

After a mentally exhausting couple of weeks in class and at work, we were both craving a good sit-down meal. El Gaucho completely won us over. — VNS

Steaking out El Gaucho restaurant

Pampas appeal: El GauchoArgentinean Steakhouse has a stylish interior with dark wood panelling and bare brick walls, adorned with black and white photos. — VNS Photos Hoang Ha Rare treat: The Argentinean style of adding a pinch of salt to the steak on the grill brings out the meat's flavour to the fullest.

Nguyen Sieu, a few metres from Hai Ba Trung Street, the crowded shopping street, is a quiet place where one expects a fine dining place to be located.

After passing through a glass door, my friend and I entered an impeccably decorated restaurant with dim lighting, brick walls, dark wood panels, black and white photos on the walls, and waiters in dark attire.

They seated us rapidly, lit a candle on our table, and brought chilled water along with the menu.

Since it was our first visit, we chose the recommended, typically Argentinean meal.

We first munched on the complimentary bread with garlic herbed butter and chimichurri, the popular Argentinean sauce served with meat.

The chimichurri has lightly pickled red and green bell peppers, coriander, lemon, parsley, onion, and garlic with olive oil and white vinegar.

This dense condiment is said to perfectly accentuate the taste of meat and spicy meals, but it was really great with chunks of crusty bread.

We started off the meal with the El Gaucho Sample Platter for two (VND390,000) – a good idea since it left space in our tummies for the steak.

The dish contained the home-made spicy sausage Salchicha, Argentinean spiced sausage Chorizo, and chicken/beef/mushroom Empanada, a traditional fried savoury pastry filled with mushroom, chicken, minced beef, and cheese. The dish was perfectly seasoned.

El Gaucho serves a range of cuts – filet steaks, rib eye, rib chops, veal chops – in four sizes from 250g to 1kg. But I opted for the smallest one and so did my friend, at my suggestion.

We got a 250g fillet steak-prime black angus and a 250g entrecote (rib eye) that were brought on a metal platter warmed by charcoal.

It was the perfect size for us, but anyone feeling hungry enough can order the mix grill for two (VND850,000) which comes with all three cuts of spring chicken, pork tenderloin, striploin, salchicha, and grilled vegetables.

Both were excellent, cooked rare as we like it.

The Argentine style of making steaks on the grill with a pinch of salt brought out the meat's flavour to the fullest.

The fillet melted on my tongue while the scent of the smoky grill lingered in each cut.

The meat is not tooexpensive: the rib eye costs VND350,000 and fillet, VND435,000.

There was a range of side dishes to go with the steak, we chose sauteed mushroom (VND55,000), cream spinach (VND65,000), and mashed potato (VND45,000). All were top class.

It was the most wonderful chocolate cake ever, warm and sweet; my friend raved over the apple and raisins wrapped in fillo pastry which was absolutely delicious.

After a mentally exhausting couple of weeks in class and at work, we were both craving a good sit-down meal. El Gaucho completely won us over. — VNS