Friday, January 13, 2017

Malbec Argentinean Cuisine - Santa Monica, CA


Fatty was invited to Malbec to try some delicious Argentinean food. I have been to Malbec in Pasadena with slave girl before and enjoyed the service and the steak. This is a truly no brainier for me to go back and refresh my taste bud on some authentic cuisine.





One of the Malbec owners, Javier

According to the restaurant, "Malbec, named after the signature grape of Argentina’s most popular wine, isn’t just about authentic Argentine cuisine. The owners also want to stay on the cutting edge of Argentine cuisine, offering traditional dishes, while also fusing the various cultures of Argentina to create new ones. In fact, they often travel back to their native Argentina to keep an eye on what restaurants are doing there, to ensure they’re always delivering the latest in authentic Argentine cuisine here. They also guarantee you’re always getting the utmost quality in meats, as Argentina prides itself on excellent meat. The meat at Malbec is no exception. The owners carefully select their meats, making sure to only use free-range meat, and they cook it on a wood-fire grill to give you the ultimate Argentine experience. They also put great care into selecting the other ingredients for their dishes, and make sure there is something for everyone on their menu."

Bar

They have a warehouse at Eagle Rock called Malbec Market, but due to popular demand, that location is going to be changed to a full scale restaurant soon.


We started the night with Argentinean wine tasting. There were 1 white and 3 reds. My personal favorite was Humberto Canale, Gran Reserva Malbec 2013. It was smooth and very easy to go down with the food served. Matter of fact, the chef paired the food based on the wines of the night.

Middle one was the favorite



On the food menu, we had cebiche clasico, camarones a Provenzal, Camembert & Prosciutto & Pears, Empanaditas de Cordero, Albondigas Estofadas, and Churrasco con Chimichurri. I know, I wasn't sure what I was reading either. Let me explain.


Cebiche clasico was yellowtail cevichi on yucca chip. The flavor was bold compared to the Mexican ceviche. The yucca chip was light and it made a perfect bite when the two combined together.


Camarones a Provenzal was grilled shrimp. I wasn't 100% sure about the seasoning used but it was grilled to perfection with good flavor.



Camembert & Prosciutto & Pears, combine the soft creamy milk cheese, ham, and sweet pears into one bite on a toasted baguette. It was instant heaven.


Empanaditas de Cordero was lamb empanada. The lamb was a little bland for me, but the dough was baked well.



Albondigas Estofadas was meatball with tomato stew. Meatball was soft and juicy. Topped with tomato sauce and no Italian meatball could come close to it.


Churrasco con Chimichurri was grilled skirt steak. Sadly, I didn't get to try this one because I got pulled aside and tasting their regular menu items.


I had the ceviche sampler, sorrentinos, grilled vegetables, New York steak, hanger steak, and beef, chicken, spinach empanadas. All the dishes were proud Argentinean dishes and very delicious.All the steak were made to medium rare by default. It totally brought back memories when I went to Malbec for the first time with all the woos and ahhhhs.

Trio de cebiches

Sorrentinos

Grilled vegetables

New York steak

Medium rare New York steak

Hanger steak

Beef, chicken, and spinach cheese empanadas

A lot of the food we had was not on the regular menu and I hope they will put them on their regular menu as the Eagle Rock location operates. If you haven't been to Malbec yet, you should, it's that good.

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