Gaucho's
This place does steaks, and some things resembling steaks. They're still doing their "specials menu of expensive stuff with prices not shown." I'm recommended a steak, and the price turns out to be $59 - higher than almost everything on the menu. At least it's better than the $85 steak I unknowingly ate last time. :)
Traditional South American grilled skewers with quinoa, green olive tapenade, lemon and fresh herbs.
This menu item is surrounded by others containing chimichurri (which is infected with coriander), so I'm extra-vigilant. I do the "I'm allergic to coriander" trick again. :)
The meat has an almost doughy quality. It's very good meat, with a strong meaty flavour.
The quinoa is infused with olive flavour, and also a related and harmonious pickled cabbage flavour. This is a bit strong for the quinoa, but when the quinoa is added to the meat, it adds a real burst of flavour.
Flourless chocolate cake with pistachio praline double cream and espresso ice cream.
Torta de chocolate sounds like when they tie you down, and drip molten chocolate onto you. I'm not sure if that's a real torture or not. :]
This isn't a "cake". It's more like a giant block of rich, semi-solid chocolate. It has a very strong chocolate flavour, without tasting like cocoa.
The toffee granules on top add some texture contrast, but the white praline cream just isn't strong enough. It also doesn't add a texture, because it's only marginally more liquid than the torta itself.
The espresso ice cream, on the other hand, adds a strong but sweet coffee taste, and a different (cold) temperature.
Tonight's feed had what I'm most looking for in feed these days—strong flavours.