Living in Paris in the 1970s and ’80s, mom and the family were busy running a restaurant nightly from Tuesdays to Sundays. On Mondays, we would treat ourselves to a nice dinner in other places.
If not in the fine dining Chez Lasserre or Trois et Demi next door to us, it could be in an Argentinean steak place near the Maubert-Mutualité station called El Palenque. It was our go-to place for simple yet delicious steaks.
My daughter Ali, who works for Rockwell Land, made her first sale recently and treated us to a special dinner. The restaurant of choice was La Cabrera at 6750 Ayala Avenue.
La Cabrera is an Argentinean steak place that has been around these past few years. I’ve eaten there once and recall that the grilled steaks were very good. I was doubly excited about the dinner with Ali because I heard La Cabrera has a new Argentinean chef, Agustin Figueroa.
Provoleta con Panceta
When I eat in a place where the menu is unfamiliar, I always ask what the specialties are.
La Cabrera’s popular appetizer is Provoleta con Panceta, grilled provolone cheese with bacon. It was creamy, gooey, hot, salty, new and different. Best taken with warm bread and butter.
Ali ordered pasta and Caesar salad. But I zeroed in on the grilled steaks— cuadril (rump steak) and rib eye. Both arrived on a wooden chopping board. They were perfectly grilled, medium rare.
I don’t know how steaks are grilled in Argentina, but at La Cabrera they’re amazing. The combination of the charcoal aroma, grilled meat and the beef flavor was just scrumptious.
We also ordered steak rice, which brought back memories of El Palenque in Paris, when life was simple and fun. The La Cabrera version was a well-made, straight-to-the-point steak. Masarap! I hummed in satisfaction.
Dessert was a platter of mixed Argentinean desserts: Panguegre, La Rogel, Chocotorta, Helado, Pavlova and Alfajores. Each one was worth every calorie.
I love how we are exposed to authentic and delicious foreign cuisine. A place like La Cabrera raises our standards in food appreciation.
It has just opened a branch at Edsa Shangri-La hotel. The old Paparazzi is now La Cabrera. Check it out!
La Cabrera, 6750 Ayala Ave. Makati; tel. 8338946, 0956-163 3205
Japan food tour with Sandy Daza: Hokkaido, April 7-12; and Fukuoka/Hiroshima/Osaka, May 26-31. E-mail
sandydaza@yahoo.ca