Toro’s dessert Churros
It’s a brave move for Dining Concepts to close their successful Prime Steakhouse in Elements Mall’s Civic Square and risk trying something else that could end up being be less successful. But the gamble seems less reckless now that Toro has actually opened.
It’s still a steakhouse. But with Mexican-American chef Richard Sandoval on board, the menu has taken on a decidedly Latin flavour. And Latin is quickly becoming the new global food trend.
“Absolutely. You’re seeing some of the top chefs from around the world saying that too. The next up and coming cuisine is Latin American cuisine,” Sandoval, who operates over 40 other restaurants across the world, concurs. “The great thing about it is there’s so much to work with. As a chef in Mexico, you have mole which is like curry. There are hundreds of different chillies either dried or fresh. I think you’re going to see a lot of it in the future.”
The restaurateur has infused plenty of traditional Mexican and pan-Latin flavours into his first Hong Kong venture. With offerings like Ceviches, Empanada, Carne Asada Tacos on the menu, along with Asian-inspired sushi-like items like the Volcano Roll (HK$128) and Angry Tuna Roll (HK$118) spiked with subtle hints of not so fiery chillies, there’s something for everyone. On the snack menu in the downstairs bar, there’s even a Peruvian inspired fried rice called Arroz Chifa (HK$128)
“Arroz just means rice but Chifa usually refers to any Chinese dish,” manager Rodrigo Poligritti explains. “The word Chifa is from the Chinese word ‘chow faan’ (fried rice).”
In lieu of the fried rice, we opted to try the intriguing Volcano Roll, which comprises a centre of spicy crab, with nori and sushi rice with a rocoto sauce and a thin slice of torched salmon. Not completely Latin nor Japanese, the place its flavours take to you is L.A.
A similar twist is the Hamachi Tiradito (HK$128). It’s basically raw slices of hamachi fish with some julienned Granny Smith apple, thin slivers of radish and a dab of Aguachile sauce in place of the traditional wasabi. It’s a cross between ceviche and sashimi, and it’s wonderful.
“I think people in Asia will appreciate it because (Latin cuisine) is a lot like Asian cuisine,” Sandoval adds. “To me, It’s very similar to Chinese and Thai. You have these bold flavours and very colourful food. I also love the sharing aspect. We’ve done that in Mexico for hundreds of years.”
For steaks, the choices range from a 32 ounce bone-in Rib-eye (HK$758), 24 ounce Pasture Fed T-Bone (HK$508) and 10 ounce Kobe Skirt “Churrasco” (HK$398), as well as a Maple Brined Pork Chop (HK$248) and New Zealand Baby Lamb Chops (Half HK$358/Full HK$668). The Latin quotient comes in the steak sauce options – chimichurri, BBQ salsa, horseradish cream, chipotle béarnaise and green peppercorn.
A word of advice, save room for Toro’s dessert Churros (HK$68). Often, they are served a long sugary donut sticks with a thick chocolate dipping. Here, they are short and stubby biscuits but they are the lightest, most airy version I’ve ever tried. And there’re three choices of dips – a sweet white cream, an almost coffee bitter chocolate and – my favourite – a fruity strawberry sauce. The churros are so good it’s loco!
FIND IT!
Toro
Shop R008, Civic Square
3/F, Elements Mall
1 Austin Road West
Kowloon
Tel. +852 2696 9608
