El Patron: A revamped menu with greater Mediterranean diversity
Be it Greek salad, Italian Pasta, Spanish Pinchos or Turkish Kebab, El Patron’s new menu is meticulously curated and has something for gourmands to please their diversified palates
Over the years, the dining experience in Dhaka has changed significantly, to say the least. The fact that people still make time and embrace Dhaka's traffic to go to a fancy restaurant even though all the food can be ordered online is an indicator that the concept of fine dining is much more than just satisfying one's gluttony.
Opening its doors in 2018, Mediterranean cuisine-based restaurant El Patron has been one place that offers visitors a gastronomy experience that is above par; the credit goes to its dynamic menu and aesthetic interior. The restaurant is located in the capital's Banani.
Staying true to the core essence, the restaurant recently revamped its menu and enhanced its interior. The new menu, curated by Mohidul Islam, the general manager of the restaurant, welcomes a more diverse range of classic items from the Mediterranean belt. Be it Greek salad, Italian Pasta, Spanish Pinchos or Turkish Kebab, the menu is meticulously curated and has something for gourmands to please their diversified palates.
The savoury part of the new menu is divided into seven categories: Salad, Tapas and Pinchos, El Patron Signature Platter, Steaks, Tapas and Pinchos Party Platter, Pasta and Risotto, From the Ocean and finally Chicken, Lamb and Beef.
The Show Stopper, under the El Patron Signature Platter, is the attraction of the new menu. A dish that can be enjoyed by more than two persons, this comprises an assorted platter of grilled octopus, grilled shrimp skewers, sirloin steak, bone marrow, zucchini and grilled button mushrooms, served with house special rice and grilled vegetables.
Over the years, the restaurant has earned a sweet spot among the ex-pat community of the country. The manager says that almost 90% of their customers are foreigners.
"Our unique menu gives us a niche customer base. Besides, our ever-consistent food quality makes us stand out from other restaurants. Anyone who has good taste in food will reckon the aforementioned stance," Mohidul explained.
For Mohidul and his team, ensuring the quality of the menu is as serious as a religious task. Even if a simple ingredient like parsley is not present in the kitchen, they apologise to the customer and do not serve the associated dish. "Perfection is something we never compromise on," he reiterates.
Most of the raw ingredients that the restaurant uses are imported from different parts of the world. "We even import different salts [pink salt, rock salt, kosher salt, etc.] and the use of salt is very particular, depending on the recipes. The seafood items are imported from Thailand — salmon from Norway and octopus from Korea," he added.
The restaurant is planning to open its cloud kitchen soon, named "Gourmet Food Company", for takeaway service only.
The Business Standard team tried a couple of the items from their new menu.
Buttery surprise
Gambas al ajillo (pronounced GAHM-bahs ahl ah-HEE-yoh) is one of the most popular tapas in all of Spain. The dish is the Spanish take on garlic shrimp gravy, served with baguette slices.
Gambas al ajillo was a simple dish with not too many ingredients. Being true to the authentic recipe, the shrimp was cooked with lots of garlic, which overpowered the shrimp's taste. However, the fresh herbs brought a nice balance to it. The crispiness of the baguettes complemented the runny gravy really well.
However, I found the dish to be a little under-salted.
Price: Tk1,000
Rating: 7/10
Short stories
Served with toasted baguettes and braised short ribs, smokey pinchos happen to be the most loved pinchos appetiser from their menu and I could not veto that notion. In Spain, this dish is best served with alcoholic beverages.
The combination of bread and red meat has always allured me, be it a simple sandwich or even traditional roti with beef curry; this fancy dish was no exception. There were four pinchos served on a tray, decorated with cherry tomatoes and herbs.
The baguettes were fresh and crispy whereas the goodness of eight hours of slow cooking gave the ribs a rather tender and succulent feel to it. If you like your ribs smoky and sticky as I do, this dish will definitely tick all the boxes.
I would definitely order it again on my next visit.
Price: Tk850
Rating: 9/10
A saffron tale
My encounter with this particular item, a classic Italian dish, was not love-at-first-sight. Rather I fell for it with each bite. Cooked with saffron sauce, the ravioli turned into a yellow gravy and decoration-wise, it was not the most tempting item.
However, without judging the book by its cover, I took my first bite. Topped with baby tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese, the ravioli was perfectly cooked and melted in my mouth. The stuffed lobster chops were as fresh as they could be and the sauce, enriched in saffron and cream was an absolute delight. I enjoyed every bit of it.
Overall, this dish felt like a comfort food to me.
Price: Tk1,400
Rating: 9/10
Down memory lane
Growing up, Travel & Living (now TLC) was my favourite lifestyle channel and I remember the documentary episodes where women of the Mediterranean belt were shown cooking Moroccan boneless lamb tagine, an indigenous dish in a particular pot and serving it to their families.
Tasting this dish brought back childhood nostalgia and I am grateful to El Patron for that. I could not be any happier with the fact that they served the dish in an authentic tagine pot.
Served with couscous, this Moroccan delicacy is a kind of curry item that is slow-cooked with apricot (imported), carrot and a diverse range of herbs and spices.
The lamb was moist, soft and tenderised. The presence of apricot gave the dish a sweet and savoury taste. The couscous felt like the best gluten that compliments the lamb.
Price: Tk1,850
Rating: 9/10