Some time ago I visited with a good Bangkok friend the El Gaucho Bangkok – the “branch” not far from the Grand Mercure ASOKE…right next to Terminal 21. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very inviting and authentic, you felt right at home and almost like in a Argentina steakhouse. The furnishings are very attractive and invite you to linger even beyond the good steak.
The service was professional and courteous from the welcome to the farewell. The staff were always very attentive, but by no means intrusive – and it was immediately obvious that the service staff were also real meat lovers. Of course, this makes the selection and advice on the “right slice of meat” even more enjoyable.
We started this evening with a very tasty carpaccio – but to be more precise with the warm bread, baked garlic, herb butter and a salsa that is always served in advance, which is unparalleled in freshness and taste. The carpaccio was – as it should be – quite simply arranged, the fine meat should be the focus here – it was well tempered and had an excellent taste of its own – a real treat right at the beginning.
We started each with a beer, on the one hand with a Japanese Asahi and on the other hand with a freshly tapped Heineken. Even if the Heineken from the bottle has a good reputation, the freshly tapped one has more than a nose length taste advantage.
In the main course, my company tryed a grilled vegetable skewer and a portion of lamb chops. The lamb was of the highest quality and grilled to the point – it had a lot of roasting aromas and was nevertheless juicy, a real pleasure.
After the consultation and presentation, I had decided for the EL Gaucho Ribeye on the bone (USDA Prime quality) with about one kilo weight and that evening I got one of the best steaks I was allowed to enjoy so far.
The Ribeye had exactly the ordered cooking degree, it was finely memorized, soft as butter, grilled sharply on the outside and had a uniquely round taste – a real dream – a big compliment to the “maestro de la barbacoa”!
In addition, I had truffled mashed potatoes, which tasted completely balanced and besides the fine truffle aroma had a great potato taste of its own – this “side dish” was a real highlight itself.
At the end we indulged in a beguiling Crema de Caramelo, a poem of a dessert and in this quality certainly hard to find. In addition, there were crêpes with caramel and vanilla ice cream – a really fitting combination.
Especially worth mentioning in the EL Gaucho is the in-house liqueur – a Belvedere Vodka with a pinch of Monin Caramel which – even if it is sweet – doesn’t cause any headaches the next day, even if it wasn’t just one… It is important that both the mixture and the glasses have to be ice-cooled – this is the only way to make the experience unique! As soon as the vodka “leaves” the tongue, a grandiose caramel aroma unfolds – very tasty and memorable!
The “Butcher Shop” on the lower floor of the EL Gaucho also offers the perfect opportunity to take proper steaks with you for the in-house barbecue – an excellent idea that would certainly also be appreciated in Germany.
As far as I know, an EL Gaucho in Germany, namely in Hamburg, has been opened in the meantime – I would be happy for the Hanseatic city. As I had already visited most of the steak houses there an EL Gaucho would be another highlight for that city. But as I said, I don’t know exactly – obviously my personal opening invitation didn’t reach me properly…
The El Gaucho in Bangkok was a stroke of luck all along – at first it seems high priced, it is – but for the quality & freshness of the products and the great service this is also justified.
A clear recommendation to visit this restaurant if you nearby – especially if you are a meat lover, but also if you are looking for a nice and innovative bar.
Addendum: In the meantime, there was also a steamed asparagus mix with freshly planed parmesan, i.e. both white and green asparagus, nicely crunchy and thus an excellent texture as a starter in the Bangkok EL Gaucho – you should definitely try it!
