Monday, March 5, 2012

Review : Chimmichurri Bar and Grill - CLOSED

23 Ward Avenue
Darlinghurst


9331 1992
eat@chimmichurri.com.au


Dinner: Mon - Sun 6pm - Late
Lunch: Fri - Sun 12 - 2.30pm




After our very sugar laden lunch of the previous day, we have a real craving for meat…..and lots of it.
Having recently spied the menu at Chimmichurri Bar and Grill, we know it will more than fit the bill.


With the rain recently departed, we hop in the car and make our way to the Cross.
Unusually, we have no trouble finding a parking spot & make our way to Chimmichurri, which sits proudly at the ground level of Engelen Moore’s award winning building, Altair.



The restaurant is large with ample seating. The décor captures the ‘South American' vibe perfectly; with lots of timber & wrought iron, it is classic with modern touches.
The restaurant is headed by Jose Santos, former head chef at Wildfire.



We settle into our seats & begin by ordering a Quilmes lager each. This light, refreshing beer from Argentina goes down a treat.


We start things off with the Empanadas de Mama; available in three varieties: mozzarella & spinach, chicken & mozzarella and savoury smoked meats. You can choose to order 6 or 12, we decide on 1/2 a dozen of the spinach & mozzarella. They are divine. The pastry is very crispy, light & airy, not oily at all - with just the right amount of filling. They are so incredibly moreish. Yep, you guessed it, we should have ordered a dozen.



For her main Buggles goes with Chop 500; that's 500g of juicy angus grass fed bone-in rib-eye, served along with caramelised whole onion & a whole fried smashed potato. At $36 this steak is an absolute bargain.
It is huge, it is juicy, it is charred grilled and delicious. The whole fried smashed potato is indeed fried to golden perfection, utterly crispy on the outside & very fluffy within. The caramelised onion is also a very worthy addition. The side of Chacabuco (creamy tarragon) sauce is very similar to a bearnaise, but perhaps lighter & not as rich; it is very, very good.


My Assado of 6 hour traditional, succulent bbq beef ribs is also very good.
Served in two cubed portions the meat is rich & tender.
The fat is perfectly rendered and doesn't dominate the dish - there is just the right amount. 




Oddly, at $34 the Assado is served without sides; so after ordering a fried smashed potato ($7) and some corn topped with manchego ($3.50), it becomes a slightly more expensive affair. Still it is a wonderful dish and I enjoy every mouthful.

Needless to say, after this feast we are completely stuffed, a dessert each is out of the question.


To finish off we decide to share the Ricotta Dumplings. They arrive is a paper bag; hot, steamy & covered in sugar and cinnamon. We are told by a member of staff that the dumplings are best eaten dipped in our coffees - and he is right, they are superb!

Chimmichurri is a meat lovers paradise, with a vast menu that makes choosing what to order a near impossibility. 

Along with the Assado, Steaks & Churrasco -  there are burgers (including the BURGER 750 a triple decker burger, packed with three 250 gram patties of beef!), ribs Americana, chicken, seafood, salads; the list is almost endless.
It is great to note, that even with all this choice the quality & flavour of the food does not suffer, everything we tried was spectacular.

The staff are all very friendly & knowledgeable, which always make a meal that much more enjoyable.

We certainly look forward to bringing our family to share the Chimmichurri experience.

Squeak
Chimmichurri Bar & Grill on Urbanspoon
 










1 comment:

Jasmin said...

The Asado looks spectacular. I absolutely love chimmichurri, as far as condiments go it's high on my list. This place is definitely going on my must visit list.

That, and I've wondered what happened at wildfire, why the quality had gone so dramatically down hill when it had previously been so wonderful. Now I know.