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FOOD
By: Sarah Barrie
rought to you by internationally acclaimed Chef and restaurateur, Richard Sandoval, Toro Toro joins Sandoval’s very popular DC restaurants such as El Centro D.F., Masa 14, and Zengo. Located just steps away from McPherson Square at 1300 I (Eye) Street in NW DC, Toro Toro’s delicious dishes consist of both hot and cold plates, savory steaks, and smaller plates to share, all inspired by a unique fusion of South and Central American ingredients. As I entered Toro Toro’s exquisite foyer, the decor immediately transported me to an elegant Latin American steak house. I thought of Argentina’s gauchos when I saw the waiters walking around with huge portions of asado and plump chorizo on skewers. Looking over the menu the lomo saltado empanadas and pisco sour immediately took my thoughts away from Argentina and towards Peru. You may think you have Toro Toro figured out, but it finds a way to keep surprising and impressing you. As I sat down for dinner with Kesta editor, Rosario García, we had no idea what was in store for us. Rosario started off with the Passion Fruit Pisco Sour, while I sipped on a refreshing Naranja Fizz, made with finlandia tangerine, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, and blood orange
soda. The Naranja Fizz was deliciously sweet, cool, and flavorful. To accompany our cocktails, we sampled the Causa Toro Toro, a potato sushi cake, garnished with tuna tartare, rocoto, aioli, avocado, and sesame seeds all on top of creamy purple potato. I could not get enough of these bite size pieces of heaven. They were the perfect combination of flavors and deliciousness. I’ve never tried anything quite like the Causa Toro Toro, and I must say it was truly a culinary masterpiece. We also nibbled on the Lomo Saltado Empanadas and were once again pleasantly surprised. I’m a huge fan of lomo saltado as well as empanadas so the idea of combining the two is genius. Fresh, juicy beef tenderloin, oyster sauce, tomato, onion, and guacamole, all inside a stuffed crispy pastry shell left my taste buds doing the tango! Also from the Hot Shared Plates menu, we tried the Cachapas which are duck carnitas with corn pancakes and Oaxaca cheese tomato jam. A popular choice among diners, the succulent duck confetti was cooked in a flavorful sauce, and sitting upon a thin corn pancake that had a spicy kick to it. The combination of textures and flavors was perfect.
For my entree I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, a decision I definitely would not regret. The first thing I noticed was the size of the sea sass, it was huge! The presentation was also quite impressive, topped with shrimp, scallops, calamari, fresh onion, caucau sauce and mint leaves, I was in heaven with the first bite. It comes as no surprise that the Chilean Sea Bass is considered one of Toro Toro’s specialty dishes, with its melt in your mouth texture, it is sure to leave you dreaming about it for days. From the Churrasco and Grill menu, Rosario opted for the Ribye, another customer favorite. The 14oz USDA Prime Ribeye impressed us both with its freshness and flavor. I also found this Ribeye to be comparable to some of the best steak houses in Argentina, a country known for having some of the best steak in the world. Our plates resembled an artist’s palette rather than something to be devoured.
Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly eat any more, dessert arrived. Desiring a lighter option, we chose the Coconut Flan Espuma. Made with tangerine granite, tamarind gelée, candied pistachios, orange dust, and garnished with long crisp cookies, the flan was tart, light, and airy. While we worked on the flan, we were told about another dessert, La Bomba. Ideal for two, La Bomba is a heavenly combination of dulce de leche, strawberry ice cream, cream cheese mousse, chocolate cookie crumbs, mixed berries passion fruit sorbet, and vanilla bean cream anglaise, all encased in a chocolate shell that is dropped on your table (over a plastic tablecloth) exploding into sinful goodness. I kicked myself for not saving room to try it, but it definitely warrants a return trip. Toro Toro is one of DC’s must try restaurants. For more information visit them online at http://www.richardsandoval. com/torotorodc/ or by phone at 202.682.9500. █