FOOD & DINING
Words by Luciana Cunha Franca Photography by Jessie Palanca
The QH team visited the Sheraton Doha’s premier Latin restaurant for a fiesta of culinary delights in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
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he Sheraton Doha is an impressive five-star hotel where luxury speaks in every single detail of its decoration. Among its treasures is the Latino Steak House, a Latin-American restaurant with the influence of Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinean, and Brazilian cuisine. We visited on a Monday night, and when the lift opened its doors we were greeted by a very polite staffer named Jelena who assisted us to our table. We were then approached by Said, the captainin-charge of the evening, who introduced me to Dejan, another member of their team. Both of them graciously answered our questions about the restaurant, its menu, and other interesting offerings.
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As we settled in, throbbing Latino music filled the air, expertly rendered by Adrianny Sardny and Anay Reve’s SouLife band from Cuba. Their rhythms were so infectious that it made us want to stand up and dance to the beat.
Latino Salad came next to our table. It’s a colorful pile of romaine lettuce, arugula, baby spinach, red onions marinated in beetroot juice, red and yellow tomatoes, and smoked red capsicum sauce. Absolutely divine!
A lovely aroma directed our attention to the starters which soon arrived at our table. The dishes were a combination of South and Central American food prepared by chef de cuisine Luciano Carobini from Argentina, who has been in charge of Latino Steakhouse since 2014.
The salad was followed by an explosion of crunch and creamy flavour delivered by the Guacamole Chips. For this dish, Chef Luciano deep-fries Mexican tortillas for the chips and pairs them with another Latino Steakhouse signature, the chef’s own version of guacamole. This savoury version of a classical recipe blends four or five ripe avocados, onion, tomato, a medium chili, and fresh lime juice, coriander, and ginger.
We started with a warm bread tray with a selection of house-blended butters to whet our appetites. I have to mention Latino’s signature butter which incorporates honey and Guajillo chili crust; in this simple accompaniment, we already feel the attention to detail. The first appetizer on our table was the Ceviche Mixto – seafood ceviche – which combines fresh prawns, octopus, scallops, hamour, and tuna with a marinade of lime and lemon juices, jalapeño chili, sea salt, and ginger.
The Empanadas are another must-try. They have three exclusive options available – Beef, made with Argentinean ground beef from Chef Luciano’s mother’s recipe; Chicken, with vegetables and humitas (corn cakes); and Sweet Corn with Gouda cheese. If you’ve visited Argentina before, you will know that these are the best and most authentic empanadas in Qatar. We enjoyed every single meltin-your-mouth bite.