Hey Mr. DJ: What better way to celebrate the weekend than with a sumptuous boozy brunch? We recently started our Saturday Night Fever early with the new Electro Brunch at Gaucho. Set smack dab in the heart of Central at the gates of LKF, Gaucho combines two indulgences, prime Argentine beef and luscious libations, into one formidable equation. Our meal commenced with freshly baked chipas, an addictively chewy cheese bread that resembles mochi spiked with Parmesan, and cool glasses of Bloody Mary and Carino, a delicious blend of strawberry and passionfruit. After embarrassingly devouring two plates of chipas, we had to control ourselves in order to leave room for the rest of the extensive menu.
The first sampler platter came adorned with three types of fruits de mer: tuna tiraditos, salmon ceviche, and shrimp chicharron. Out of the three, the clean, light yet slightly spicy tuna was our favourite, followed by the juicy sweet prawns. The salmon ceviche, when paired with creamy avocado, was a tad overwhelmingly rich.
The hot sampler with sweet caramelized baby back ribs, plump chorizos and moreish empanadas were equally enticing. The skin of the chorizo was perfectly grilled and crispy, while the empanadas were filled with beef and potatoes infused with plenty of aromatic spices.
It’s easy to get carried away with this all-you-can-eat sampler menu.
Beefy good times: It wouldn’t be an Argentine feast without beef, so of course, the brunch menu comes with 300 grams of prime steak in three cuts. The tira de ancho, a spiral cut ribeye, came topped with pungent chimichurri, while the bife de cuadril rump cut made for a satisfying chew with plenty of robust flavours. Our favourite, however, was the bife de lomo fillet, which was incredibly tender with a beautifully grilled savoury crust. The carnivore’s feast comes accompanied with unlimited cheesy baked corn kernels, a refreshing tomato salad, and addictive fries.
By this time, we were getting the meat sweats, and rearranging all that food in our stomachs like a complex Tetris game in order to accommodate dessert. The dessert platter was a trio of chocolate tart, salted dulce de leche hazelnut cheesecake, and banana coconut mess. The deceptively named chocolate “tart” was more like rich ganache, and came luxuriously paired with candied citrus. Our favourite though, was the banana coconut mess, with its intoxicating blend of tropical flavours that was surprising light when compared with the other two decadent options.
A great deal of food: The Electro Brunch runs every Saturday, with three generous menu options. The Asado ($400) comes with soft drinks and mocktails, while the Signature ($550) comes with wines, beer, cocktails and spirits. But if you’re at a boozy brunch, then you might as well go big or go home, and the Virtuoso ($600) with wine, beer, cocktails, spirits and free-flow Veuve Clicquot will definitely get you there. All menu options come with unlimited sampler and dessert platters, making this brunch deal one of the best in town.
Gaucho, 5/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, 2386 8090
