Iberico meat star of revamped menu

The star of the Grilled Iberico Pork Chop is the sauce made from peas, carrots, wine and tomato that gives the dish a little more flavour.

MEAT, meat and more meat is what restaurant goers will find as they scan El Iberico’s menu.

For meat lovers who enjoy Iberico meat, this is good news indeed.

The restaurant at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, which opened its doors three months ago, has made the Spanish imported pork its primary focus.

After an encouraging start, the restaurant is introducing a new menu in October, incorporating more dishes with Iberico meat based on customers’ suggestions.

We started our Iberico experience with the Iberico Ham Salad.

Diners can choose from three types of salads to start their meal – (clockwise from left) the refreshing Iberico Ham Salad or the cold and hot platters.

The platter with Iberico ham, Brussels sprouts, orange segment, radicchio and orange dressing is good for two diners.

The hot platter was tempting with its serving of fried potatoes, spicy brava sauce, fried squid, Spanish meatballs, Gruyere cheese, chicken croquettes, fried button mushrooms, Brussels sprouts with Spanish pork belly and sauteed chicken with garlic.

Those who opt for the cold platter will enjoy Spanish olives, Manchego cheese, marinated capsicum and eggplant, serrano ham, tuna belly with peppers and aioli sauce, tomato bread with serrano ham, tomato and goat cheese and marinated octopus.

I personally preferred the hot platter but the fried squid batter could have done with a little less salt and pepper.

The Lentil Soup with Bacon with small cubed pieces of bacon added texture and flavour to the thick savoury soup.

The restaurant, which initially focused on Iberico ribs, decided to add more options to the menu as the months went by.

The tomato-based Iberico Ragu comes with tender Iberico pork cubes.

The ribs, however, are still prominently featured on the menu with three types – Perotic Original Ribs with Salt and Pepper, Iberico Beer and Honey Mustard Ribs and Iberico Paprika, all with roasted vegetables on the side.

My order of Iberico Beer and Honey Mustard Ribs with the meat falling off the bone, was well-marinated and tasty.

The paella is a must when at a Spanish restaurant and I tried the Paella Marinera which was rich with prawns, clams, mussels, squid, scallops, green peas and saffron.

I have tried paella in Spanish restaurants before but I especially liked this one as you could taste the seafood broth that added a depth of flavour to the rice.

For pasta, aglio olio is my preferred style when it comes to pasta and I enjoyed the version here as there was a generous amount of slices of Iberico bacon.

Another pasta option is the Iberico Ragu, a tomato-based pasta with tender Iberico pork.

Dranney of El Iberico has introduced dishes incorporating Iberico meat, from pasta and pizza to burgers and salads, as suggested by the restaurant’s customers.

Instead of lamb or chicken chop, go for the filling Grilled Iberico Pork Chop with potato chips, green peas, carrots, sweet and spicy sauce with peas, wine, carrots and tomato.

What you would definitely appreciate in this dish is the crispy potato chips.

Lately, Sarawakian chef Dranney Kenuin Omar has also introduced burgers and pizza Iberico options.

The Iberico Style Burger comes with thick Iberico pork patty, a thin slab of mozzarella, tomato salsa, the addictive potato chips and lettuce.

The El Iberico Pizza was my favourite of the two.

It was cheesy and super filling with appetising Iberico meat of different cuts, and a spicy sauce that made every bite enjoyable.

The pizza comes with capsicum, mozzarella, pizza sauce that had a tinge of spice, bacon, chorizo, Iberico pork loin and secreto.

EL IBERICO, Level 4, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel:[phone]) Business hours: 10am to midnight. Non-halal.

This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.