Dining at Escobar
At Escobar in Amsterdam’s De Pijp, you can enjoy South American and Spanish classics such as ceviche, tacos and patatas bravas. With or without a cocktail.
Is he a criminal? A shady drug lord? Both, actually, but he’s also the name of a restaurant in De Pijp in Amsterdam. Despite its somewhat questionable name, it’s a great place to spend time. Whether you’re in the mood for a cocktail and a few small bites or looking for a table overflowing with dishes to share: Escobar is the place to be.
Colourful and laid-back
Escobar has been open for a while, but that doesn’t stop us from carrying out some further investigation. Upon arrival, we’re given a warm welcome with bubbles. The interior is colourful, the atmosphere laid-back, and you immediately feel at ease here – something that isn’t always the case at conceptual establishments of this calibre. Before long, the host comes over to ask whether he may make some suggestions. The gentleman is well prepared, so we leave it all in his hands.
Butter-tender pork
We start with a sea bream ceviche, high in citrus thanks to the lime juice and kumquat. The ceviche is well prepared, but in our view the tiger’s milk could use a bit more kick. The chilli is just a little too mild to compete with the acidity and salt. Then the pork tacos arrive and, wow, they’re good. Starting with the base: they aren’t made with roasted tortillas, but with deep-fried wonton wrappers. Fine by us, because that makes them extra crispy – a bit like papadum or a Dutch kletskop biscuit. The stewed pork is butter-tender and the pickled onions deliciously sour. These go down far too easily; it’s a shame there are only two.
“Anyone who knows how to prepare a potato well has half the world in their hands”
Escobar’s potatoes
Then come the patatas bravas. Anyone who knows how to prepare a potato well has half the world in their hands. Entirely in keeping with the Medellín cartel, because Escobar’s potatoes are fantastic. They must use the same technique as Rijsel: the potatoes are perfectly cooked and super crispy on the outside. The aioli, spicy salsa and smoked paprika on top mean the dish is empty in no time.
The chicken disappoints
A disappointment is the chicken piri piri, whose preparation leaves something to be desired. To create ultimate juiciness, the chicken has been brined and should then have been grilled on the BBQ. We have our doubts about the latter. The chicken skin is extremely soggy and has a gelatinous texture. Not nice. A shame, too, because the flavour is not the problem. The whole point of serving chicken skin is precisely that your tender meat has an ultimately crispy exterior. A missed opportunity – perhaps they should switch to dry brining?
Creamy and aromatic
We finish with an olive oil parfait with basil tuilles, strawberries, tomatoes and pistachios. A fine dessert, but that olive oil parfait is so creamy and aromatic that we don’t really want any other flavours alongside it. Well, except for those pistachios. We wonder whether they’ve been coated in white chocolate and, if not, we think that would be a good idea. This parfait is simple and so delicious; it doesn’t need any frills at all. An extra plus: the chef comes to our table to explain how we can make the parfait ourselves at home. As a result, we head home more than satisfied.
