living
BANTANGA
THE EXPERIENCE
H
a “FOOD REVIEW” by Gilbert Landras
Executive Chef Rishi Singh helms
the kitchen for Batanga. A local favorite, Singh has taken his love of
cuisine to Houstonians for years. His
experience previously put together
flavors from Thailand, Korea, or Vietnam into a flatbread style. His direction recently has been a Tapas style
Latin mixed with familiar Houston
eats. Castillian Style Pork Ribs is easily a marquee item on the Batanga
Menu. Pimenton, a smoked chili
powder, rubbed with a combination
of sea salts and vinegar. This kicked
off my meal and I was thinking to
myself, “Could this really be an appetizer?” forgetting it was a tapas style
restaurant. Perhaps any or all could
be?
Other items, Grilled Avocado w/
Mexican Chorizo infused with dates
and mints. The sweet and spice balanced each other out quite nicely.
It was just the right size to add to
any other dish. A new item was the
Ropa Vieja Hash. Shredded meat,
onions and pepper into julienne
strips. Crush the garlic and sautéed
in hot oil with the onion all with a
little creole twist. You can taste the
braise. We ended the meal with a
Lobster Bisque infused w/ Mexican
Peppers with a Croissant Crouton.
It’s the south and of course bisque is
standard gulf coast fare. They takes it
up a notch. Chef Singh will continue
to roll out new items as they come.
Must try the Steelhead Salmon with
a Mango Chutney when it shows up
on the menu soon.
18 iF Magazine | August 2016