SIDEBAR Summer 2017 - 28

MONTGOMERYBAR.ORG

Restaurant Review
PALADAR LATIN KITCHEN & RUM BAR
By Robert R. Watson, Jr., Esq.

I

'm sure you've heard that the long-awaited King of Prussia
Town Center is taking shape. The outdoor retail destination
has been years in the making, and currently includes as many
dining choices as retail shops. Bordered by the burgeoning Village
at Valley Forge residential complex, the sparkling new Town
Center restaurants and stores invite the young and old to an open
air shopping and dining experience.
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is situated along the Town
Center's Main Street, and is the latest offering from Paladar
Restaurant Group, with other locations in Ohio, Virginia and
Maryland. Having grabbed some quick
tacos during brunch a few weeks back
with our two boys, we wanted to return
sans-kids for dinner, and managed to
reserve a table on a recent weeknight.
Yes - reservations are required for
dinner every night of the week, so plan
in advance.
I don't usually plan to order a
particular alcoholic beverage too far in
advance of arrival, but ever since our
dinner date was set I looked forward to
Paladar's specialty Painkiller cocktail.
Certainly an appropriate choice at
a rum bar, it's served with 3 rums,
coconut milk and nutmeg - absolutely
delicious and bringing back great memories of a few evenings
(and afternoons) along Duval Street in Key West. My wife chose
the Jalapeño Paloma, with silver tequila, jalapeños, grapefruit and
simple syrup, which also was a big hit.
If you're eating at Paladar, you must start with chips and
guacamole. Savor the malanga root and plantain chips, but you'll
find a few traditional tortillas at the bottom of the basket. Craft
your own fresh-smashed guacamole from the bar - we added
queso fresco ($7.50).

28 SIDEBAR

We would usually consider chips and guac to be a sufficient
appetizer, but our arms were twisted to add a few starters. The
gazpacho was an obvious choice ($6), and proved fresh and tasty
complemented by red peppers, jicama and Cuban croutons.
The Paladar empanadas come with Portobello mushrooms or
slow-roasted chicken ($10). Paladar's appetizer, soup and salad
offerings are extensive, and range from jerk chicken skewers to
Chile-spiced cauliflower with lime crema, and from sockeye
salmon quinoa salad to spinach hearts of palm.
For my main course, I was drawn to select the rum-glazed
Cuban pork ($18) from the "Latin comfort food" section. The
shredded pork, which the menu suggested was locally-sourced,
was outstanding thanks to its standout sweet and smoky rum
glaze which yielded a memorably-caramelized main dish that
deserved its listing as a "crowd favorite." The
banana leaf-roasted cod cradled a curious
combination of shrimp, mild chorizo sausage,
potatoes and vegetable slaw ($21). We did feel
a bit rushed by the waitress, which was ironic
because my sides of mango rice and pico de
gallo, and the empanadas ordered earlier, were
served a little cool considering we were in the
midst of the dinner hours.
From our last trip for brunch with the kids,
we agreed the tacos alone were worth a return
visit. Served three per order, the choices include
Rio-style chicken, blackened wild corvina,
braised beef or duck, roasted pork al pastor or
grilled zucchini ($13.50-$16). I can also report
that for children, Paladar really does understand
when you ask for kids' tacos with "just meat and cheese." Grab
yourself an ice cold Pacifico on draft.
With little room for dessert, we split an order of churros,
with chocolate and marshmallow sauce ($8) that was an excellent
choice accompanied by two Cuban coffees ($4.50).
Paladar boasts a spacious bar with large windows opening
onto an outdoor patio that is inviting any time of day in good
weather. Its formal dining room absolutely requires advance
reservations. Definitely consider Saturday and Sunday brunch as
well, with a Latin-inspired menu served 10-3.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SIDEBAR Summer 2017
