PAN: Restaurante El Trapiche
Have you tried a dish called 'old clothes'?
Established in 1983, Restaurante El Trapiche is well-known for celebrating the rich flavours of Panamanian cuisine, attracting both locals and tourists alike to its five branches across Panama City. My BFF and I visited the outlet at Albrook Mall, which is the second largest shopping mall in the American continent as of 2022.
Ropa Vieja PAB 7.95 (~S$10.70)
Taste: 8/10
A national dish of Cuba that's popular in Central America, ropa vieja (lit. old clothes) features shredded beef and vegetables resembling a pile of rags. Prepared with sofrito (Spanish base consisting of garlic, onion, peppers and tomatoes cooked in olive oil), the meat was tender and tasty. It was accompanied by salad, plantain and my choice of carbohydrate: fried cassava.
Arroz con Pollo PAB 6.50 (~S$8.75)
Taste: 6.5/10
I found the restaurant's take on a traditional Latin American dish of rice cooked with chicken to be decent. While the rice wasn't as fluffy as I'd love it to be, it was flavourful enough. Served alongside the rice were salad and plantain. While the dish wasn't too shabby, neither it was special enough to leave a lasting impression.
Queso Blanco con Marmelada PAB 5.95 (~S$8.00)
Taste: 8/10
We also sampled a humble slab of white cheese topped with fiery chili jam made of aji chombo, a very hot Panamanian chili pepper that scores above 150,000 Scoville heat units. The cheese had a pleasingly bouncy texture, nicely complemented by the sweet and not-extremely-spicy balance of the chili jam. It was served with cassava wedges that provided a nice textural contrast.
Empanada de Cheesecake de Fresa PAB 2.00 (~S$2.70)
Taste: 8/10
To conclude our dinner on a sweet note, we shared a big piece of strawberry cheesecake pastry dusted with castor sugar. Served warm, the treat was delightfully buttery and flaky, giving way to a cream cheese and strawberry filling upon a satisfying bite. Thankfully, the filling wasn't prohibitively sweet.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10
This particular outlet has received an average of 4.5* in Google Maps. Pika's advice: If you're interested, the restaurant sells their homemade sauces and pre-packed snacks that can either be enjoyed as is (e.g. pork rinds) or to be fried at home (e.g. empanadas).
Restaurante El Trapiche
Avenida Luis Alvarez E
Albrook Mall
Panama City
Panama
(Sun-Thu: 7.00am - 9.00pm;
Fri-Sat: 7.00am - 10.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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