The newly-opened Pampas Restaurant in Assila Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel, located on Prince Mohamed Bin Abdulaziz Street (formerly known as Tahlia Street) in Jeddah, offers food lovers an exciting new culinary experience with the spectacle of chefs grilling meat and seafood in the Argentinean style in the lively open kitchen. Guests can enjoy the flavors of Argentina in the distinctive restaurant space created by Olga Polizzi, Director of Design for Rocco Forte Hotels, and world renowned designer Martin Brudnizki. Dramatically different from the rest of the hotel, Pampas' design reflects the South American country, with an aged oak herringbone floor, oak wall paneling, a hammered brass bar front and embossed leather banquettes which have been beaten to resemble worn leather riding saddles. The Argentinean theme is further emphasized by a strikingly beautiful painting of a bull, specially selected from Assila Hotel's extensive art collection. In traditional Argentinean style, the large open kitchen allows guests to watch the bustling chefs preparing their chosen cuts of meat on the open grill. The menu for "La Parilla" includes the Pampas Mixed Grill, the Lamb & Goat Mixed Grill, and the Sea Food Mixed Platter, all combining a delicious range of the finest ingredients, cooked to perfection on the grill. Pampas offers a large range of Argentinean signature beef cuts and a superb seafood selection that includes whole Canadian lobster a la parrilla, king prawns, and grilled hammour and najil from the Red Sea. [caption id="attachment_112563" align="alignright" width="300"] Lamb rack [/caption] Other signature dishes on the Pampas menu include Argentinean Tapas such as chard fritters with aioli and tomato coulis, and delicious starters such as Patagonian octopus and Granny Smith sorbet and Argentinean king prawns with potatoes, aged cream and caviar. Argentinean Empanadas served with Llajua sauce and Patagonian seafood chowder with mussels and scallops are only some of the other highlights from the menu. For desert, a selection of Argentinean sweets including alfajores, panqueques, pasta frola, and churros con chocolate offer the tradition tastes of Argentinean cuisine. Drinks at Pampas include the Lychee Sangria made with red or white grape juice filled with pieces of fresh lychee fruit, apple and orange infused with a hint of grenadine syrup and topped with sparkling apple juice, amongst a range of others. In addition there is a wide range of mocktails, specially selected coffees, delicious iced teas, and Argentinean mate tea which originates from the north of the country. Chef de Cuisine of Pampas is Lucas Adrian Farias, an Argentinean national who began his career in Buenos Aires and has a degree in culinary arts from the Argentinean Culinary Institute. Celebrating the opening, he said "I am proud to bring the authentic taste of my home country to Assila Hotel and Jeddah. I look forward to welcoming guests to Pampas where they can enjoy a new fine dining experience and savor the very best of Argentinean cuisine." — SG
