Mel has a bueno time in CAU

Having driven past the newly opened CAU in Wilmslow over a dozen times since it opened just a month ago, I finally caved in and booked a table.

I've enjoyed steaks at their more chic sister restaurant Gaucho, so was interested to see how this casual equivalent would fair. Where Gaucho focus on high quality in smart surroundings, CAU is more relaxed and has a comforting menu emphasising on sharing dishes, light snacks and moreish Argentinian classics.

The mood is more laid back too; an open kitchen of peaceful chefs, the staff trained to give you plenty of time to peruse the menus and a soundtrack of easy listening tunes.

The menu is full of eloquent descriptions and combined with Argentine cooking methods, sounds great. I think the reason why the waiter was in no rush was because you need time to make your decision what to have - you’ll want it all.

We started with classic Latin street food; Anticuchos Skewers. Common across the continent (particularly on the streets of Lima in Peru), we opted for the spicy king prawns option which is accompanied with a hot and smoky dip. Not too hot, but the chipotle is balanced well to harmonize with the sweet prawn. Yes it’s a pain to de-shell them and yes you’ll smell like Forrest Gump afterwards, but boy they were they good.

Another dish we fought over was the Glazed Pork Cheeks starter. This beautiful presented plate was wonderful. Sticky, tender meat which would melt if you stared at it long enough. Very well cooked and the sweet glaze stood up to the fiery mint dip; 10/10 dish.

Onto mains and we both went for steaks. I'm a big fan of the Rib Eye so found it an easy choice and my fellow diner tried the Tapa de Ciadril (Picanha) which is basically the top end of the rump/sirloin part of the cow...or CAU in this case. The rib eye had plenty of marbling and was cooked to perfection, possibly in an INKA oven (?) and came with beautiful triple cooked chips that were golden crisp and fluffy inside - like a Delia Smith roast potato. The chimichurri sauce with it was also very good and a staple Argentine accoutrement. There’s something quite sexy about the acidic, herby sauce which marries so well with a charcoaled steak. It’s like the meat version of the classic combo of sea bass and salsa verde; I loved it.

The Tapa de Ciadril was flash-fried and came in several slivers of steak falling apart and melting away - must have been cooked by the genius behind those pork cheeks. Served with a side order of a creamy purple slaw - I assume from the red cabbage, it was one of the nicest coleslaws I've had in a while.

For dessert we went for the Piña-Cau-Lada Pudding and the Chocolate Fondant. My grilled pineapple was served with a coconut sorbet and lime shavings although I couldn't pick up the rum caramel at all. Nice nevertheless, I love anything with these tropical flavours. The fondant was perfectly made with a fantastic vanilla ice cream. It spilled out like an M&S advert with a very rich gooey sauce inside. What a wonderful dessert.

I didn't order wine as I had meetings afterwards. I did however enjoy a nice homemade lemonade (although it came with a sprig of thyme!). It was almost creamy and the zest cut through the rich dishes we enjoyed. The wine list did look inviting though, and when I return (which I definitely will), I’d be inclined to try their Mont Rocher Carignan.

CAU is a great addition to Wilmslow's flourishing dining scene. With stand out dishes in a modern setting, there is no doubt that CAU is here to stay.

---

Posted: Wednesday 15th April 2015
ID: 5498 - 1310