Alfred Zhang

WITH a total 11 branches in London, Gaucho Restaurant enjoys the reputation of being one of the best steak houses in London, promising visitors the essence of Argentine life, including food, wine and culture.

Time Out London magazine named Gaucho the best steak restaurant of 2006, reaffirming its position on London’s competitive gastronomic stage.

A little more than half a month ago, Gaucho Restaurant opened its first China branch in Shenzhen at the Jiaxinmao Shopping Mall, near the new Sam’s Club in Futian District.

Located on the second floor, this Gaucho Restaurant covers 400 square meters in area and has a sleek and contemporary design. High-backed leather sofas, cowhide seats and chandeliers create a very cool ambience for fine dining. A well-stocked bar with a beautiful lounge near the entrance makes it a great place for drinking. As Judy Li, an executive of the branch, explained, the design is similar to the restaurants in London.

Before describing Gaucho’s food, let’s first take a bite into the origin of the word “gaucho.” It came into existence for the first time in Argentina 1790 to describe a very rough individual, with heavy manners, who would travel alone, sometimes with a woman, carrying only a knife to hunt.

The term in the beginning was very derogatory, but very slowly, the image began to change. As commercial ranches opened, needing managers to control cattle production, gauchos were in demand. Gradually the “gaucho” became a cultural icon of Argentina.

Jerome Lim, Gaucho China’s chief executive, is a discerning British-Chinese committed to maintaining the same standards as in the London restaurants.

“The concept is simple. We ensure Chinese guests to experience traditional steaks in a traditional way. Many locals, who are used to steaks prepared with tenderizers, don’t know how to distinguish good or bad of steaks. So, it’s also part of Gaucho’s mission to educate them about steaks and Western dining in general,” Lim said.

We got started with the calamari deep-fried served in warm ginger cilantro, chili, garlic and vinaigrette. This one was memorable; the texture of the calamari was soft, with a hint of garlic.

Main courses, such as the grilled Angus T-bone steak and the grilled sea bass marinated in herbs and garlic were good choices. The lobster bisque topped with truffle cognac cream was not creamy enough and a bit of a disappointment.

“We will soon have another foreign chef come on board. He had previously worked at Marriott Hotel in Guangzhou. He can speak some Chinese. This is very important, because communications between the chef and the Chinese staff will help ensure the consistency of our standard,” Lim said.

Add: 2/F, Jiaxinmao Shopping Mall, Nonglin Road, Futian District (高卓西餐厅，嘉信茂购物中心二楼)

Tel: 8280-7478