Pax Americana

Pax Americana

american restaurant

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Pax America finally opened its doors and obviously, we were there to give you all the details. Pax Americana is certainly part of our HotCoco selections! 

This lovely place had been packed on its first week, and even though we had a reservation for dinner, we had to wait 45 min to be seated because our table was not ready. However, we really enjoyed the standing wait (there were not even available chairs at the bar section and it is not that big). The bar offers a decent selection of drinks and wines. 

In general the place has a really nice vibe, dim light and simple decoration which makes you feel at home. Some people may find this place a bit loud, however some others actually enjoy the life this may bring to a restaurant. The plates are designed to share, so do not feel guilty about ordering several from the menu. The service was not exceptional due to the number of tables our waiter was serving, however, every time he approached the table he was really nice and professional. At the end of the dinner, he gave us as courtesy of the Restaurant  Sanguinaccio Fritters Dessert what some of us though it was the best taste of the night.

We totally recommend you to try this new restaurant and do not forget to ask about a secret menu Pax Americana offers, or the new items which are not part of the regular menu. They are even thinking on asking for a secret password in order to be able to access the secret menu, how cool is that?!

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Service:  4/5

Ambience:  4.5/5

Beef Tartare

pickles, horseradish, chervil, cultured cream, tonnato sauce, mesquite corn sourdough

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This meat dish made from finely chopped raw beef was impressive. It is served with a delicious crispy bread from Common Bond. We all enjoyed the combination of the beef tartare's flavors, and what we liked the most was that we could easily enjoyed the raw beef itself instead of the sauce. 

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Dish:  5/5

Pork Belly

fermented brussels, grilled japanese eggplant, pecan romesco sauce

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This dish is about quality not quantity. Do not expect a big plate; the portion is very small. The pork belly was outstanding, flavoursome and beautiful soft flesh. It was our favorite entree at Pax Americana. Actually, we wanted to re-order it, but we preferred to order other entrees to try them out. 

The pork belly is a must at this restaurant.

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Dish: 5/5

Lamb Shoulder

confit leeks, carrot citrus puree, radish, vadouvan sabayon

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Lamb and smoke? Yes, please. If you enjoy the smoky taste on a piece of meat, you have to order the lamb shoulder at Pax Americana. The meat was so tender that it easily pulled apart. With each bite, we could taste the smokiness from the oak wood which magnified the flavor of the final product. 

However, the smokiness on this dish is pretty accented that if you are not use to this taste, you will probably not enjoy it the first time.

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Dish:  4/5

Gulf MKT Fish

oyster and chanterelle mushrooms, fennel, gnocchi alla romana

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After having a great aftertaste from the last dishes, we were expecting something similar from this seafood option. Usually, you never go wrong with gnocchi, but there is always a first time. This dish was our least favorite of the night. The fish came out a little be cold, and the gnocchi were not tasteful at all. The spicy touch of this dish did not go well with the gnocchi. On our next visit to Pax Americana, we will probably try the huge gulf shrimp, instead of the gnocchi.

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Dish:  1.3/5