Michael P.
Yelp
I had dinner at Paladar last weekend with some family, for the first time in a bit, and it was just as great as I remembered previously. I made a reservation for Saturday night earlier on that morning. Making the reservation was seamless - if you don't want to call, all you have to do is go to their website, click on the reservations section, and it brings you to Opentable.
When we arrived, we found out it was restaurant week in KOP, how fantastic! They offered a 3 course fixed dinner menu with several options, for $40. Our table had the octopus ceviche and the ropa vieja empanadas. The ceviche was paired with palm hearts, pickled red onions and jalapenos, lemon, served on top of 2 tostones, and the braised beef and cheese empanadas were served over a bed of citrus slaw. I highly recommend both of these dishes; kind of hoping they add it to the standard menu. There were four options of entrees, el Salvadorian jerk chicken, lomo saltado, rum-glazed cuban pork, and portabella mushroom grill. Our table had the rum-glazed cuban pork, which was served with black beans and coconut mango rice, topped with pico de gallo, and the lomo saltado - a beef tenderloin served with stir-fryed red peppers, onions, and potatoes. Not only are these dishes delicious, but also visually beautiful when they hit your table. The dessert for the fixed menu was a leche frita - fried milk, cinnamon sugar, topped with a peach compote - so sweet, so tasty. Cocktails are always fantastic here, my go-to is usually the jalapeno paloma, but don't be afraid to tell them to add a little extra spice/peppers if you're feeling spicy one night. There's usually a liter of tropical mango white sangria on the table as the first thing we order, never misses. If you're a big fan of rum, take a look at the rum flights and signature recommendations. If you don't see something listed on the rum menu, ask your server, there's a good chance they have it. I have friends who rave about the variety and quality of rum served here.
The service at Paladar is top notch. Our server last weekend was Emily, who was just as excited as we were to serve the restaurant week menu to our table, as we were to eat it. She was on top of her game and very helpful with recommendations, without ever being intrusive.
If you're in the KOP area and looking for a great dining experience, be sure to check out Paladar!