Northern Virginia’s hot summer weather calls for light, flavorful dishes. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar, Tysons Corner’s latest addition, answers that call.
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar opened its doors in Tysons Corner in May, making it the second location in the D.C. metropolitan area. Paladar Latin Kitchen offers dishes embodying the sweet and savory cuisine of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Paladar’s namesake is a Cuban term for “small,” “intimate” restaurants people run out of their homes. Paladar emulates this hospitable, friendly atmosphere from the moment a diner walks through the door until she leaves. The restaurant is decorated in rich jewel tones and decorative mirrors and accents, transporting diners to the warm climate of Latin America. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable about Paladar’s numerous food and drink offerings.
One thing Paladar is known for is its muddled mojitos made with fresh ingredients. My dining companions and I sampled the pomegranate ginger mojito, mango cilantro mojito, and traditional mojito. The mojitos were perfect for sipping along with our meals. The pomegranate ginger mojito is sweet, but not overly so, and the mango cilantro mojito is positively refreshing. If mojitos aren’t your style, Paladar’s rum bar boasts more than 50 types of rum.
Paladar’s made-to-order guacamole and house-made salsas set it apart from other local Latin restaurants. Diners can choose traditional or spicy guacamole, but adventurous diners can choose the chef’s inspiration, a special guacamole recipe which changes monthly. We sampled the chef’s inspiration, which had corn and sweet sauce that gave it a kick. The texture was perfect, and the flavors blended well. It was so good that one of my dining companions who is not typically a fan of guacamole enjoyed it. House-made salsas come in a variety of flavors. We sampled the Caribbean mango salsa, which was sweet and complimented our chips nicely. One thing to note: guacamole and salsa aren’t just served with your typical corn chips. Diners can also nosh on malanga, yucca, and plantain chips with their choice of dip.
Diners looking for seafood dishes will find plenty to choose from. Paladar offers fresh ceviche tossed with vegetables in citrus or tomato-based marinades. The blackened fish tacos, consisting of adobo-rubbed tilapia with pickled onion and pineapple slaw, cabbage, and cilantro adobo aioli, were fresh and savory with just a hint of heat. Paladar also offers sandwiches like its Chimichurri chicken sandwich, which consists of marinated grilled chicken topped with perfectly cooked thick cut bacon, Chihuahua cheese, and house-made chimichurri sauce with thin-cut adobo sesasoned fries. Of course, the menu would be incomplete without Latin comfort food like braised beef ropa vieja, coconut curry vegetables, and Brazil’s national dish: feijoada stew with pork and chorizo sausage. Treat yourself to dessert with some pineapple rum-soaked upside down cake, churros, or mango tres leches cake.
For those with special dietary needs, Paladar does offer plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you’re looking for something different this summer, Paladar Latin Kitchen is a fabulous addition to the Tysons Corner area.
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is located at 1934 Old Gallows Rd. in Vienna. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.paladarlatinkitchen.com or call (703) 854-1728.
