Pampano~Muy Bueno!

What better excuse to try out The Pearl's Mexican restaurant, Pampano, than a birthday celebration. The fact that the birthday girl, Kayla, couldn't join in didn't deter us from honoring her monumental entry into our world twenty three years ago. So, it was off to The Pearl for the next best thing to Tex-Mex, real Mexican food. Pampano's, Chef Fabian, is an absolute jewel that made our visit welcoming and personal. In our pre-order chat with him, we confessed that we were die hard Texans with a hankering for Tex-Mex and the "lamb enchiladas" on the menu were a far cry from what we were accustomed. With a snap of the chef's fingers, it was move over lamb, enter chicken. Simply that easy. I adore customer service. We started our meal off with guacamole freshly prepared at our table. Kristi and I opted for appetizers as our meal, shrimp empanadas and beef filet tacos. Kristi really enjoyed her enchiladas while I preferred the soft corn tacos. Tasting David's custom chicken enchiladas transcended me back to Texas momentarily, which was the goal at hand. We topped off our meal with chocolate flan and tres leches desserts. Not the correct names, but you'll be able to figure it out. Both were delicious, but we all leaned towards the tres leches as our favorite. Bottom line: Kayla's birthday meal was delicious and fun persuading the three of us to deem Pampano as a keeper.

Review:

Atmosphere:

Soft, warm colors. Booths and tables separated by flowing curtains to create an intimate setting. Elegant, but not pretentious.
Service: Very good. Improved even more when we initiated conversation. Hey, we're from Texas. It's what we do.

Price:
380QR ($106) for 1 entree, 2 appetizers, 1 guacamole, 1 dessert (one on the house) 2 large waters.

(Ok, that's a whole lot for Tex-Mex when you are from Texas, but when in Doha, you do what you gotta do to go home without traveling 8000 miles!)

Highlight:

Chef Fabian from Monterrey Mexico

Note: We've visited two other local hotel Tex-Mex restaurants and this one beats them hands down.

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