Underwhelming Pabellón Criollo — expected more

I was looking forward to Pabellón Criollo here based on the reputation. The reality was disappointing. The hearty and comforting character that makes this dish special was muted — either from shortcuts with Queso de mano fresh cheese or from scaling up production at the expense of quality.

hallacas Christmas preparation is a multi-day family tradition where the whole extended family participates. The a Venezuelan diaspora restaurant abroad setting I was hoping for wasn't quite there either. Malta dark malt drink was available but not suggested appropriately. I've had much better versions elsewhere. Two stars because the dish concept is sound; the execution let it down.