Pasión is the latest restaurant to take over the space at 153 Elmwood, following Cozumel and Black Swan. The concept is Latin American, with dishes inspired by Cuba, Puerto Rico, and South America. Buffalo has recently seen an influx of these authentic flavors, but in more casual settings. Pasión presents an opportunity to put a more refined take on those dishes in a more upscale atmosphere. We stopped in for the soft open and had a chance to sample a wide swath of the menu.

The first thing you’ll see walking in is Pasión’s large bar with seating for dining in rooms off to either side. Leading the bar is Josh Campbell, formerly of Buffalo Proper. He’s spent months working on a menu he admits to be “ambitious,” with 30 cocktails plus six large-format punches, two sangrias, and an exclusively South American/Spanish wine list. Rum, as one might expect, features heavily in many of the cocktails. The concoctions are broken down across three categories. “Los Clasicos” are the classics such as the Cuba Libre, Mojito, and Painkiller. The “Suave” list is comprised of easy sippers, while “Fuerte” drinks are more assertive and boozier. We tried the Dark Star and Coco-cillin from the Suave page. Both were well balanced, tasty drinks that have us intrigued to try more of the menu.

From the food menu, we had a chance to try a number of items. Starting with the “Empezar y Compartir” section (start and share), we chose the Croquettas de Jamon, and at our waitress’ suggestion, the Pastelitos de Carne. The croquettas were served five to an order, crispy fried sticks filled with pulverized ham mixed with a béchamel sauce. There was a strong raw onion flavor which played nicely against the more subtle ham. The pastelitos were a different beast than the pastillos we’ve had around the city which are normally served as a fried empanada. Instead, the cumin-seasoned ground beef, olive, and raisin mixture is surrounded by puff pastry. Ours was cooked perfectly with a golden exterior and a soft pillowy texture below that. They were drizzled with a sweet, honey-like glaze that complemented the savory filling.

Peruvian inspired Ceviche with Dragon Fruit was an easy menu pick. Pasión’s includes shrimp and scallops, as well as some peppers and the promised dragon fruit. While we would’ve loved some more heat from a few more pieces of pepper, the bright dish helped us forget the dreary weather. We also appreciated that the dish is served in a glass cone nestled into a bowl filled with crushed ice. Trust us, you don’t want a warm ceviche.

From the “Pinchos” section of the menu we tried Churasco Skewers with a Chimichurri Sauce. The main component of this dish, two thin pieces of steak, arrived under seasoned. There was no evident chimichurri sauce, which is usually bright in both visual appearance and flavor. The steak may have been marinated in the sauce, but if so, we’d prefer it to be marinated for longer. The plantains on the plate were a huge hit at our table though. Sweet and crispy, they were some of the best we’ve ever had.

We had to try El Cubano sandwich, considering the setting. Thankfully Pasión stuck to the classic formula with this one…pork, ham, swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles on Cuban bread and pressed to melt the cheese and combine the flavors. Among all the strong flavors the ham really stuck out. It was more akin to something that would be cut off the bone at Easter dinner than thin slices you’d get at the Wegmans’ deli counter, cut thick and with a nice sweet glaze. The yucca fries served with the sandwich were cut to various thicknesses, but the thin ones were crispy to the point of being too hard.

Don’t forget to check the back of the menu, which houses Pasión’s large plates. We tried the Lechon Asado, pork served with white rice and black beans. The chunked pork had a huge citrus flavor, suggesting it was marinated in a traditional orange/lemon/lime mojo sauce. It was one of the highlights of the night. The rice and beans were both well-seasoned enough to stand on their own; together the two could make a nice lunch.

We finished off the night with a Tres Leches cake. The dense white cake was accented by lime and coconut in the frosting.

While there were a few bumps, overall we had a very positive first experience at Pasión. The restaurant is bringing new experiences and new flavors to Buffalo, and thankfully, they’re good ones! We look forward to heading back soon.

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