Category Archives: buenos aires

REAL Sushi in San Telmo

17 Thursday Jan 2013

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Shokudo

“Cream cheese.” “Queso crema.” “Philadelphia.” Whatever you call it, I’m baffled as to why it seems to be the key ingredient in Argentine sushi. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some cream cheese, and I can enjoy the occasional salmon and cream cheese stuffed sushi roll. But in most sushi restaurants here, globs of it appear everywhere, and it’s just…no.

Thank goodness for Shokudo and Comedor Nikkai, two restaurants owned by Argentina’s Japanese Association that just so happen to be within blocks of our apartment. This sushi’s the real deal. The thick slices of rich, butter-smooth salmon sashimi practically melt in your mouth. And while a dab of cream cheese can be spotted from time to time, they actually complement the salmon rather than overpower it. I can honestly say the sashimi and nigiri are the best I’ve ever had, and considering this town’s reputation for awful sushi, that was an unexpected revelation.

Shokudo Sushi

Both restaurants have basically the same menu. Our go-to order is the Osaka de Salmón, a mix of 30 pieces of salmon sashimi, nigiri, and rolls that are left up to the sushi chefs imagination. It comes with a small entrada, a bowl of miso soup, and a cup of green tea at the end of the meal. The restaurants are both dim and not photo-friendly, so unfortunately the pics don’t do the food justice.

Both locations are a bit tucked away. Shokudo is on a second floor, overlooking Defensa, while Comedor Nikkai is inside the Japanese Association building on Independencia and doesn’t even have a sign. But if you hear the loud (and kinda scary) sounds of people practicing martial arts, you’re in the right place.

SAN TELMO SHOKUDO – Defensa 910 in San Telmo

COMEDOR NIKKAI – Independencia 732 in San Telmo

Dining Out in Buenos Aires: Useful Words & Phrases

07 Monday Jan 2013

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Menus at Hierbabuena

For longer than I care to admit, I had a debilitating fear of ordering for myself at restaurants in Buenos Aires. My self-consciousness about my Spanish was overwhelming, prompting me to overthink every potential interaction and required response to the point that by the time the server arrived at the table I was completely tongue-tied.

Thankfully, those days are behind me, but the memory of my self-consciousness prompted me to put together this list of helpful words and phrases for beginners, so you can dine out in Buenos Aires with confidence.

First, some background to prepare you for the experience.

  • Many restaurants close down in the late afternoon. They may be open for lunch from noon until 4pm, then re-open at 8pm for dinner. Yes, that’s right my North American friends, be prepared to eat later than you’re used to.
  • Tipping 10% is customary. Many restaurants will charge a “cubierto” service charge – this is not the tip! It’s basically the cost of getting a table at their restaurant, or maybe the basket of bread? I’ve never really been clear on that.
  • Service is generally slow, if not otherwise atrocious. Don’t take it personally, it’s not you. Just sit back, relax, and try to enjoy the wait for your menu, your drinks, your food, and the bill. Make sure you’ve got plenty of time.
  • Many restaurants and cafés do not accept credit cards.

If all you can remember is “Vino, por favor!” you’re good to go. But just in case, here are some other words and phrases that may come in handy. This is by no means exhaustive, but covers the basics to get food in your belly. And keep in mind that some of the terms may be specific to Argentina or Rioplatense Spanish.

USEFUL PHRASES FOR DINING OUT IN BUENOS AIRES

“Excuse me…” = “Perdón…”

“A table for two, please.” = “Una mesa para dos personas, por favor.”

“What do you recommend?” = “Qué aconsejás?”

“I’d like to order ____.” = “Te pido ___ por favor.” Literal translation is “I ask you for ____ please”, which I know sounds super awkward to us Yanks, but it is what it is.

“Can I order food to go?” = “Puedo pedir para llevar?”

“Can I take the leftovers?” = “Puedo llevar las sobras?” But don’t be surprised if they look at you like you’re crazy or don’t have anything to package it in. This is not a common practice.

“The bill, please.” = “La cuenta, por favor.”

“Are credit cards accepted?” = “Se aceptan tarjetas de crédito?”

Have no fear! Order with confidence.

USEFUL VOCABULARY WORDS FOR DINING OUT IN BUENOS AIRES

appetizers: entradas

beer: una cerveza, un chopp (draft beer), un porrón (bottled beer), un litro (large liter bottle of beer to share…or not, no judgement)

the bill: la cuenta

chicken: pollo, suprema (chicken breast)

coffee: café, café con leche (coffee with milk)

dessert: postre

entrée: plato principal

fish: pescado; the most common are merluza (hake), lenguado (sole), and salmón rosado or blanco (pink or white salmon)

fork: tenedor

ham: jamón, jamón cocido (cooked, sliced ham), jamón crudo (dry-cured ham)

ice: hielo

juice: jugo

knife: cuchillo

menu: la carta

ground pepper: pimienta negra molida

napkin: servilleta

pork: cerdo, bondiola (pork shoulder), chorizo (pork sausage)

potatoes: papas, papas fritas (fries) puré de papas (mashed potatoes)

rice: arroz

salad: ensalada

salt: sal

seafood: mariscos

server: mozo/a

silverware/cutlery: cubiertos

soda: gaseosa

soup: sopa

spoon: cuchara

steak / meat: carne (check out this post from Wander Argentina for a list of all the various cuts); to request meat cooked rare: vuelta y vuelta, medium rare: jugoso, medium: al punto, well done: bien cocido. Rest assured, it will arrive at the table more well done than you’d wanted.

sugar: azúcar

tea: té

vegetarian: vegetariano

water: agua con gas (sparkling water), agua sin gas (still bottled water)

wine: vino, vino tinto (red wine), vino blanco (white wine), una copa de vino (a glass of wine), una botella de vino (a bottle of wine)

 

Parillada Para Dos, Por Favor

28 Friday Dec 2012

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Buenos Aires would be a tough town for a vegetarian.

I’ve encountered meat treats that I never knew existed, and many that I try not to think about too hard as I’m savoring (hello, morcilla). There’s no shortage of protein options, and for better or worse no…part, shall we say?…goes to waste.

One of my favorite meals, and a must for anyone traveling here, is ordering some version of parillada para dos: literally, grill for two (or four, or six, etc). A small charcoal grill is brought to your table sizzling with mouth-watering smells and piled with succulent cuts of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), riñon (kidneys) and sweetbreads.

My favorite spot in the Capital to spend an afternoon digging into a mountain of carne is in Recoleta, at any of the parrillas on Junín along the walls of El Cementerio de la Recoleta. An odd preference, perhaps, but I had my first parrillada experience at Clark’s so I’ve got a soft spot for it. I also always look forward to hitting Tata Juancho along Ruta 11 between Mar del Plata and Chapadmalal. During weekend trips to the beach we religiously stop here to enjoy some cold beers, sizzling grilled meat, and perfectly crisped fries outside at one of their picnic tables, with Judah successfully scouring the premises for discarded scraps and being treated to her own chunks of meat fresh off the grill from the dog-loving grillmasters.

While the cuts of meat can vary in quality and appeal, for me, the beauty of the parrillada is the experience. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

TATA JUANCHO – Ruta 11 km 7,5 south of Mar del Plata

CLARK’S – Junín 1777 in Recoleta

Choripan: My Favorite Street Meat

17 Monday Dec 2012

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Chorizos on the Parrilla

In the street meat hierarchy, hot dogs ain’t got nothin’ on choris.

Choripan & Quilmes

One of the first places Gaspar took me when I joined him in Buenos Aires was a tiny hole in the wall on Carlos Calvo between Defensa and Bolivar. The walls were plastered with aging photos and notes from satisfied celebrity and average-joe customers, and the place was full of old men with mullets, missing teeth, wandering eyes and dirty piropos. Perhaps not every woman would appreciate such a charming treat. But the smell of garlicky delicious chorizo sausages sizzling on the parrilla is enough to make anyone go a little loco. The chorizo was butterflied, served up on hunks of crusty bread and slathered with chimichurri. Throw in a litro of cerveza, and it was the date of my dreams.

At the risk of stating the obvious, chorizo + pan = choripan, a popular pork sausage sandwich. This chorizo shouldn’t be confused with its spicy Spanish counterpart. Argentine chorizo, like most local food, is far from spicy. Instead it is flavored with garlic and pimentón (Spanish paprika).

Butterflied Chorizo with Chimichurri

We indulge in this local drunk food regularly, rarely bothering with the drunkenness excuse because we are not ashamed to love it sober. During the Feria de San Telmo, the popular street fair on Defensa featuring block after block of antiques and wares from local artisans, several parking lots are converted into choripan-pushing parrillas. El Rey del Chori is one of my favorites. In addition to choripan, most any chori vendor also offers bondiola (a hunk of pork served on a roll) or vacíopan (a hunk of steak served on a roll), both of which are also quite good.

El Rey del ChoriIf you’re looking to try out choripan in San Telmo, these are my favorite spots. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about the potential creepiness of my favorite hole-in-the-wall on Carlos Calvo, mmkay? You may or may not find yourself being smothered in kisses by an intoxicated elderly gentleman sporting a rat tail.

NAMELESS HOLE-IN-THE-WALL – Carlos Calvo between Defensa and Bolivar

EL REY DEL CHORI – Sundays on the corner of Defensa and México

Call it a “Going out of Buenos Aires” sale…

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

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Desserts for Sale

Well folks, cue the dramatic music…

I’ve been putting off this post because I’ve been in denial. But it’s time to confess. Our time here in Buenos Aires is coming to a close. Without delving into the details, suffice it to say I’ve got incredibly mixed feelings. I’m going to miss it here on a level that is difficult to describe, but I’m also excited for whatever’s next…which is (gulp) actually still TBD. Yes, my inner “Katie Plan Ahead” is having panic attacks.

What I do know is in January, nos vamos, and we’ll be driving around the continent for a few months and figuring out what’s next. I’ll continue to document our food adventures, whether we’re eating guinea pig in Peru, grilling shark steaks in Uruguay, or piling up an asado over the campfire in Chile. In the meantime, I intend to soak in Buenos Aires to the very last drop.

So! For those of you in Capital Federal, one month left to order homemade Tres Leches, Fruit Pizza, Pumpkin Rolls, Chocolate Cakes….and the list goes on. I’m currently taking orders for the holidays, so let a girl know! Check out the Orders/Pedidos page for all the details on products and prices in English and español.

*sigh*

Tell it, Carlos.

Anuva: Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires

10 Monday Dec 2012

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Vino

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. When moving to Argentina, I anticipated a bounty of two of my favorite things: steak and wine. I haven’t been disappointed. While the wine in Buenos Aires is plentiful and affordable, the area with the most well-known reputation for serious wine-lovers is Mendoza. Naturally, we went there as soon as possible, and loved it. The scenery is breathtaking, and the wine tours are (literally) intoxicating. I do recommend it.

But Mendoza is far. Getting there can be time-consuming and pricey. And while touring the vineyards and bodegas was fascinating, the process of actually tasting and appreciating the wine didn’t seem to be a big focus on our tour. I’m not sure we did much more than swirl and ingest. And much more of the latter than the former.

Enter, Buenos Aires’s own Anuva Wines. Anuva is essentially a wine club, dedicated to hand sourcing limited production wines from South America. They host intimate wine tasting events in Palermo, introducing visitors to high-quality wines from small wineries, many of which barely export and are extremely limited in production.

Their wine tastings are offered at a variety of days and times, and we opted for a 2pm Saturday tasting because we day-drink like that. We were lucky enough to book a time with Cara as our host, who we’d first met over a delightful dinner at NOLA Buenos Aires. She knows her stuff. And she provides detailed background on wine regions, characteristics, and processes in a simple and approachable way, without making you feel at all ashamed for previously viewing Two Buck Chuck as a special occasion wine.

Each wine was truly unique, and came with a food pairing to complement and enhance the flavors.

Champagne and a toast point with blue cheese, sour cream, arugula and walnut

Hom Espumante, an extra brut sparkling wine, was accompanied by a toast point with blue cheese, sour cream, arugula and walnut.

Torrontés and strawberry and peach sorbet from Persicco

Carinae Torrontés paired with strawberry and peach sorbet from Persicco

Salame & Cheeses

Mairena Bonarda served with spicy salame and cheese picadas

Malbec and an empanada

San Gimignano Malbec paired with a Salteña-style empanada

Blend and chocolate amargo from Fénix

Caluna Blend (malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot) served with chocolate amargo from Fénix

As you can see, while the emphasis isn’t necessarily getting bien pedo, there is plenty of vino to be had and you’ll not be left wanting for heavier pours. By the end of the afternoon we were feeling pleasantly chatty, yet 100% functional without the threat of a hangover by late evening. The perfect balance. And I learned a LOT. The highlight for me was getting more background on Torrontés and Bonarda, two wines I’d been completely unfamiliar with before arriving in Argentina and which I now plug shamelessly to whomever will listen.

Overall, a great experience, and one I’d highly recommend for residents and tourists alike.

ANUVA WINES – visit their website for the details on the wine store, wine club and booking wine tastings.

Pintxos at Sagardi in San Telmo

03 Monday Dec 2012

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Finally! We passed this restaurant so often on our evening dog walk that the route was officially dubbed The Sagardi Walk. (“Let’s grab the pup and go on The Sagardi Walk!”). We finally decided it was time to stop talking about it, and be about it.

Pintxos at SagardiSagardi is a Spanish restaurant, and the focus is pintxos. These tapas-style snacks offer a seemingly endless variety of options, all on top of small slices of bread and held together by a toothpick; hence the name that literally translates to “thorn” or “spike”. They’re especially popular in the Basque country of Spain.

Sagardi has a dining room for formal, sit-down dinners with a menu full of delicious-sounding entrees, but there’s really no need to go beyond the bar area where the pintxos are lined up along the counters.

bar at Sagardi

At Sagardi, you can choose to sit along the actual bar where the pinxtos are showcased or at a large communal table that offers enough room for different dining parties to be separated and comfortable. You basically serve yourself, grabbing a plate and piling it high with options ranging from thick slices of smoked salmon to wedges of tortilla española. I recommend taking it slow. Hang out for a while. As the evening progresses, piping hot pinxto varieties will be passed around the restaurant by the waitstaff, and you’ll be sorry if you filled up too quickly. Options like grilled squid and shrimp, mini-burgers with caramelized onions, and filet mignon with grilled mushrooms come out of the kitchen in a steady, tempting stream.

pintxos at Sagardi

Pintxos are paid for individually at $12 pesos a pop, and your bill is determined by the number of toothpicks you’ve accumulated. Choose wisely!

SAGARDI – Humberto Primo 319 in San Telmo

Check out reviews on TripAdvisor.

Puerta Cerrada: The Hidden Kitchen

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

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Puerta cerradas, or closed-door restaurants, have been around the Buenos Aires restaurant scene for years now. I’m pretty sure every Buenos Aires ex-pat or food-related blogger’s written about the phenomenon by now, but for my readers back in the homeland (hi Mom!) a quick overview. The puerta cerrada is an “unofficial” restaurant, typically in a chef’s home or other private space. While each one is different, you can always count on enjoying a carefully planned multi-course menu in an intimate setting. It feels exclusive, like you’re at some sort of private supper club or have been invited to the chef’s home for a dinner party.

Lately, a couple of my favorite local food bloggers have opened their own closed-door restaurants. And yes, I’m overflowing with a combination of admiration and (well-meaning) envy! Living the dream, chicas. I was too busy enjoying great conversation at NOLA’s communal table to be snapping pics of each course when I went, but I highly recommend it. Check out the reviews on TripAdvisor, where it’s sitting pretty at numero uno.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, as The Hidden Kitchen’s now on the scene as well! And at our semi-private table I had no camera shame. This latest puerta cerrada is the work of Frances Ren, an ex-pat by way of Bangkok/San Francisco/Beijing who also pens The Lost Asian and posts some of the drooling-est food photos in town. The seating is such that it could be communal if you want, or if you’re not feeling like telling the story of how you came to live in Buenos Aires for the umpteenth time, you can comfortably focus your attention solely on your dining companions without feeling rude. I liked having the option. While I’ve had some great communal dining experiences, I’ve also had some where a few hours felt like an eternity of tooth-pulling.

Adding to the appeal of The Hidden Kitchen: 1.) Hot-and-spicy-ness, that much-bemoaned missing ingredient in local cuisine. 2.) It’s BYO-freaking-B!!!! I have never understood how this concept has not invaded every corner of the culinary earth. 3.) Excellent eclectic music selection. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows, and classic pop and hip-hop tunes. You get the picture.

And now, for the food:

The welcome cocktail was absolutely divine. I heard something about gin and plums and didn’t really register the rest because I was already pouring it down my throat.

Napa cabbage, cilantro, peanuts and sesame sauce with flatbread

I failed to jot down the details, but all you really need to know is turnip cakes and hot sauce. And duck in those cabbage rolls!

Scallion pancakes.

A vegetable broth soup with sesame oil and a cabbage wrapped shrimp and pork dumpling.

Taiwanese braised short ribs cooked in Chinese herbs with handmade noodles, peas and carrots.

Crisp roasted duck with potatoes, grilled peach and pistachios.

My personal favorite, the crispy veggie spring roll with their signature Sweet Lady sauce.

And a delicious Thanksgiving previa: pumpkin tart with cinnamon ice cream

THE HIDDEN KITCHEN – Palermo, exact address provided with reservation

Check out the reviews on TripAdvisor. 

Brown Sugar in Argentina

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Before moving, both Gaspar and I spent a lot of time on sites and forums like BAExpats.org trying to get a feel for what we were getting ourselves into. Sifting through the always cheery tales of inflation or crime, I came across a claim I found hard to accept. There’s no brown sugar. The horror!

But scratch that. I think what forum complainer #598 meant was that there’s no brown sugar like what we’re used to in the USA. Light brown sugar that’s moist (sorry, I hate using that word) with a fine grain is indeed elusive. Instead, your options are azúcar negra (black sugar) or azúcar rubia (blond sugar). Negra seems to be the most commonly available, carried in most of the neighborhood chinos, and rubia is available at most dietéticas. I’ve alternated using each when recipes call for brown sugar, and while neither is an exact replacement, after my various experiments I fully endorse the black stuff.

Azúcar negra has a larger grain than brown sugar estadounidense, and while it’s moist enough to hold together it does tend to be a bit more crumbly. It doesn’t bring about the exact same results, but in most cases I’ve actually found the finished product is improved with a more noticeable molasses flavor and chewier texture. Excellent news for my chocolate chip cookies!

As for the rubia…meh. It seems almost interchangeable with typical white processed sugar to me, just with the brown color of a natural cane sugar. The grains are larger, and there is no moisture whatsoever. Not really impressed.

In any case, I’m happy to report that this particular dark and gloomy warning about life in Buenos Aires has not come to pass. The rest, well….yeah, that stuff’s true. But one can still make chocolate chip cookies, pecan pies and cinnamon streusel toppings. Shwoo! Priorities, people.

Philly Cheesesteaks in Buenos Aires

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Oh, what a beautiful discovery.

We’d been meaning to try El Banco Rojo for a while, the hole-in-the-wall spot offering comidas para llevar from the owners of dive bar favorite La Puerta Roja in San Telmo. I’d heard they had kebabs and falafel, and despite remarking on the regular that we should check it out, we just hadn’t gotten around to it. But when we strolled by one day and spotted the sign touting not only kebabs and falafel, but Philly Cheesesteaks and BBQ wings, it was a done deal.

The menu is rather…eclectic?

We went into it with low expectations. I mean, c’mon. We couldn’t even find decent cheesesteaks when we lived in Miami or Chicago, so how good could it be in Buenos Aires? Hmm, good enough that we’ve been back on a weekly basis for a cheesesteak fix to accompany Gaspar’s viewing of the Eagles doing whatever it is that they do on NFL Game Pass every Sunday. Football in the summer is just a cruel punishment.

Magic in the making

Okay, okay, so the purists may argue that the peppers are a no-no, but I love them. And unlike a lot of Buenos Aires eateries where fussy eaters are out of luck, El Banco Rojo is willing to make exceptions for someone who may just prefer Whiz Wit’ or Without. The key ingredients are all solid. Good bread, good meat and for the love of God they even have a delicious mysterious Whiz-like cheese! It’s no Jim’s Steaks (which, for the record, kicks both Pat’s and Geno’s asses) but what more could two ex-pats ask for?

EL BANCO ROJO – Bolivar 914 in San Telmo