Maybe one of the things we like so much about Buenos Aires is that it is a city that one can never finish discovering. Just when you thought you had it, it throws a new surprise at you. Part of that charm is the closed door restaurant scene, which like the rest of the food community is in an exciting moment of evolution. Here are the five menus for the week that excite us the most.
Casa Coupage
La Onda
Casa Coupage began nearly a decade ago as a space for the city’s wine lovers, when Buenos Aires featured a large community of wine lovers but just a handful of trained sommeliers. Owners Santiago Mymicopulo and Inés Mendieta eventually incorporated a chef into the business and now offer a simple but inventive menu that is just as delicious as it is visually stunning. With personalized attention from Santiago, who will pair wines not only based on individual dishes but also on each patron’s distinct tastes and histories, this is the perfect spot for a special date.
The Menu
Dishes change every 3 months depending on available seasonal ingredients. You have the option of choosing an 8 course tasting menu or ordering appetizers, main plates and desserts a la carte. Although they describe themselves as “modern Argentine”, expect the unexpected, with uncommon meats like rabbit, trout, squid, sweetbreads and a delicious beef ceviche instead of traditional red meat based dishes.
The Essentials
Meals are held Wednesday through Saturday evenings in Palermo Hollywood. The 8 course tasting menu is 450ARS and if you choose an appetizer, main dish and dessert a la carte expect to pay around 350ARS, wines sold separately. Make a reservation by calling 114 777 9295 or by emailing info@casacoupage.com.
Source: Fuudis
Fuudis
The Onda
Fuudis is the brain child of Australian transplant Anne Reynolds and porteña Marina Ponzi, two influential ladies on the local food scene. Fuudis offers food tours around Buenos Aires, allowing locals, expats and tourists to rub elbows over three courses in three different restaurants. All tours are accompanied by a knowledgeable guide and explanations from the chefs or owners.
The Menu
This week there are two different tours. On Wednesday a dinner tour through Recoleta which will go through Club 21 for an appetizer, Algodon Club for a main dish and Arkakao for dessert. Each course comes with a wine pairing. And on Friday there will be a lunch tour downtown that will begin with a mini gourmet burger at Perez-H, a main course at Café San Juan and a dessert at Aldo’s Vinoteca.
The Essentials
The dinner menu will be held on Wednesday evening in Recoleta, and the lunch menu on Friday Downtown. The tour costs 65USD and can be reserved by email at hola@fuudis.com.
Source: El Tejano
El Tejano
La Onda
Homesick for the Texas flavors he left behind, longtime expat Larry Rogers has been whipping up hot sauces, salsas and smoked meats for the last few years. Three times a week El Tejano puts together casual and messy menus for locals as well as fellow hungry expats. More than 20 diners are invited to sit around communal tables and get to know each other over flavors that will transport you from Buenos Aires to the American South.
The Menu
We aren’t aware of any other smoker in town, and El Tejano is sure to take advantage of that fact with menus designed around slow cooked smoking. This week depending on the day you go there will be smoked chicken, ribs and brisket with traditional sides like fries and coleslaw. Meals also come with local craft beer. Expect to get your hands dirty.
The Essentials
Dinners are held Wednesday through Friday in Palermo from 9 to 11pm. Prices vary depending on what meal attend, and range from 140ARS to 225ARS. You can make a reservation by emailing info@eltejanoba.com.ar.
Io Sono Shokuhin
La Onda
With just a month under its belt, Io Sono Shokuhin is one of the newest closed doors to arrive on the scene. We were immediately curious about their “Japanese-Italian” fusion, and they didn’t disappoint. The space is an intimate second floor space, with room for 6 tables and wonderful for a private meal for two. There is a big emphasis on attentive personal experience, which fused the notion of fine dining with the intimacy of a supper club. Expect to drink a lot of wine, with wonderfully chosen pairings for each of the 7 dishes served.
The Menu
The menu consists of a wonderfully thought up 7 course meal that mixes Italian and Asian inspired dishes, every dish comes with a glass of wine. Although there is an emphasis on Japanese technique and flavor, peanut sauces and curry bring in wider influences from the rest of Southeast Asia. Expect simple dishes like panko fried eggplant and more inventive ideas like capresse salad rolled in rice paper over lemon grass dressing or homemade lemon and basil sorbet. There is also a stuffed lomo with a creamy shitake mushroom sauce that is TO. DIE. FOR.
The Essentials
Dinners are held Wednesdays at 8pm or Fridays at 8 or 10pm in a remodeled home in Palermo Viejo. Take advantage of their soft launch price for 30USD (official rate) which can be paid online or in person in ARS.
La Cocina Discreta
La Onda
Similar to Casa Coupage, La Cocina Discreta has been around for more than 6 years and is one of the first spots that pop up when you do a search for closed door restaurants. And with good reason. The intimate space is covered with artwork from local friends and artists, and the concept of gallery and restaurant very evidently fuse on the beautifully presented dishes. Tables are individual and the home feels more like a restaurant, great spot to take a date or go with a small group of friends.
The Menu
This week’s menu is a seafood lover’s dream, with a fixed four course meal with the two main dishes featuring shellfish over a mango emulsion and white salmon served with a “citric air” and risotto.
The Essentials
Meals are held Thursday through Saturday at 9pm in Villa Crespo. The meal costs 220ARS, with an extensive wine list that is ordered separately. To make a reservation call 114 772 3803.
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Kevin Vaughn is the founder and head chef of his own closed door restaurant, MASA, a weekly dinner party (emphasis on party) with a constantly changing Mexican and American menu.