The Chefs Who Have Buenos Aires (Reluctantly) Waiting in Line
If you’re planning to dine out in Buenos Aires, be prepared for an unfamiliar sight: lines. As the city springs back to life, the streets feel almost celebratory, an antidote to the lingering side effects of extended Covid lockdowns. Alfresco tables are packed. Locals who would never have queued up for dinner before the pandemic are now willing to wait for a taste of what a new generation of chefs is cooking up.
Julio Baez: Showing off the bounty of the land
“There’s a mentality of ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so I am going to enjoy life now,’” said Julio Baez, 37, who opened his 22-seat restaurant Julia in the up-and-coming Villa Crespo neighborhood in 2019. Because of inflation, it’s too expensive for most Argentines to travel abroad right now, he explained, so they’re spending their money on a good meal and a fun night out.
Like many young chefs in the city, Mr. Baez is championing Argentine ingredients for their quality and sustainability. “The land is so fertile in Argentina,” Mr. Baez said. “We want to show that off.”
Lis Ra: Piling Korean flavors on Argentine favorites
To make her own fermented pastes and sauces, she uses ingredients like spicy chile flakes, ginger, garlic and soy sauce to season fresh Argentine produce, seafood, meats and cheeses. “I love piling flavors and textures on top of each other,” Ms. Ra said.
A big seller for vegans is a dish that riffs on humitas — a traditional northern Argentine corn pudding — that’s served as a creamy brûlée made with almond milk and topped with sautéed kimchi and daikon pickles (2,100 pesos). One of her personal favorites is the mussels ceviche prepared with a kimchi-based broth, crispy buckwheat granola, pomegranate seeds, toasted seaweed, sesame oil and cilantro (3,100 pesos). “It has a lot of layers,” Ms. Ra said.
Mariano Ramón: Fine dining priced for the masses
Nuanced fare nods to Asia and the Middle East while using domestic ingredients. Crowd favorites on the menu include a starter of labneh layered with Japanese cucumber, dehydrated cherries, tamarind chutney, Andean black mint, slivered pecans, sliced fennel, peppery chiles and pomegranate seeds served alongside a plate of fried chickpea noodles for mixing (1,800 pesos).
Look for entrees like grilled quail marinated with rica rica (a floral, bitter, high-altitude herb), ginger-garlic paste and yogurt (4,500 pesos), and whole roasted pacu (a freshwater fish from the more tropical northeastern region of Argentina) brightened with fresh turmeric, lemon, almond-and-yogurt paste, cardamom and Jamaican pepper and topped with papaya raita and coriander chutney (6,500 pesos). “Many tropical ingredients locals think are ‘exotic’ are actually native to northern Argentina,” Mr. Ramón explained.
Germán Sitz and Pedro Peña: A succulent streetscape
Since then, they have opened four restaurants, transforming Thames Street into a gastronomic corridor. Book a guided crawl with Mr. Sitz to get a taste of each restaurant’s signature plates as well as his insights into Argentine food culture (37,000 pesos; English-speaking tours are guided by a member of his team).
Olivia Saal: Baked creations and a kitchen at center stage
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