El Barrio Chino is a good place if you are not able to find Asian ingredients, sauces, and snacks. For example, I get these amazing mushrooms (pine mushrooms) that are much more flavorful than Pocini and way less costly. In fact, pine mushrooms (dried) from el Barrio Chino is the main reason I go there.

If you go visit, some interesting observations can be made of places selling your favorite Japanese/Chinesse foods. For example, Casa China sells all sorts of worldly goods, you can pick up a 12 peso (USD 2) sushi roll and dumplings to go.

Salmon and Avocado Rolls from el Barrio Chino

Last time we were there we got salmon and avocado rolls- when I got home and sliced the pink salmon and avocado roll, I was dismayed to find that the fish was not raw but cooked, and overcooked at that!  Some of the pieces were a bit too chewy, as if the sushi chef forgot he had something on the stove while downing a few shots of sake =)  – But wrapped up with fresh avocado, toasted sesame seeds, sticky rice, and seaweed, the roll did the job (especially with extra soy sauce).

Vegetables Dumplings from el Barrio Chino

We also bought some vegetarian dumplings which the Chinese people kindly relabeled as “empanadas vegetales” sort of to making sure I would understand the concept… I thought it was hilarious.  These were bought frozen and can be either steamed or pan fried.  I chose to steam them, and was pleasantly surprised when I bit into the doughy dumpling.  Inside the fluffy white pillow was tofu, scallions, cabbage, carrots, egg, and sesame seeds slightly seasoned with Asian spices.  I dipped these in soy sauce as well, to give them some extra flavor.

Small café in Palermo Hollywood Called Helena

This small café in Palermo Hollywood in the city of Buenos Aires is one of my new favorite spots for more reasons than one.  The adorable French décor is complete with a country patterned sofa, a crystal chandelier, and birdcages hanging in the small garden area to the back of the restaurant.

They seem to specialize in coffees, pastries, and cakes, but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of their their light, refreshing menu.  I had trouble deciding which salad looked the best, with tons of choices including one with smoked salmon, avocado, and brie cheese. I settled on the garden vegetable salad and was delighted upon my first bite!  It was fresh and flavorful with mixed greens, grilled eggplant, squash, and mushrooms, large wedges of buffalo mozzarella, caramelized onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a honey balsamic glaze dressing.  The grilled veggies were cooked to perfection and the pumpkin seeds were a yummy and creative edition.  The dressing was not too sweet and tied everything together really well.

The cozy vibe and friendly service is set to a soundtrack of chill-out music, making Helena a perfect place to meet up with a friend to grab a light lunch or sweet treat.

Helena Restaurant
Nicaragua 4816

Argentine pizza

You know a restaurant is going to be good when it is so crowded that you are shoved into a little corner that is barely large enough to fit the table, let alone you sitting at it.  When this happened at Kentucky Pizzeria, the waiter was very concerned for my comfort, but I convinced him that it was fine, just hungry!  This local pizza joint in the heart of Plaza Italia has the perfect combination of a neighborhood feel and delicious pizza.  While watching the local futbol game, I scanned the extensive menu but ultimately decided on their specialty- pizza.  The choices were pretty standard (mozzarella cheese, ham, peppers, olives, mushrooms, calabresa) but little did I know, the pizza would be incredible!  I chose calabresa, a type of smoked Brazilian sausage.  I waited (a little too long) but was in for a pleasant surprise when my pizza finally made it to the table.

Kentucky Pizzeria in Buenos Aires

The thick crust was cooked on point—not too crunchy but not too doughy.  The stringy, buttery mozzarella cheese was added generously atop the almost-tangy tomato sauce.  On top of the cheese were thin slices of calabresa sausage, chewy but rich in smoky flavor.  Large slices of fresh tomatoes were next, followed by both green and black olives, and finished with a sprinkling of oregano.  It was almost a task to get the perfect bite with the correct ratio of all the ingredients, but once I got the hang of it, I was in heaven!

Pizza is an extremely popular dish in Buenos Aires due to all of the Italian influence, and I have resorted to eating a lot of it when I just can’t handle more meat.  However, the thick, flavorful pizza at Kentucky Pizzeria is good enough to want, even crave, and I will be sure to frequent this crowded local spot!

At the luxury Alvear Palace Hotel in the heart of Recoleta, no detail is overlooked.  If you can’t afford a room here – at least check out their afternoon tea for a delicious taste of indulgence in Buenos Aires.  The old fashioned servers wait on you hand and foot, and they start off by offering a wide selection of tea blends.  I chose the Alvear blend to get a feel for their specialty, which is a mixture of black tea leaves, almonds, Mediterranean citrus, and rose petals.  I could smell the aroma of each flavor separately, but they all blended together smoothly.

Alvear Palace Hotel in Argentina

The afternoon tea also offers an assortment of finger foods.  There were multilayer sandwiches layered with cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese accompanying the three-tiered stand with even more goodies.  The lowest level had small flaky pastries filled with cheeses and jams.  The middle tier boasted chocolate cakes and fruit tarts, and at the top were sweet scones.  Of course there was orange marmalade, tangy lemon curd, and berry jam to top everything off.

Who would have thought you could get full from finger foods?  Well, just when we thought we were finished, the red-coated, white-gloved waiters brought around a tray of desserts to choose from.  We opted for the creamy cheesecake, drizzled with chocolate and raspberry sauce, as well as a chocolate coffee cake—both of which melted in your mouth.

We left the Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires with feelings of full stomachs and high sophistication!

Address Where You Have To Go:

Alvear Palace Hotel
Av. Alvear 1891

Mosoq restaurant - El Salvador 5800, Tel: 4775-7974

The bar is definitely a centerpiece with the soft multi-colored back-lighting.

Having dined on a Monday night I cannot attest to how crowded it gets on the weekend, but I would definitely put my name on a waiting list for a restaurant like Mosoq.

From Monday to Wednesday martinis are two-for-one, and they were one of the highlights of the meal.  I sipped on a passion fruit martini and it was beautifully concocted–not too sweet with a light and crisp flavor and a nice ratio of fruit juice to alcohol.  I highly recommend trying one of Mosoq’s divine cocktails.  They’re worth the splurge.

I began my meal with a classic ceviche and, being picky when it comes to ceviche marinades, I must admit that I was delighted.  The fish was fresh and cut into ideal-sized pieces and the lime-pepper combination in the marinade didn’t overwhelm the other flavors involved (as it so often does).  There was what I like to call “smooth tang” to the ceviche, something that most lack.  It was definitely the best I’ve sampled in Buenos Aires thus far.

My main dish was extremely hard to decide on: fish, beef, pork, lamb?  The options were plentiful.  Having had so much plain ‘ol steak in Buenos Aires, I wanted to see what the Mosoq chef, Jovanna Caceres Brendrell, could do with some filet mignon.  So I went with the “medallones de lomo,” filet mignon medallions.  When my dish arrived at the table, I was surprised at the presentation.

There was time and care spent in making sure the food looked as good as it was going to taste.  This was the first truly “plated” meal I’ve had in the city.  The filet mignon was cooked exactly as I requested, medium rare, which was a delight since most of my steaks have been over-done in the past.  The Andinean herb pesto was a lovely compliment to the tender and juicy meat and something I wouldn’t normally imagine coupling with beef.  Finally, the four cheese quinoa risotto.  Oh, it was as heavenly as it sounds!  They used a cheese with a sharp but creamy flavor and the grains were cooked aldente with a little bite to them.  I’m a huge fan of all of the individual elements of this dish so my expectations were high, and wow, did Mosoq deliver.  Not only did I refuse to share my dish with others at the table, I finished the entire thing and wished I still had bread left to wipe my plate clean.  It was delightful.

For dessert I indulged in a “Cheesecake de Maracuyá,” passion fruit cheesecake, and although it was nothing special (cheesecakes don’t generally stand out for their originality), it was quite tasty.  I find myself wanting to point out again that Chef Brendrell has flavor proportions down.  The passion fruit did not take over the dessert, allowing me to relish the flavor of the cream cheese and the sweet and crispy crust simultaneously.  It was the perfect way to round out the meal.  I will certainly be back to Mosoq many times in the future and I highly recommend that if you have the time, you add it to your itinerary.