With my last few days upon me, there were a couple things left that I needed to do before I headed back home. I visited Puerto Madero (sadly, wasn’t impressed), and the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta, where I bought some locally-made perfume. Clearly, hitting all of the recommended ice cream shops was a priority, and there were a couple more restaurants that I had been saving for the end. PLUS of course, I couldn’t leave town without making good on a promise I made to all of you…to try on those platform sandals.

I had been looking forward to my last couple of dinners, with reservations at a couple of closed-door restaurants that I had heard a lot about – Casa Salt Shaker, which is one communal table in the home of an expat chef from New York, as well as OchoOnce, restaurant style in the home of the chef. Both were fun and unique, especially the communal table aspect at Salt Shaker. And lastly, there was Aramburu…

I had heard from friends that it was great, and I knew it was also on the San Pellegrino list of top restaurants in Latin America. There is barely a sign on the industrial door, and like many other restaurants in BA you have to ring a doorbell in order to be admitted. I was seated at the chef’s table, overlooking the open kitchen, and as I looked at what was being prepared I was excited by a few crazy objects that I saw in the kitchen but had no idea how they would manifest onto a plate of food. Aramburu is a tasting-menu only restaurant, with no printed menu, so yet again it would all be a surprise. I ordered a glass of Torrontes, a white Argentine grape variety which has become my new favorite white wine, excited by whatever might come out of the kitchen first…

First up, a tray of starters was brought out for the first course:

Nitrogen crab served in a shell – an ice cold piece of crab, meant to literally melt in your mouth. It was so cold that it kept getting stuck to my lip 🙂

Brioche with Mango something or other

Chicken Liver served to look like a cherry

Rice Cracker with Herbs served in/on a piece of coral.

 

Squid multiple ways – A piece of squid served with a squid ink cracker, aioii and foam. One of my favorites of the night!

 

Seasonal salad with Burratta skin and different preparations of different varieties of tomatoes

Shrimp wrapped in shredded phyllo served on a hot stone, with shrimp ‘soup’ poured over the top, tableside. Another one of my favorites. The hot stone continued to cook and brown the phyllo, and the flavor was really delicious! I also loved the style of the long fork that it was served with – necessary for really getting into the dish.

   

Quail served with a corn puree and a hard boiled quail egg. Tasty but I had a hard time eating this quail leg, served with foot and all. I grew up with quail running around in my backyard and this just felt wrong on some levels.

Pork, served with some pineapple and mint. Tasted like an elegant version of ribs, which I love.

Filet served with different textures of mushroom, and mashed potatoes with truffle. Also served with a little burnt shard of wood for fragrance. My favorite part was that the waiters had to make sure to tell each table that this was just for appearance and scent, NOT to be eaten.

Ginger and Lemon Granita with sorbet

Different textures of chocolate with carob and cinnamon ice cream.

 

Petitfours, including a mini cupcake, which I always find funny to see anywhere outside of the US.

I was seated at the chef’s table with a screenwriter from NYC, so of course we had things to talk about. And once again, this was a 10 course meal for probably half the price of what it would cost elsewhere in the world. I really enjoyed this meal. Not everything wowed me, but the dishes that did left an impression.

Also before I left BA, I had to finish out my quest for BAs best ice cream. And as far as I’m concerned…Best dulce de leche I had was at Persicco (a local chain); Best Chocolate Suiza was at Capricci in Palermo Hollywood; Best Cappucino was also in Palermo Hollywood, at Chungo. It’s not as if any of the other ice cream I had wasn’t good, it’s just that these were better.

After an ice cream a day, this was a sad moment on my last day. It truly marked the end…

My days weren’t just spent eating though…I also took some time to relax and lay out at the pool. It’s summer in BA so I was taking advantage of the weather!

 

And to truly complete the trip, it was time to try on the platform sandals. For some reason I was really timid to try on, but on my last day in BA timidity was no longer an option. My time was running low and I keep my promises! I tried 2 different styles, both of which made me feel like I time warped back to the early 90s.

    

With everything ticked off my checklist, and literally all of my pesos spent, it was time to come home. But Argentina, don’t cry for me, don’t worry, I’ll be back. I have a list of other regions I wish I could’ve visited.  Thanks for a great time BA, Hasta Luego!