Editor’s note: This is the first of, hopefully, many original contributions from food expert Alexandra Lazar. For more insight into Argentina’s culinary scene, visit her blog: pickupthefork.com
NOLAchef's Mini Muffaletta's at The Office's NOLA Night (Photo by Lili Kocsis)
Watch out puertas cerradas, a hot younger gastronomical sister has hit the RÃo de la Plata. All the rage in the United States and Europe about five years ago, pop-up restaurants have finally managed to travel the space-time continuum, making a splash in the Buenos Aires culinary scene. Run by mostly expat chefs and restaurateurs, Asian, Mexican, Creole, Greek, Pacific Rim, South African, Peruvian and Argentine cuisines are all ‘popping up’, in transitory fashion, transforming the traditional dining experience in the city.
For those who are not familiar with the concept, a pop-up restaurant is when a chef takes over another kitchen, be it in a restaurant, bar, church, museum, art gallery, telo, etc. for one or several nights, to cook up an original, standalone menu. The phenomenon quickly grew in popularity in the late 2000s, just as the economy was deep in its downward spiral, giving young chefs an outlet to display their cooking skills without the need for risky investment to open up a restaurant. With start up costs low, the pop-up model attracted both chefs, who had the freedom to experiment, and hungry food lovers, who wanted the one night only chance to test these unique creations. Spread by word of mouth via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the new trend gathered momentum, becoming a perfect draw for self-proclaimed foodies who have the constant desire to be ‘in the know’.
Poppin’ It In BA
Comparable to the closed-door restaurant scene, expats have taken the lead to introduce the pop-up phenomenon to Argentina. Acclaimed artist and designer, Tony Hornecker, brought one of the first pop-up restaurants to Buenos Aires in March of 2010 with El Restorán Vagabundo. After massive success with The Pale Blue Door in England and Chile, Hornecker transformed a dilapidated San Telmo casona into a food and design lover’s heaven with his three-week long stint featuring a dinner (and décor) inspired by 1930’s gangster movies.
NOLAchef Working Hard at The Office (Photo by Lili Kocsis)
Following in his footsteps was the culinary wonder-duo Frankie Unsworth and Rachel Khoo, who brought Edible Tales to Buenos Aires in February of 2011 after organising similar events in Australia and the UK. Aiming to feed mouths and minds, this three-night event on a picturesque San Telmo terrace consisted of a four-course interactive meal where diners became participants in a food story. The theme of the night was based on the history of writing, papermaking and bookbinding. Guests took an active role eating courses that were displayed in creative ways, ranging from edible inks to palatable papers.
Alan Epstein, the California native and co-owner of The Office Bar & Grill in Las Cañitas, has also incorporated pop-up events into his kitchen. His brainchild, Takeover Tuesdays, with the help of local Buenos Aires chefs, has transformed the burger bar into a hopping pop-up venue. Almost every Tuesday, a guest chef is invited into the kitchen to cook up a special menu from Mexican to Asian fusion to Southern home-style comfort food.
NOLA night (which is short for New Orleans, Louisiana) is one of the more popular Takeover Tuesdays, with chef Liza Puglia, otherwise known as the NOLAchef, in the kitchen whipping up authentic New Orleans style grub. Classically trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York, NOLAchef has recently made a name for herself in the Buenos Aires food scene as a personal chef for private events and dinner parties. Spreading her culinary love to the masses, NOLA night at The Office features popular house favorites like red beans and rice, fried fish and roast beef Po’ Boys, mini-Muffalettas, and a spicy Creole smothered fish plate.
POKE at Magdalena's Party (Photo by Alexandra Lazar)
Over at Magdalena’s Party in Palermo Soho, POKE makes a pop-up appearance every Wednesday night with a Pacific Rim street food inspired menu. Once a lunch and dinner delivery service, POKE has now shifted to the pop-up realm and has become a pioneer in the Buenos Aires restaurant scene as one of the first restaurants to go strictly pop-up. Chef Mychael Henry mixes his diverse culinary background to form an inventive yet affordable fusion menu, combining Peruvian, Hawaiian, California and Asian styles of cooking. The majority of the menu stays the same from week to week, with a few special plates making a brief appearance. The ceviche, made with white salmon, mango, cucumber, red onion and tiger’s milk makes a killing, as does the Carne Asada Bowl, which is loaded with marinated steak, black beans and served over a sushi rice patty. The winner of the night? The salmon Poke, true to its namesake, bursting with bright rich flavors: salmon, cucumber, mango and red onion in a ginger soy sesame dressing.
Chef Mun at the Oasis Clubhouse (Photo courtesy of: duffandfrancesphotography.com)
A few blocks down the road in Palermo Soho, the Oasis Clubhouse has a history of incorporating pop-up events into their monthly social calendar. Well-known Buenos Aires powerhouse chefs, who are mostly recognized for their closed-door restaurants, serve a special menu for both Clubhouse members and nonmembers. Other puerta cerrada chefs from restaurants like Casa Mun, Casa Felix, Max’s Supperclub and Casa Jauretche branch out from their prix-fixe multiple course dinners to serve up delicious delights. Some of the highlights from this pop-up dream team include: Chef Mun’s Momofuku-style pork buns and a banging spicy tuna on pan-fried crispy rice; Peruvian-native chef Micha Mendoza of Casa Jauretche’s trio of ceviches and out of this world maracuyá mousse and suspiro shot desserts; and Diego Felix’s Latin American and vegetarian-friendly menu, featuring fresh and seasonal ingredients.
With an overwhelming majority of foreign chefs participating in the pop-up scene, it’s only a matter of time for the concept to catch on with the locals. One of the most famous Argentine mega-chefs is Narda Lepes. She is the host of multiple cooking shows, the author of numerous cookbooks, including the holy bible food shopping book, Guia de Compras, and made her culinary debut after a long restaurant sabbatical at the Hotel Madero’s Rëd Resto & Lounge on 10th November. Invited by chef Steven Jung, Narda cooked up a special dinner and brunch menu for a two night, one-day event.
Prediction 2012: The Year of the Pop-Ups
You heard it here first: 2012 will be the year of the pop-ups in Buenos Aires. Under the influence of trendsetting locals and innovative expat chefs, pop-ups, cocinas rodantes (rotating kitchens), restaurantes móviles (mobile restaurants), restaurantes vanguardistas (avante-garde restaurants), or whatever you choose to call it, will increase in popularity and become an integral part in the culinary scene of Buenos Aires. As with the puertas cerradas, this will give adventurous eaters more chance to break away from typical Argentine dining and partake in the spontaneous and unique one-time-only eating experience.
