I have never been to South America before so to hit the Paris of South America couldn't have been a nicer way to start. We stayed at the CE Design Hotel and while some of the details were lacking - like a door to the toilet, and a stairs to our upstairs loft bedroom so steep we would probably fall to our death if we'd been drunk... or... drunk - they made up more than enough in the friendliness of all the staff members (all no older then 25) and the swankiness of the hotel.
The city is vivid, beautiful and interesting. The old mixed with the modern... the man-walking-a-gazillion-dogs was a common sight in our daily walks across the city; ok, we didn't walk THAT much but we did our share of walking even though cabs were sinfully cheap! ...and the food... omfg the food... I think out of respect, I should start a new paragraph :)
Yes, the food was very good! One thing is for sure. While I might not be eating another piece of steak again in a long long time, I do miss those delicious Argentinian cows dearly. I can't say I have had better cuts of meat then I ever had in Buenos Aires. WOW! It was not only an eye opener but an eye opener with toothpicks and the works! I was in awe... but let's talk lunch first...
Our first meal at Beunos Aires at Cumana was awesome! Yummy empanada (spicy beef - that was not spicy, tuna - my personal favorite, ham & cheese, cheese and onion, regular beef)... hey they were 1.80 pesos which made them US$0.60. Yes they were practically bite size but even if they weren't, why not!?! ...and the locro - a beefy stew with corn - actually hominy... it was yumz! Really yummy! Can't say I have had anything close to the texture or taste of this stew but the flavor was good, the beef tender... mmm mmm mmmph! I could go for some now hee hee...
That night, I had my first parilla meal at Cabana Las Lilas... if the world ended that night after my meal there (and the king hadn't taken me the next evening to an even better parilla restaurant, I would have died a happy person... alas, he did. But more of that later... this post, we'll talk about how the staff at Cabana Las Lilas made me joyous to the brink of bursting into song and dance. Not just simply 'Sound of Music' song and dance... MC Hammer 'Can't Touch This' song and dance mind you! I kid not! Yes, it was that good :)
Upon arriving, we were immediately served with many many dishes and plates of food. There was the little mini cup of thick mushroom soup which was yum (actually it was very close to the amuse bouche served in Canlis in Seattle)... then there was the big platter of antipasto which was not only beautiful in color but wow, you think antipasto is simply antipasto? Hah! Not this... no pics were taken of the breadsticks nor what seemed like a puff cracker shaped like a mini pillow also placed immediately on the table for us... two pairs of some form of (corn?) bread (absolutely delicious and warm!)... AND REFILLED lol when we finished them (I was mortified since this was done when our steaks were served and I was too full to even take the first bite of my entree (never mind corn bread) - not that it stopped me from continuing with my entree and one more piece of that corn bread thingy... there was chimichurri and salsa to do what with we had no idea, but we later saw people dipping their breads into them... DUH! ...and oh, the bread girl, don't forget the bread girl who walked around the big restaurant with a huge basket of breads of all kinds... maybe it's the Argentinian version of pass-arounds like at Lamberts lol!
Need I even go into how awesome our steaks were!? I went with my usual favorite cut; the rib eye (salivating as I fantasize of that first bite again) and the husband had his usual fillet. My oh my, I thought my crazy 14oz rib eye steak was insane when we were at the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle last month. My steak here at Cabanas Las Lilas was at least 18!!! I kid you not! It doesn't look as insane in the picture (L) but trust me, I burst into laughter when they served it. Why!? It just seemed so ridiculously crazy humongous! ...that and of course after too much wine drunk like water on our entire trip in 
Buenos Aires, you can't help but laugh at what a great time you're having :) ...and the potatoes I got... omg the potatoes... they're called souffle fries. It's a cross between a chip and a crisp. A french fry and a potato chip. They are crispy like a crisp and fat like a french fry... BUT... they're hollow!!! Can someone say ORGASMIC!??! LOL! Yes the steaks were superb (they were served with a little red cow on it telling you how they're cooked lol) . Yes, it's safe to say that was a piece of meat that was the best cut of rib eye I have ever had - yes even compared to the meat I had the next day! It just seemed perfectly well marbled and every mouthful tasted better by then the last... with wine... and not forgetting, an already full stomach!
You'd think we didn't have desserts... but you can't complete an experience at Cabanas Las Lilas without dessert - much like a meal without wine in Argentina lol. I had the Brazillian Coconut tart and the king had grilled fruits... his was alright but my coconut tart was oh-so-good, oh-so-rich, and oh-my-gawd-I'm-having-a-heart-attack-fattening lol. But you know, you only live once and if I wasn't complaining about the amount of food I'd had pre-dinner, pre-dessert, or simply pre-Cabana Las Lilas-experience, why should I start then?! :D
I will post only my first day of food or this post will go on forever. I will write more Argentinian restaurant reviews later.
2 comments:
Great food. Good time. Glad you and the king had fun!
I have never been to South America either but would love to go one day.
Thanks for sharing the pictures with us, Kryan.
Cat, I am glad you had a wonderful time in Argentina. The food was unforgettable isn't it. I still dream of their empanadas and steak and also their chips :) Did you get yourself some Dulce De leceh?
Post a Comment