Okay, so this is not a splurge by most people’s standards. But with my $1000 a month budget, Buenos Aires is hard for a girl, especially a girl who loves good food. And I’m not talking about pizza and empanadas.
When I say good food, I mean creative, reasonably healthy, and something you could classify as gourmet. Something that incorporates vegetables and perhaps a few spices. I know I have written a million posts about all the great food I am eating in Buenos Aires.
But the truth is, the food isn’t that great. When you are living somewhere and not just on vacation, you want more than pizza and empanadas.
Enter Cocina Sunae.
Puertas cerradas (closed door restaurants) are a newish fad, and they are multiplying like rabbits in Buenos Aires. They are also referred to as supper clubs or underground restaurants.
I love the concept. A puerta cerrada is an eating establishment operated out of someone’s home. There is typically a set menu. The setting can either be a private, quiet dinner or a large group table where you will get to meet several new people
I have actually eaten at Cocina Sunae twice. After the second incredible meal, I knew I had to write about it.
Christina Sunae prepares Southeast Asian cuisine in her lovely home. Her dishes are creative, fresh, and full of flavor. It is also one of the few places you can get truly spicy food in Buenos Aires.
Now let’s get to the food.
The Meal
The meal consists of a first course, a second course (usually a salad), a main course, and dessert.
Since I have eaten at Cocina Sunae twice, I will highlight my favorite dishes.
Dessert – Dinner #1
Filipino rice cake topped with a coconut reduction, homemade green tea ice cream and fresh fruit.
This is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten. Yes, it was delicious, but it also made such an impact because it was so different than any dessert I had eaten before. The photo isn’t so great because I could not be bothered to take the time to adjust it for better lighting. I had to eat it immediately.
1st Course – Dinner #2
Ukoy (Phillipines)
Crispy shrimp cakes with sweet potatoes, carrots, bean sprouts, achuette, and scallions served with a shallot-garlic vinaigrette dipping sauce.
This was absolutely delicious. The shrimp cakes were perfectly crispy and not too heavy. The dipping sauce was quite spicy for me (not too spicy for normal people), but it added to the flavor and was worth the burn.
2nd Course – Dinner #2
Yum Gung (Thai)
Hot and sour shrimp salad with mint, cilantro, cucumber, tomato, and onion.
This salad was perfect.
It was light and fresh, and the shrimp was delicious.
Main Course – Dinner #2
I had the whole market fish at both dinners, and it was difficult to choose which I preferred more. The first was baked and stuffed with lemongrass, served with a spicy-lime sauce and steamed. The second was fried with Thai sweet spicy sauce. While I absolutely loved the spicy-lime sauce served with the first dinner, the overall winner was the fried fish.
Pla Lard (Thai)
Whole market fish fried with Thai sweet spicy sauce, served with steamed rice.
The sweet, spicy sauce was perfect for the fish.
And After…
Dessert – Dinner #2
I love a good dessert, so I have to list both as my favorites in this post.
Budin Cassava (Phillipines)
Cassava Cake served with green tea ice cream and fresh fruit.
New Wines
I have also tried two new wines at Cocina Sunae. Although I usually prefer a red wine, the Melipal Rose is very nice paired with the spicy food.
My other new discovery is the Valbona Cabernet 2009.
At 110 pesos (US$28), not including the wine, this meal is well worth the price whether you are on vacation in Buenos Aires or you are a budget backpacker looking to treat yourself.
Check out the latest menu on Cocina Sunae, and reserve your spot at the table.
Looks like a LOT of good food!
Amazing! I wish I could eat there every day.
The poor fish never had a chance. lol I agree about the veggies, Stephanie. A meal without veggies is like a subject without a verb.
Potatoes are the “vegetable” accompanying every meal in Argentina.
Puertas cerradas are a great concept and you found a wonderful one. Everything looks delicious! I could go for the Budin Cassava right now. I’ve heard of a few restaurants like this in private homes in NYC, but haven’t been to one.
I have heard about them popping up in big cities in the US. It was fun to discover a good one while traveling.
The food looks delicious! The one thing I have had to get used to in other countries are the bones in the fish. However, everything you are looks so tasty!
I am totally fine with bones in my fish now because Ayngelina showed me how to eat a whole fish the easiest way without picking through all the bones.
Now fish bones in my soup are another story. Had that experience in Bogota. Not possible to eat.
all of this looks really good. i love shrimp, and i would have torn into that fried fish. oh, man.
Both the shrimp cakes and the shrimp on the salad were so delicious. I could eat good seafood every day.
Yum this looks great! This is a new concept to me and one I will have to keep my eye open for.
Google it!
what!!? such a great idea for a “restaurant”. im sure something like that would never fly in my current abode of australia or future abode of the us. might have to move to ba one day to open one!
You would be surprised. I’ve been hearing about them popping up in the US, and there is a good website for the underground dining scene http://www.saltshaker.net/underground-dining-scene. I do not know how inclusive this list is, but I see a few for Australia.
What a great concept. I’d love to go to one of these kinds of places. And it sounds like something my better half would like to run.
Maybe it’s a new business adventure
oh I envy u so much no…. at least it’s friday 😉
Ha! Just remember that not every meal is like this… in fact, the majority are not.
The food at Cocina Sunae is great!
You’d all be surprised how common these kind of places are around the world (including, Jamie, in your current abode of Australia, and in the U.S.). We check them out wherever we travel. For a list of places around the world: http://www.saltshaker.net/underground-dining-scene
I just saw this comment after I posted the same link! Definitely a great resource.
What an interesting concept! Do you know what it takes to open one of these cocinas? It sounds like any enterprising chef could open one of these private restaurants in their home… but what about getting a food license or other documentation? Does that kind of thing apply to these places?
After talking with Christina Sunae, I know it is a LOT of hard work. But if you’re doing something you love, it’s worth it. I assume there are lower overhead costs because you are doing it in your home (usually) instead of renting a restaurant.
Those are good questions about licensing. I have no clue. I imagine it is different depending on the country/ state you are in.
What a mouth-watering article! You had me at green tea ice cream in your first picture. I devoured the rest.
I love interesting, fresh-tasting ice cream flavors.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! The food and adventure sounds amazing!
You know, I have to say… I’m so happy to see this post (and to see that it’s not about steak!) And, I’m hungry.
You can only eat so much steak… as we learned from Ayngelina
Love the idea of a puerta cerrada.. Sounds so deliciously secret.
I think it makes the food taste better too
Love that you’re basically being invited to the neighbors for dinner… Kinda.
If Christina actually was my neighbor, I would probably “splurge” more often because it would be entirely too convenient.
The Travel Chica recently posted..Campo in the City
Looks fabtastic – I have to try a supper club!!
All the cool kids are doing it 😉
The Travel Chica recently posted..Campo in the City
Creative indeed and the food is so beautifully presented.
Lots of delicious food. My favorites, seafood !
I could eat seafood every day.
The Travel Chica recently posted..Campo in the City
Yum- love the idea and would love to try the food there!
jade recently posted..Travel the World Everyday
My mouth is watering! How are the restaurants operating in BsAs? Any tricks for getting in?
Andrea recently posted..Ireland’s Beer Beyond Guinness
For the closed door restaurants, you basically just send an email or make a phone call for a reservation. I think if you book a week in advance, you won’t have problems. Sometimes there could be last-minute cancellations too.
The Travel Chica recently posted..Campo in the City
What a great idea for somewhere to go to eat. 😀 And the food looks so delicious. <3
Ceri recently posted..Shovelled up like muck, Set the night on fire, Wombles bleed truncheons and shields
Great article! Everything looks delicious.
Bob Crunch recently posted..Bluegreen Communities and Operation FINALLY HOME