Behind the Closed Door: Buenos Aires’ Secret Restaurants

Posted on 21. Feb, 2012 by in Destinations, South America

First let’s get one thing straight: The food in Argentina is really delicious. I’ve been eating myself into fat pants all month. There’s only one issue: it’s really, really repetitive. Argentineans seem to never tire of the same old favorites, but for me there are only so many steaks, empanadas and milanesas I can eat before I really just want an interesting salad. Or some Thai food maybe. Things that are not so easy to come by, even in a city this enormous.

Fortunately, there’s another aspect of Buenos Aires cuisine, one that might easily be overlooked. The puertas cerradas, or closed door restaurants.

Closed doors seem to be an international phenomenon. I’ve heard whispers of them in DC, apparently they are a big thing in New York and there are at least a dozen or more stashed around Buenos Aires.

So what is a closed door restaurant? It’s basically a hidden restaurant, run out of somebody’s home. You convene in their living room and converse with strangers while the host cooks you a set meal in their own kitchen. The good is usually something creative or different, often with several courses and wine pairings. It’s part dinner party, part gourmet meal.

Intrigued, Mike and I plotted our first foray into the Closed Door scene along with some new friends, including the lovely Meg and Tony of Landing Standing. Cocina Sunae had been recommended to me by several people and I was intrigued by both the low (relatively speaking) price point and the promise of legitimate South East Asian food.

Here’s what we found:

First Course: Lumpia from the Philippines- essentially spring rolls.

Second Course: Spicy Thai Laab chicken wraps that were actually spicy! Oh spiciness how I’ve missed you…

Third Course: Mike had Pancit Guisado from the Phillipines. It was a noodle dish with shrimp, chicken and mushrooms.

Whereas I opted for Gaeng Hanglay Muu or Chiang Mai Curry from Thailand. It was a new dish I’d never tried before and I was definitely a fan.

Fourth Course: Dessert! The most important of all. We were served homemade green tea ice cream (which gave me Japan flashbacks) and individual key lime pies. I can’t even come up with a descriptor for the key lime pie, I was struck silent by deliciousness.

For only 130 pesos for a four course meal (roughly $30 USD) this place was a bargain. The meal was one of the best I’ve had in all of South America and I’m still dreaming about that key lime pie.

As opposed to putting all of the guests at one big table, Cocina Sunae was run more like a traditional restaurant, with separate tables, a wine list and a waiter. This worked well for us because we were in a biggish group already, but I’m hoping to try a closed door with a communal atmosphere soon. … You know, for journalism’s sake…

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23 Responses to “Behind the Closed Door: Buenos Aires’ Secret Restaurants”

  1. Emily in Chile

    21. Feb, 2012

    That all looks so good! I’ve heard so much about these restaurants in BsAs – definitely want to check one out on our next visit.

    Reply to this comment

  2. Bethany ~ twoOregonians

    21. Feb, 2012

    Right up my alley! Maybe I can get a few other names and recommendations from you for our time in BsA? Our friends in Portland participated in a similar private dinner club. Their story of incredible cuisine and music and company has me hoping for an experience like that on the road…

    Reply to this comment

  3. Terri

    21. Feb, 2012

    I’ll be in B.A. in April and going to a closed door restaurant is DEFINITELY on my list of things to do. The food looks absolutely fabulous!

    Reply to this comment

  4. Alexandra

    21. Feb, 2012

    I consider myself a foodie and when I was in BA I was traveling with my boyfriend at the time who is a Michelin Star Chef from San Francisco. Our best meal was at La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar in San Telmo. Amazing food at great prices! I think you would enjoy it.

    As for me I am feeling like a need to return to BA just to experience these closed door dinners and drink my weight in Malbec ;)

    Reply to this comment

  5. Rease

    21. Feb, 2012

    So glad you guys enjoyed it. I really loved Cocina Sunae. My dessert included the green tea ice cream (which rules) and some delicious rice patty type thing that I dreamt about for weeks haha.

    Reply to this comment

  6. Andi of My Beautiful Adventures

    21. Feb, 2012

    I agree the food is amaaaazing in Argentina! I have seen so many posts about how people dislike it and I can’t believe it. I would be 300 pounds if I lived there haha. I would also frequent closed door restaurants once a week!!!

    Reply to this comment

  7. Nima Heydarian

    21. Feb, 2012

    Great pictures. I want some Argentinian food now.

    Reply to this comment

  8. Waegook Tom

    22. Feb, 2012

    “For journalism’s sake” hahaha! It’s a hard life, eh Steph ;)

    $30 for four courses is an absolute bargain though! I’d never heard of closed-door restaurants until now. I totally get what you mean about missing the spiciness, too – I can’t wait to stuff my craw with Korean food next week!

    Reply to this comment

  9. Dana de Brito

    22. Feb, 2012

    Sounds delicious! and $30 for a meal of that caliber does sound like a sweet deal… yum!

    Reply to this comment

  10. Dan

    22. Feb, 2012

    There’s a good chance you can find one or more near wherever you are on our website: http://www.saltshaker.net/underground-dining-scene

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      04. Mar, 2012

      Thank you Dan! I’m hoping to visit your place before we leave town as well.

      Reply to this comment

  11. Nicole (colehaber.com)

    22. Feb, 2012

    Have you been to Thai-Xing in DC? Sounds similar!

    Reply to this comment

  12. Sabrina

    23. Feb, 2012

    I’ve never heard about these, That’s too cool! Something totally different. I guess it could be a neat way of meeting new people to have everybody at one table.

    Reply to this comment

  13. ehalvey

    23. Feb, 2012

    Holy nom! For $30, I’d eat there every day. I’ll need to see if Boston has any.

    Reply to this comment

  14. This Battered Suitcase

    24. Feb, 2012

    Wow! I’d never heard about them, either…I’ll definitely have to try and find one when I am in Buenos Aires!

    Reply to this comment

  15. Stephanie - The Travel Chica

    06. Mar, 2012

    So glad you found Cocina Sunae! I went there 3 or 4 times when I lived in BA.

    Reply to this comment

  16. Kate

    07. Mar, 2012

    Any recommendations for a communal table closed door restaurant in BA? I will be traveling alone and think it would be a fun way to share a meal.

    Reply to this comment

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Closed Door Dining Cocina Sunae Buenos Aires — LandingStanding - February 22, 2012

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  2. Travel Writing Round Up [March 2012] « Caroline in the City - March 5, 2012

    [...] Behind the Closed Door: Buenos Aires’ Secret Restaurants, Twenty-Something Travel: Stephanie tells us all about the delicious food to be found at private restaurants in Buenos Aires. [...]

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