How can the food here be so bad ?

[Jakoval]

Yum yum. What dish is that?

Pad See Ewe!

 

[Uncle Wong]

Pad See Ewe!

If you're able to find good ingredients I'm sure restaurants are too. I will have to get some of your recommendations for good places to eat that are Asian. I didn't have a lot of luck the last trip. I wasn't impressed with any in Chinatown.

 

[earlyretirement]

Give you one more 😉

Your food looks so good @Jakoval. I want to go back to Thailand so bad just for the delicious food. You will have to open a closed door restaurant in your house for that delicious food. I'm coming in town in January with @Johnny. We will gladly be your first paying customers!

 

[Jerome]

I heard BA has made a lot of progress over the years but I think the steaks here are overrated. Not bad but many places it is just normal. You would think in a country with such good beef there would be better burgers. I would love to get an amazing smash burger. People always rave about the quality of steaks here but I think overall the steaks taste better in the US at least at the higher end steak places I go to.

 

[VINO]

I heard BA has made a lot of progress over the years but I think the steaks here are overrated. Not bad but many places it is just normal. You would think in a country with such good beef there would be better burgers. I would love to get an amazing smash burger. People always rave about the quality of steaks here but I think overall the steaks taste better in the US at least at the higher end steak places I go to.

Night and day difference vs ten years ago. I heard before that was even worse. The quality of beef has gone down over the years. Don't get me wrong it is not bad but the reputation of the best beef in the world I think is part marketing. Besides a few places that consistently have the best beef, many places the quality isn't anything special.

I agree about lack of really great burgers here in BA.

 

[enbits]

Night and day difference vs ten years ago. I heard before that was even worse. The quality of beef has gone down over the years. Don't get me wrong it is not bad but the reputation of the best beef in the world I think is part marketing. Besides a few places that consistently have the best beef, many places the quality isn't anything special.

I agree about lack of really great burgers here in BA.

The best beef is the one you buy at the butcher! 😉

 

[Wally]

The best beef is the one you buy at the butcher! 😉

Very true. I seldom go out to eat steak in restaurants. Maybe the special occasion or birthday. But we have so many asados it doesn't make sense to pay restaurant prices for beef. Butcher is the way to go.

 

[Starfish]

The best beef is the one you buy at the butcher! 😉

Agree! People will probably kill me for saying this but I don't think the steaks are anything special here. I think it's more of a myth that the steaks here are better than elsewhere. Cheaper yes but I don't think it is better. I would still rather take a good steak at a premium steakhouse in Dallas vs. most in BA. Not saying they are bad at all but I think the reputation is very hyped up.

 

[lemonade]

Agree! People will probably kill me for saying this but I don't think the steaks are anything special here. I think it's more of a myth that the steaks here are better than elsewhere. Cheaper yes but I don't think it is better. I would still rather take a good steak at a premium steakhouse in Dallas vs. most in BA. Not saying they are bad at all but I think the reputation is very hyped up.

I kind of agree with you. I went to the famous Don Julio and I did think the steaks were much better than the typical place here but prices are 3X as much too. I probably won't go back as it breaks the bank. What is a good steak place that isn't as much as Don Julio but still has great quality?

 

[Wally]

I kind of agree with you. I went to the famous Don Julio and I did think the steaks were much better than the typical place here but prices are 3X as much too. I probably won't go back as it breaks the bank. What is a good steak place that isn't as much as Don Julio but still has great quality?

Try this Parilla that we have gone to for a while now. Good food and much better prices than the Palermo places. This one is in Recoleta.

 

[Betsy Ross]

I kind of agree with you. I went to the famous Don Julio and I did think the steaks were much better than the typical place here but prices are 3X as much too. I probably won't go back as it breaks the bank. What is a good steak place that isn't as much as Don Julio but still has great quality?

Don Julio DOES have great steaks but expensive like you mentioned. Still good for special occasions. I always end up here when friends or family come in town as they always want to come.

A good steakhouse a bit further out in Liniers is El Ferroviario. It is further away but very good and big portions. Here is a good list of essential eats.

12 Dishes Every Traveler Should Eat in Buenos Aires

A local writer reveals her top stops for the best dishes in Buenos Aires, including empanadas, steaks, alfajores, and other Argentine essentials.

www.saveur.com

 

[enbits]

Agree! People will probably kill me for saying this but I don't think the steaks are anything special here. I think it's more of a myth that the steaks here are better than elsewhere. Cheaper yes but I don't think it is better. I would still rather take a good steak at a premium steakhouse in Dallas vs. most in BA. Not saying they are bad at all but I think the reputation is very hyped up.

I never ate good meat in bodegones. but a good asado at someone's house will beat any US Steakhouse. We are talking about meat quality: AFAIK US and ARG are pretty similar in quality as long as its grass-fed but not all countries have good meat. Besides quality is all about the cooking:

 

[Betsy Ross]

I never ate good meat in bodegones. but a good asado at someone's house will beat any US Steakhouse. We are talking about meat quality: AFAIK US and ARG are pretty similar in quality as long as its grass-fed but not all countries have good meat. Besides quality is all about the cooking:

Agree. I get invited to a lot of asados and they hands down beat most restaurants in BA. And the best thing is they don't need to put anything other than salt on it. I think most bodegones are using lower quality beef. My friends that are experts cooking tell me it all comes to cooking it so you are correct @enbits

 

[Vince]

I never ate good meat in bodegones. but a good asado at someone's house will beat any US Steakhouse. We are talking about meat quality: AFAIK US and ARG are pretty similar in quality as long as its grass-fed but not all countries have good meat. Besides quality is all about the cooking:

I joke with my wife who is Argentine all the time that the steaks are much better in NYC than BA in restaurants. I would agree in a homemade asado it will beat a US steakhouse. But I will put up a steak from a top tier steakhouse in NYC vs. BA with the exception of maybe Don Julio. They cook it very well at Don Julio and the beef quality is also very good. My in-laws buy the beef from Don Julio's butcher that they sell and it is high grade.

People in the US don't grill steaks as much as Argentina. They have it to a science in Argentina. Grass fed is the best but think it comes down to how they are cooking it.

 

[enbits]

Agree. I get invited to a lot of asados and they hands down beat most restaurants in BA. And the best thing is they don't need to put anything other than salt on it. I think most bodegones are using lower quality beef. My friends that are experts cooking tell me it all comes to cooking it so you are correct @enbits

And for restaurants fire grilling is much better than slow cooking, that flank steak took 3 hours too cook, you can not rush it. So I guess that's why US steak houses are better and Bodegones are failing.

 

[Uncle Wong]

And for restaurants fire grilling is much better than slow cooking, that flank steak took 3 hours too cook, you can not rush it. So I guess that's why US steak houses are better and Bodegones are failing.

But I also think maybe tastes are different in Argentina. I went to a few bodegones with some local friends and they raved about how great certain food was and I thought it was bland. I think much of the food in Argentina is bland. I thought the pizzas were terrible overall. Just different tastes I guess. US steak houses are really expensive but I think the flavor is very good. I also think they overcook steaks in Argentina. I ordered medium rare a few times and they always overcooked it. I didn't want to be a jerk and send it back.

 

[Larry]

I never ate good meat in bodegones. but a good asado at someone's house will beat any US Steakhouse. We are talking about meat quality: AFAIK US and ARG are pretty similar in quality as long as its grass-fed but not all countries have good meat. Besides quality is all about the cooking:

The local bodegones quality has gone far downhill over the years with the quality of beef. It is a myth that the steak here is the best in the world. That is not true. Many other places have much better steaks. On all my visits to the States I was very surprised my first visit how delicious the steaks are. In Australia as well and Japan with their kobe beef. No comparison.

Now much of the Argentine beef is just low quality. No comparison with grass fed beef that has more flavor. Vast majority of beef in Argentina is low quality beef that is from feedlots.

 

[daveholman]

The local bodegones quality has gone far downhill over the years with the quality of beef. It is a myth that the steak here is the best in the world. That is not true. Many other places have much better steaks. On all my visits to the States I was very surprised my first visit how delicious the steaks are. In Australia as well and Japan with their kobe beef. No comparison.

Now much of the Argentine beef is just low quality. No comparison with grass fed beef that has more flavor. Vast majority of beef in Argentina is low quality beef that is from feedlots.

I was distressed to hear Argentina has adopted the grain fed model. One of my memories when I lived in Puerto Rico as a kid in the 70s is the Argentine beef which was way better than what we got in California.

 

[JonJLA]

I was distressed to hear Argentina has adopted the grain fed model. One of my memories when I lived in Puerto Rico as a kid in the 70s is the Argentine beef which was way better than what we got in California.

@Larry is correct. It has steadily gone downhill for the past several years. I do think Argentine beef was better and still is that is grass-fed and high quality but my friends in the industry tell. me that is less than 25% of the beef from Argentina now. Most of it is just grain fed and quality of the beef isn't nearly as good. That is what they are serving in many restaurants now.

 

[Piranha]

@Larry is correct. It has steadily gone downhill for the past several years. I do think Argentine beef was better and still is that is grass-fed and high quality but my friends in the industry tell. me that is less than 25% of the beef from Argentina now. Most of it is just grain fed and quality of the beef isn't nearly as good. That is what they are serving in many restaurants now.

Is there any certified brands or way to know that certain beef is grass fed? How do people know the difference at the butcher?