Last week the Argentina supreme court decriminalized marijuana use, saying that adults can make their own decisions, as long as they smoke privately and don't harm anyone. Not that any law (like most laws in this country) was enforced before, since you can smell weed in the streets on any given day, but now people will certainly be a little more adventurous. This change in law follows other Latin American countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia.
It's not legal.. yet.. but we shall see how this step impacts la vida loca en Buenos Aires.
If you'd like to brush up on your related Spanish vocabulary, click here.
August 31, 2009
August 30, 2009
a little saigon
With the number of eating options in this city it's a wonder they all stay in business with so much competition. Add to that at least 20 puertas cerradas (closed door restaurants) and I guess we can conclude that porteños really like to eat, and they like to do it in style.
A puerta cerrada is essentially an intimate dinner at the chef's house. The restaurants are usually only open on specific days of the week or month and offer a pre-fixed menu to a limited number of reservations. Prices tend to be higher than a "regular" restaurant but at a puerta cerrada you're also paying for more attentive service and a deliciously unique experience.
I recently had the opportunity to dine at A Little Saigon, a closed door Vietnamese restaurant in Buenos Aires. Having learned about both this restaurant and the concept of a puerta cerrada at the same time when I first arrived in BA, I had been eager to try it. My mom's visit mid-August was the perfect opportunity. A Little Saigon is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for AR$100 per person, with a different theme each weekend. With only 12 seats available each night I made sure to make my reservation for the August 15th "Meat Lovers" dinner ahead of time. Thuy, the chef, immediately responded with a confirmation. We were good to go!
Saturday evening arrived and although my mom and I didn't know exactly what to expect, we were both very excited to visit A Little Saigon. We both love to cook, eat, drink, and socialize so were interested in this uncommon dining situation that neither of us had experienced before. We arrived at 9PM and Thuy's fiance, Ben, greeted us at the door and after we took our shoes off (a Vietnamese tradition and show of respect) he poured us each a glass of wine while Thuy cooked in the kitchen. The dinner table was set up in their living room, right when you walk in 
the door. Lighting was low, candles were lit, the table was set already, and flowers floated in water filled vases. Only 2 other reservations had been made for this evening, so we waited for them while we chatted with Ben. The first starter was brought out, flavorful pork dumplings with soy sauce. It was time for the next course, but the other reservations had not shown up yet. Once it became clear that they were probably not coming, it was decided that Thuy and Ben would join us in eating dinner, and they began to bring out the rest of the meal.
We sat down and enjoyed the scrumptious appetizer of chicken rice chowder, probably my favorite dish of the evening. The main course was then served family style and included jasmine rice, caramelized pork ribs, sweet and sour shrimp (which I was especially excited for considering seafood is majorly lacking in my diet here in Argentina!), and spicy beef (which was actually spicy, not Argentine spicy). It was all incredibly delicious; Thuy is a great chef.
After the main course, dessert was served in the form of jasmine tea and cassava cake, a flourless cake made with cassava root. Neither my mom or I had ever tried it before but it was very tasty.
With all the beef, empenadas, and pizza we eat in BA, the Vietnamese food was a great break. The food was amazing, but the company was also fantastic. Thuy and Ben were so nice to welcome us into their home, and my mom and I were so happy that they ended up eating dinner with us. The 4 of us chatted like old friends all through dinner. They made us feel so welcome; we felt like we were just at our friend's apartment for dinner, minus paying! I look forward to trying other puertas cerradas in BA, and hopefully revisiting A Little Saigon.
For those of you who aren't in BA and don't have the privelage of visiting A Little Saigon, here is the recipe for Thuy's delicious Cassava Cake:
INGREDIENTS
1 lb cassava root
400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
100 ml water
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon talk
METHOD
- preheat oven 345
- grate cassava root to acquire 4 cups
- combine eggs, butter, sugar, and salt. beat until frothy
- add coconut milk, water and cassava. mix well.
- pour mix into buttered 8X8 baking dish.
- bake 30 minutes, let cool before serving.
Visit A Little Saigon's website or e-mail Thuy for more information or to make a reservation
A puerta cerrada is essentially an intimate dinner at the chef's house. The restaurants are usually only open on specific days of the week or month and offer a pre-fixed menu to a limited number of reservations. Prices tend to be higher than a "regular" restaurant but at a puerta cerrada you're also paying for more attentive service and a deliciously unique experience.
I recently had the opportunity to dine at A Little Saigon, a closed door Vietnamese restaurant in Buenos Aires. Having learned about both this restaurant and the concept of a puerta cerrada at the same time when I first arrived in BA, I had been eager to try it. My mom's visit mid-August was the perfect opportunity. A Little Saigon is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for AR$100 per person, with a different theme each weekend. With only 12 seats available each night I made sure to make my reservation for the August 15th "Meat Lovers" dinner ahead of time. Thuy, the chef, immediately responded with a confirmation. We were good to go!
Saturday evening arrived and although my mom and I didn't know exactly what to expect, we were both very excited to visit A Little Saigon. We both love to cook, eat, drink, and socialize so were interested in this uncommon dining situation that neither of us had experienced before. We arrived at 9PM and Thuy's fiance, Ben, greeted us at the door and after we took our shoes off (a Vietnamese tradition and show of respect) he poured us each a glass of wine while Thuy cooked in the kitchen. The dinner table was set up in their living room, right when you walk in the door. Lighting was low, candles were lit, the table was set already, and flowers floated in water filled vases. Only 2 other reservations had been made for this evening, so we waited for them while we chatted with Ben. The first starter was brought out, flavorful pork dumplings with soy sauce. It was time for the next course, but the other reservations had not shown up yet. Once it became clear that they were probably not coming, it was decided that Thuy and Ben would join us in eating dinner, and they began to bring out the rest of the meal.We sat down and enjoyed the scrumptious appetizer of chicken rice chowder, probably my favorite dish of the evening. The main course was then served family style and included jasmine rice, caramelized pork ribs, sweet and sour shrimp (which I was especially excited for considering seafood is majorly lacking in my diet here in Argentina!), and spicy beef (which was actually spicy, not Argentine spicy). It was all incredibly delicious; Thuy is a great chef.After the main course, dessert was served in the form of jasmine tea and cassava cake, a flourless cake made with cassava root. Neither my mom or I had ever tried it before but it was very tasty.With all the beef, empenadas, and pizza we eat in BA, the Vietnamese food was a great break. The food was amazing, but the company was also fantastic. Thuy and Ben were so nice to welcome us into their home, and my mom and I were so happy that they ended up eating dinner with us. The 4 of us chatted like old friends all through dinner. They made us feel so welcome; we felt like we were just at our friend's apartment for dinner, minus paying! I look forward to trying other puertas cerradas in BA, and hopefully revisiting A Little Saigon.
For those of you who aren't in BA and don't have the privelage of visiting A Little Saigon, here is the recipe for Thuy's delicious Cassava Cake:
INGREDIENTS
1 lb cassava root
400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
100 ml water
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon talk
METHOD- preheat oven 345
- grate cassava root to acquire 4 cups
- combine eggs, butter, sugar, and salt. beat until frothy
- add coconut milk, water and cassava. mix well.
- pour mix into buttered 8X8 baking dish.
- bake 30 minutes, let cool before serving.
Visit A Little Saigon's website or e-mail Thuy for more information or to make a reservation
August 19, 2009
colonia, uruguay
As all non-portenos living in Argentina know, we are granted an automatic 90 day tourist visa upon our arrival. This means that 90 days after our arrival we have to leave the country (whether it has to be for a day, night, or just enough time to get your passport stamped is up in the air) to renew it, or else pay a fine. The fine used to be only AR$50, which didn't exactly make us expats run to the border after 3 months, but now that it's jumped to AR$300 it's worth it to spend less on a boat ticket and make a day trip to Uruguay.Just a quick boat ride away, the closest Uruguayan city to Buenos Aires is Colonia. Buquebus, the boat company, located in Puerto Madero at Av. Cordoba, gives you the option of the fast boat (1 hour) or the "slow" boat (3 hours), which is a little less expensive. A quiet town on the water with cobblestone streets, a lighthouse, and outdated cars, Colonia feels years away from the big city of Buenos Aires. The short travel time, plus the small size of Colonia, allows for an easy day trip.
Some of the main highlights include enjoying time on the water, walking (or riding around o
n a rented moto or go kart) the quaint cobblestone streets with their colonial houses, enjoying coffee in the main plaza, visiting the museums, the lighthouse, the historical city gate and wall with its cannons, and Iglesia Matriz (the oldest church in Uruguay). Even all of this will take no more than a few hours, since everything is small and centrally located, so taking your time and relaxing is key, and easy to do.A beautiful city, and so easily accessible from Buenos Aires, a daytrip is definitely worth it.
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