Buenos Aires All Star Restaurant: Paraje Arevalo

On a quiet Palermo Hollywood corner lies just one of the most quaint, pleasant, delicious little restaurants you ever did see.  Simple in decor, Paraje Arevalo (Arévalo 1502) focuses on the food, excellent food that reaches a level that is hard to find in this city. Unique, inventive, with keen eye on presentation, the young chef/owner power duo, (with an impressive resume) Estefanía Di Benedetto and Matias Kyriazis, keep on banging out hits in the kitchen. 

The restaurant has a very simple yet playful design, with sleek white linens, large windows overlooking the corner of Arévalo and Cabrera, an old-fashioned refrigerator, and an antique bicycle propped below a window peeking into the open kitchen.

On to the important part…. the food.  Paraje Arevalo offers a prix fixe tasting menu, 6 or 8 courses, that changes monthly. Being the side-salad-eating girl that I am, I opted for the 8 course menu while my burly, manly date chose the 6 courser. I’ll call my 8 courser the “girl menu” and his measly 6 courser the “boy menu.” A bitch gosta eat.

I’m going to rate this meal into three categories: the good, the great, and the food I wanted to take to a telo and get it PREGNANT.

Girl Course #1: Kadaif de mollejas.  Kataifi noodles wrapped around sweetbreads. I always hated the idea of sweetbreads, until one day when I thought I had ordered mussels (mejillones) but really had ordered sweetbreads (mollejas) and it wasn’t half bad.  A full plate of glands may be a bit much, but two perfect crispy bites were just about right. *GREAT*

Boy Course #1: Alitas laqueadas y especias. Glazed chicken wings with spices.  Unlike my choice in men, I like my meat white.  These alitas de pollo had a delicious glaze, but was missing large meaty pieces of chicken.  Just like my perfectly toned body, it was mainly skin and bones. *GOOD*

Girl Course #2: Langostinos con crema de papas y coliflor. Shrimp with a potato, cauliflower and cream mash.  Mash me up. More. That’s it. Right there. *GREAT*

Girl Course #3: Huevo apanado y frito con aderezo de alcaparras, anchoas y atún. Breadcrumb covered egg, fried, served with capers, anchovies and tuna.  After this dish I gave my date a big old beso on the mouth. *GREAT*

I bet you like that egg yolk oozing, perv.

Boy Course #2: Huevo a baja temperatura, esponja de olivas y olivas asadas. Low temp cooked egg, olive sponge bread with roasted olives.  Sometimes the consistency of eggs give me the willies, even though the flavors were great, I don’t like it when any of the white part jiggles too much. And I don’t really like olives. Not a dish for me. *GOOD*

Girl Course #4: Berenjenas asadas y espuma de leche y nuez moscada. Roasted eggplant, milk foam, nutmeg.  This was similar to a roasted eggplant custard – beneath the top layer of creamy milkiness was an intense flavor of roasted eggplant. Fabulous. Also take note of the beautiful, playful presentation – fun shaped plates and bowls, it’s like Christmas! *I GUNNA MAKE YOU PREGNANT*

Boy Course #3: Lasagna de calabazas, maíz y verdeo, mozzarella ahumada. Butternut squash lasagna, corn and green onion, smoked mozzarella.  I didn’t get a real good taste of this since my HOT DATE was busy eating it. WTF?! Doesn’t he realize that in addition to my 8 course meal, I also need unlimited bites of his too? *GREAT*

Girl Course #5: Salmón a 55°C  en jugo de remolachas.  Salmon cooked at 55º in beet juice.  Part of the chefs impressive resume was working at the infamous The Fat Duck in Berkshire, a restaurant known for their adventurous (in the culinary world) techniques and molecular gastronomical cooking. *GREAT*

Girl Course #6: Cuadril en costra de pimienta y coriandro, Risotto de quinoa.  Pepper and coriander crusted sirloin, quinoa risotto.  I HATE coriander, HATE cilantro, but I LOVED this dish.  Every last drop of it. From the perfectly cooked meat to the richly flavored quinoa – hey baby, get yo hot cuadril over here because it’s time to get you *PREGNANT*Boy Course #4: Pesca del día, bivalvos a la marinera y papas crocante.  Fish of the day, muscles a la marinera and french fried potatoes. By this point, I was fading fast. Chinese Riddle For You: how am I supposed to eat all of my meal AND try the other menu all at the same time?! The mains for this tasting menu were definitely generous in size, and generously delicious, which made it hard to put down the fork.  *PREGNANT*

Girl Course #7: Palito helado de menta. Mint “icecream” stick (pre-postre).  Frozen stick of mint, refreshing? Sure, why not.  I was too busy cradling my food baby to really notice this one, so I won’t give it a rating.

Boy Course #5: Bavaroise de chocolate blanco. White chocolate Bavarian cream, straight from the Bavarian Reich. *GOOD*
Girl Course #8: Némesis de chocolate amargo y crema de maní. Dark chocolate NEMESIS and a peanut cream.  I’m not going to pretend that I know what a chocolate nemesis is, but me likey.  What a little piece of chocolaty perfection. *PREGGO*

Boy course #5: Ricotta al forno, helado de naranjas y romero.  Ricotta al forno cake, rosemary and orange ice cream.  Compared to my chocolate nemesis, this dessert wasn’t anything special.  *GOOD*

I’m no expert on wines, but it’s apparent that Paraje Arevalo knowz itz shit.  The staff members, who are extremely knowledgeable and well-trained (and may win the premio for providing the best service in Buenos Aires), are extremely helpful when it comes to choosing the right wine for you.  Diners can also bring their own wine (AR$50 corkage fee) or opt for the wine pairing menu (extra AR$160).  I chose a treatsy wine off the menu, a fruity Rutini white.

I left full and very happy, wondering how this was only my second time visiting and planning my return to try the October menu.  In terms of quality, presentation, service, and price, Paraje Arevalo just took the lead as one of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires.

Paraje Arevalo
Arévalo 1502, Palermo Hollywood
4775-7759, Reservations highly recommended
Wednesday – Saturday, 8:30pm
6 or 8 course tasting menu (AR$140/ AR$160)
Tuesday – Sunday, Lunch
3 or 5 course menu (AR$120 / AR$140)

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