The Gran Dabbang is the Gran DaBomb

Right as the swiss chard pakoras drizzled with Sriracha sauce and served with a sweet carrot slaw chutney was delivered to the table, I knew this unassuming spot on Scalabrini Ortiz was something really special.Months before the restaurant opened, I began following Dabbang on Instagram, not quite understanding who/what it was: Is Dabbang a person? A chef? A cook? A restaurant? A food-obsessed weirdo? A Bollywood star? Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the food that was posted on the feed, and that’s all that really mattered.

Dabbang is da baby of chef Mariano Ramon, who cooked many years with Argie food royalty Narda Lepes. Ramon then traveled, worked, cooked, and ate around the world before opening GD with his partner, former gardener / British transplant Philippa Robson. The couple met in New Zealand, did some more food traveling in India and Southeast Asia, and returned to Mariano’s home turf to bring some flavor and flare to the porteño morfi world.

Decor is minimal and the space has a relaxed, casual vibe. It’s smartly set up with communal tables, a couch, and a few other tables super close together. The main star of the show is the food: the menu focuses on bold flavors – think Indian and Southeast Asian influences, with South American roots, and still made for an Argie palate. The dishes are quite unique, and not just for local standards. It’s also affordable and within walking distance from my house — so that’s a win-win for me.

Dabbang is all about the ingredients and flavor. A crew of young monster cooks dish out creative combinations that master the art of layering textures and flavors, and paying special attention to local ingredients where the quality Argentine product reigns supreme. (Mariano organizes Masticar’s mercado and knows his shit when it comes to local productos). The menu is short and to the point, with about 10 dishes in total, focusing mostly on small plates to share. (No dish tops 90 pesos, as of 03/2015). My tip: Go with a group of 3-5 people and order everything on the menu to share, repeating the greatest hits. And go early or late, peek hours get busy so expect a wait. Sometimes on busy nights, service can be somewhat slow, but the food speeds out of the kitchen at an ideal pace.

The menu is constantly changing slightly depending on what’s freshest and available at market, but here’s a taste of Dabbang’s innovative goodness:Chicken sausage (kebab) with a mango, cucumber and fennel salad served in a lettuce wrap + thai chili sauce + a KILLLLLERRR shredded coconut chutney. The pollo has an insane amount of flavor, with a little peanuty crunch. I’d like to stock up and buy a dozen to always have on call in the freezer.

LAMB CURRY, you are so beautiful to me. Although I wish the sauce had a little more heat, the flavors are rich and intense, and lamb falls apart just as it hits your lamby lips. Just careful for any gristly parts.

A take on falafel, but with plantains, garbanzos. It’s lightly pan-fried, which to me resembles more of a mini veggie burger. So many vegetarian dishes are just sad, but this has all the flavor and texture profiles for a winning dish.

And speaking of vegetarians, the pakoras de acelga are totally my jam. Fried swiss chard served with a sweet carrot chutney, sriracha, and yogurt raita. I’ll protest if this ever leaves the menu.

TERRRRINNNEEEEEE. With caperberries and sweet compote.

Homemade ricotta with garbanzos.

Chicken tiktiktikkkkka.

And corn bread with sobrassada sausage, chili butter and beets. Pickled spicy pepper gave it that mmmmmmmmmmm.

More curries – this time served on a stainless steel segmented plate, just like you’d find in India.PORRRRKKKKKKK  RIBZZZZZZ. Sometimes they serve it with a steamed bunz.

When I went to Paraguay I tried mbeyu and didn’t understand it – so dry, too chalky. But Dabbang’s version with smoked provolone cheese, corn, spinach, and chili jam changes the mbeyu game. They also have an ultra creamy chocolate-jasmine dessert, and make Vietnamese coffee with sweetsweet condensed milk.

There’s a very small drink menu – with only a handful of options – wines like Zorzal, Diamandes Chardonnay, L’Argentine Malbec, Tapiz sparkling, and Pulku cider make the cut, but it would be nice to see a little more variety, especially in the cerveza unit.

I totally wanna culinarily bang Gran Dabbang.

Ok, now let’s all bust out the Dabbang Bollywood dance.
**1:05**
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fuBcEpMZF0&w=853&h=480]

Gran Dabbang 
Av. Scalabrini Ortiz 1543, Palermo
Tel. 4832-1186.
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 8pm – close
Average price (March 2015): 175 pesos

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