Need advice on Asian resturants BA

[DA]

Please does anyone now of any good Asian resturants here in BA?I just went to Green Bamboo that was suppose to be a Vietnamese resturant, What? it was horrible and not very authentic, also went to Empire Thai, this returant was not very good either, I am kind of spoiled from traveling in Asia but there has be better and more authentic places in BA?

 

[perry]

I have to agree that the Asian restaurants here in general leave a lot to be desired. Green Bamboo is one that I believe is overated
These two restaurants I have found to be excellent with great service.
Azema Exotic Bistró
Angel Carranza 1875 - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Tel: 4774-4191
Norte JB Justo
http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=2138
The next one is my favourite for the great food and friendly service .
Los Chinos
Av. Federido Lacroze 2121 - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Tel: 4777-6789 / 4776-0229 / 4778-9688
Belgrano C
http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=1556

 

[Mike1]

As far as Asian restaurants with authentic tastes, you're not going to find any, believe me, I've tried to look for one that is. I was trying out the restaurants in "Barrio Chino," BA's equivalent Chinatown here. I usually go to Asian restaurants where most of the clients are Asian because these are the places where food is authentic, and Asians tend to shy away from the "Americanized" places where the taste is altered with substitute ingredients. I've also had Thai food here in Retiro, AFAIK, it's one of the ONLY 2 that exists in Buenos Aires. It's as bad as trying to find a pizzaria that offers NY style pepperoni pizzas (if you know of any, please let me know because I'm STILL looking for one.) The quality is so-so to horrible at best. The taste is nowhere close to the Chinatown in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York, where the Asian food is excellent. The lack of the ingredients is one of the main factors. When I was living in Hollywood before I moved here last Jan. I've always had to drive 7 miles across town to Chinatown in downtown, or even further (12 to 18 miles) to the east side of town, like Monterey Park, Alhambra, or San Gabriel for Asian foods.

 

[Mike1]

I totally agree with you fishface, I found out that the Chinese living here are from mainland China, not Hong Kong which are more common in the States. They are not as friendly. They are rude, and they would give you that mean stare especially if you're a foreigner. The style of food is completely different than the style that I am used to in the States. It's surprising to see how the Chinese here are learning to live with the horrible food and STILL frequent the restaurants in that area.

 

[thuy.ashtango]

Hi all. A friend recommended I join this group and I'm glad I did. Looks like a lot of you are looking for authentic Asian food. I've been in BA for almost 2 years and was getting pretty tired of being disappointed so I started a closed-door Vietnamese restaurant. Yes, I am actually Vietnamese. Born in Saigon and grew up eating a lot of my parents' home cooking. This month (October 08) I'm serving Pho. Here's my site: alittlesaigon.com a closed door Vietnamese Restaurant in Buenos Aires. And I apologize for the shameless self promotion, but I think some of you will thank me.
Eat well. Thuy

 

[diosaarenosa]

wow thuy.ashtango, that's the best news i've heard all day. moving to BA in 3 weeks and have been spoilt for the last 3 years living in east london - hackney and shoreditch which has a burgeoning viet community and plenty of wonderful restos.
at one point i was eating pho 3 x a week! probably what i will most hanker after over there, do you serve your pho with beansprouts, chilli, lime and vietnamese basil?

mmmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it....! can't wait to try your place out

 

[syngirl]

For Japanese I think the best experience is Nikkai Associacion Japones -- look it up on Guia Oleo. A very nice selection of food, very well done. Also if you google Nikkai you may come across the Japanese Cultural Associacion's newsletter, in which they list a lot of different Japanese and other Asian restaurants, if you can't find it let me kow and I'll have a look through my bookmarks and see if I've got it somewhere.

Garden is supposedly where the Embassy people go... I was there for Chinese New Year a couple of years ago, and the food I think was very good (... clarify, good for here, I'm from Vancouver so I will probably never be happy with what I find for Asian food here), but the interior was more English pub... Garden - Cocina China | Guía Oleo - Restaurantes de Buenos Aires

Lotus Neo Thai is good food, not really authentic Thai but I felt it was miles above Empire...

I think BuddhaBA is supposed to be decent, and there's some others listed in Guia Oleo. Do as recommended, scout the restaurants with the most Asians. Also if you go to Barrio Chino on the weekends you can get decent street food (dumplings, pork buns, etc)

The thing that you have to remember is that even in a place like Vancouver, Chinese food was pretty much the Americanized version until everyone moved over in the 80s coming up to the HK handover. It was only with the flood of immigrants that the restaurants started to feel they could move beyond Chop Suey and General Tso's Chicken. Buenos Aires is in the Chow Mein Chop Suey Sweet n Sour Pork phase... and there's not a lot of signs that that's going to change. We are talking about a country that only accepted sushi once it was filled up with cream cheese, lol.

If you stay here long enough you'll become like me -- every flight home means a desperate run for dim sum right after the plane trip, shower can come later, hahaha.

 

[citygirl]

Oh how I miss dim sum! It was the first thing I got when I got off the plane in NYC. I also miss good Indian and the sushi here leaves a lot to be desired as well. Sigh...

 

[syngirl]

I forgot these two -- Korean downstairs, Japanese upstairs -- we did Japanese when we went, the Korean looked nice, but they are expensive options -- however they do have hotpot and looked like they offered bi bim bat. I haven't been for over a year so cannot say whether good now or not: Keum Kang San - Cocina Coreana | Guía Oleo - Restaurantes de Buenos Aires (Keum Kang San, the japanese is Fujisan )