Following My Cravings to Sudestada
Yes, you’ve heard right. Meat rules in Buenos Aires! I discovered this on my first venture to my local DISCO supermarket and seeing the goodness that was the meat, specifically the beef section. I went for what looked like rib-eye steaks. The steaks came in 2 thick slices and cost AR$15. At the current exchange rate of AR$3.9 to US$1, that roughly comes out to the bargain price of US$3.80. I bought myself a bottle of Malbec – the popular Argentine varietal grape – and potatoes, and I was set to cook! The joys of living in a different country for me is to experience the mundane rituals of everyday life, like buying food from the local market and cooking – it’s also a fantastic way to learn food and money vocabulary. After realizing how relatively inexpensive meat is, I went on what one might call a meat-buying and cooking binge in my first few days here. By the weekend, my taste buds hankered for familiar flavors. I wanted Asian food, and I wanted it badly!
Sudestada
I decided to visit the restaurant Sudestada for lunch – its name a play on the word “southeast” and the climactic phenomenon that occurs in the Rio de la Plata region. Described in my guidebook as “one of the city’s first and finest Southeast Asian restaurants,” I needed to check it out, especially since its location in Palermo Hollywood is just a 15-minute walk from my apartment. The restaurant’s website has menus up for both lunch and dinner as well as an English translation option. The food that jumped out at me when I initially perused the menu was the “lumpia” appetizer, a Filipino staple dish. I was shocked and very intrigued to see it on the menu.
La Carta de Sudestada
Sudestada is in the Palermo Hollywood neighborhood, where many film and TV studios are located as well as wealthy Porteños. Located on the corner Guatemala and Fitz Roy, the restaurant has an intimate, neighborhood feel. The interior is minimal and white, with nary a hint of anything looking like it could be Southeast Asian (except for me). There were two tables of English-speaking people, and the rest of the patrons were locals. The restaurant’s servers were all dressed in similar black-and-white looking lab frocks. I initially thought my server handed me a menu for tourists, as I heard rumours that many establishments do just that. The prices at Sudestada are quite high. I initially ordered the Lumpias Filipinas de Pollo de Campo y Calmar (chicken and squid rolls, AR$37) and the house red wine (a Merlot of all things, AR$15), but my server informed me that the dish was only an appetizer and asked if I wanted anything else. So I added an order of Jiaozi de Credo y Langostinos (shrimp and pork dumplings, AR$36). I only later realized that non-appetizer meals are also on the menu under “Especiales” and priced higher and that the menu I ordered from is the actual restaurant menu given to everyone.
Lumpias Filipinas de Pollo de Campo y Calmar
Jiaozi de Credo y Langostinos
The lumpias were excellent! The appetizer reinterpreted the traditional cylindrical lumpia as a large, flat spring roll and included a lovely cilantro and tomato salad with a sweet and mild dipping sauce. The rolls were so large that I couldn’t finish the third one. I loved them! On the other hand, the dumplings were only mediocre. Because I didn’t finish the last roll, I asked for it to be boxed, which was an additional charge of AR$8. With a cafe con leche to complete my lunch, my bill totaled around AR$105, or about US$26. Yes, very pricey!
While I wouldn’t call the two appetizers that I had spectacular, I did appreciate the Asian flavors, which I really craved. Can Sudestada hold up to Asian places like those found in Seattle? Probably not. But this is, of course, Argentina where steak and pasta dishes dominate, so having the option to have Southeast Asian food in Buenos Aires is certainly a luxury. Would I consider going back? If the craving is strong, absolutely! I would like to try a main entree dish. But for now, I am on the hunt for sushi!
