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Niño Gordo

Buenos Aires

A joyous fusion of east and west

How can I find it? Set in Buenos Aires' buzzing Palermo Soho district, the journey to this restaurant begins with locating the giant, baby-shaped balloon that marks its location – a playful reference to its name, which means 'chubby boy' – although the queue of guests eager to secure one of the hottest seats in town may also give it away.

Seeing red: From the lighting to the décor, everything inside Nino Gordo is decorated in shades of scarlet. Asian design motifs saturate the space, ranging from lanterns suspended from the high ceiling to traditional paintings decorating the walls. Inspired by the owners' trips across Asia, the resulting package is a love letter to the continent, with their own favourite elements cherry-picked and combined into a single restaurant.

Asian-Argentine fusion: Matching the aesthetic, a small-but-mighty kitchen led by Germán Sitz and Pedro Peña delivers a menu that marries traditional Argentine culinary techniques with the flavours of East and Southeast Asia. Think crispy karaage (fried chicken) dipped into salsa verde, or parrilla-grilled sausage with wasabi and tamarind. Dishes are fast and fun, pooling inspiration from a wide gamut of Asian cuisines. Wash down the courses with one of the excellent cocktails, such as the Pedro piña, made with rum, peach, coconut liqueur and vanilla.

Tell me about the chef: Prior to opening Niño Gordo in 2017, chefs Peña and Sitz were already established as the Buenos Aires culinary heavyweights behind butcher-shop-turned-parrilla La Carnicería and elevated choripán outpost Chori. Both eateries are located on the same street as their Asian-inspired sibling, cementing their status as kings of the road.

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