By Rodrigo Garcia |
Buenos Aires (EFE).- Garlic prawns, baby squid, oxtail, Madrid-style tripe, tortillas and rice dishes. These are the jewels in the crown of “El burladero”, a particular culinary temple with a Spanish flavor in the heart of Buenos Aires and which is the first in Argentina to receive the “Restaurants from Spain” quality seal.
Since 2012, in the Recoleta neighborhood, very close to the tourist cemetery where the remains of Eva Perón and some of the most remembered Argentine heroes and former presidents rest, a façade with two burladeros – a fence that protects the bullfighters in the cosos- invites you to immerse yourself in a kind of Spanish bubble through its decoration, menu and even piped music.
Taking Spain to South America
“Our goal is that people who come here to eat feel like they are eating in a restaurant in Madrid, for example, and that they have the same flavors, trying to make it as similar as possible,” the Argentine chef told EFE. Alejo Waisman, owner of the establishment.
This Thursday, in an act at the Spanish Embassy in which there was no lack of a succulent tasting of products, Waisman received a certification that, promoted by ICEX Spain Exportation and Investments, distinguishes and supports restaurants around the world that offer quality cuisine from Spain. , and who become ambassadors of their gastronomy.
“I must say that gastronomy is probably a much better embassy than an office in the middle of a city. It is very appreciated that we have a new embassy in addition to the offices we already have”, said the ambassador of Spain, María Jesús Alonso, jocularly, who highlighted the demand of the jury that grants the seal.
“Institutions linked to Spanish gastronomy (…) From the Royal Academy of Gastronomy to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Repsol guide, etc. That they are unanimous and award the prize, I think it gives an idea of the quality and merit”, Alonso argued, adding that the distinction also tries to promote the “principles of objectivity, traceability and transparency”.
The challenges in Argentina
Buying Spanish goods is not easy in Argentina, where there are strong restrictions on imports: “It is hard work to get it, but for example, (our) octopus is Spanish, squid are Spanish. Saffron, paprika, rice. Basically, that’s always Spanish and then we add Argentine products, also of very good quality”, says Waisman.
Despite the fact that Argentina is where most Spaniards live outside of Spain, until now none of the many restaurants that offer dishes inspired by Iberian cuisine -many of which emerged from the strong Spanish migration that took place in the last century- had received this distinction.
“El burladero”, preserves the essence of Spain
“El burladero” wanted to avoid the great “argentinization” of the dishes that other Spanish restaurants in Argentina were acquiring over time, looking for a genuine, traditional offer and respecting cooking techniques”, explains its owner, who has worked for years in the Basque Country, Catalonia and Madrid.
“The dishes that people ask for the most are tortillas, garlic prawns, cuttlefish, oxtail, tripe and rice dishes. Rice is what is eaten the most”, states Waisman, who together with his brothers runs other restaurants in Buenos Aires.
In “El burladero”, where some 45 people work, the majority are regular customers, although tourists also come, surrendering to a good Jabugo ham, a juicy potato omelette, various types of paella, a sweet Catalan cream or rice with Asturian milk.
The restaurant is not large and it is often difficult to find a place, so it is recommended to book in advance. But the size is not incompatible with the large number of objects that transport to the Iberian country.
“We traveled to Spain and brought a lot of things like the flag, which we bought in a place where they are made for embassies,” says the chef. And there is no shortage, for example, of old Catalan street signs, photos of Kings Felipe and Letizia and famous artists such as Salvador Dalí or Federico García Lorca, and shirts from various football clubs.