How can you recognize one of the best restaurants in Palermo? Easy. Because above its door floats a fat, happy-faced inflatable child. Such a sign can only bode well, and that’s what happens when you walk through the door of Niño Gordo, an Asian grill that is much more than that. Feel transported to Asia without leaving Buenos Aires by eating at this restaurant in Palermo.
Niño Gordo: the small door that takes you straight to Asia without leaving Palermo
To say that Niño Gordo is an Asian grill is an understatement, because this Asian restaurant in Buenos Aires has an Asian soul that blends with Argentine ingredients and flavors for an experience that is worth trying more than once. It’s no wonder it was named one of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America and the world.
If you want to feel like you’re in one of those narrow alleys in Tokyo surrounded by people, restaurants, and flavors, you have to visit Niño Gordo.
Sake, miso, and asado: the restaurant that blended two cultures without betraying either
Niño Gordo’s menu is a gastronomic journey without leaving Buenos Aires. Limited but intense, with just enough to take you on a trip through China, Japan, Thailand, and beyond. This menu, featuring the best of Asian cuisine with an Argentine touch, surprises you with small and large dishes so you can try more than one during your visit or share: dumplings, tataki, baos, katsu sando, noodles, and desserts so that no flavor is left undiscovered.
And if you reach dessert with your stomach about to give up, make the effort because it’s worth trying both the flan and the mango rice: the miso flan, ginger cream, and salted caramel is unforgettably creamy, and the mango rice with mango ice cream is the perfect twist on the Thai classic.
Ten chairs, one chef, and no middleman: this is the most sought-after experience at Niño Gordo
If you decide to go, the most coveted spot at Niño Gordo is one of the ten seats at the chef’s bar. There, the dishes arrive directly from the hands of the person who cooked them, with no middlemen and no detours through the dining room. The kitchen is completely open. You can follow each preparation, listen to the wok, and smell the aromas before the dish lands in front of you.
You can also see how each drink on the menu is prepared and, if you’re curious, ask the bartender why some of the drinks have movie names: you can order a “Takeshi Kitano” (if you don’t know his movies, we recommend them) or a Porco Rosso in honor of Studio Ghibli.
What’s more, the Asian influence transcends the food and permeates everything, to the point where you’ll find a Japanese toilet (with instructions in Japanese), dragon-shaped taps, and a large mirror to look at yourself while listening to Studio Ghibli music in the bathroom at Niño Gordo.
If you’re looking for a different experience from time to time and want a restaurant that’s lively without being noisy, that’s special but authentic, just walk down Thames Street and discover the floating fat boy who points with his happy face to one of the most authentic restaurants in Buenos Aires.
📍Thames 1810
👉IG @xniniogordox
