Mishiguene

It’s been 2 ½ years since I first walked through the front door of Mishiguene. It was a bit green at the time. I think a few patrons in the adjoining hotel and I were the only people on the planet that new about the place. But the chef had a passion for delicious and unique food and possessed skills learned abroad that put him in a class above 99% of the executive chefs in Buenos Aires, most of whom are locally bred and trained.

It took me a year and half to publish a review. Soon after, Allie Lazar, the local bloggiest and restaurant expert, jumped on board with praise. And soon the word was out that chef Tomás Kalika was doing some unique and tasty things at Mishiguene. It became a hit with locals in the upscale Palermo neighborhood where it’s located and features in international dining blogs and in the New York Times soon followed.

Just a few days prior to our update of the prior review of this restaurant, Mishiguene sort of came of age with its inclusion at #50 on London publicist and publisher William Reed’s list of the World’s 50 Best for Latin America. That’s a dubious honor, considering the deserved criticism of the list, and the mediocrity of many an establishment that earns a spot on that list. But it’s an honor nonetheless, that will bring a new level of notoriety to Mishiguene among international diners.

Mishiguene offers a unique fusion of middle-eastern cuisine with Argentine ingredients and a bit of Argentine personality. With the opening of their second restaurant, Misiguene Fayer, across the street from the U.S. Embassy, the owners of Mishiguene and fledgling Fayer have come of age.

There’s a downside to this popularity and publicity for the diner. It now costs about twice what it cost two years ago to enjoy a meal at Mishiguene.

But the food is extraordinarily unique and the service always attentive.

Mishiguene’s signature dishes are hefty portions of smoked beef pastrami and lamb. This is comfort food at its best. On my first two visits in 2015, we were more impressed with their unique takes on traditional middle-eastern appetizers than we were with the smoked lamb and beef. But when we visited Mishiguene two years ago, there were a few lapses of execution. We were served a burned pastry appetizer (“cigarro”) that should never have left the pass. Those types of mishaps are few and far between two years later. Chef Kalika has apparently become a bit more adept at controlling his brigade in the kitchen since then.

For Porteños looking to be initiated to this unique cuisine the lunch menu is a great opportunity to test the waters. For starters, you can experience a plate full of the middle-eastern salads and cold plates, including old standards like hummus, tabuleh and babaganush, and few highly unique offerings you won’t find anywhere else. That’s followed by any of the restaurant’s signature main course dishes, including their now-famous smoked pastrami. Beverage, glass of beer or wine, and a cup of coffee or tea are included in the US$20 ($380 ARS) price tag.

Or you might want to indulge in one of the most unique and sophisticated salads in the city, the Fatoush de Otoño, that we feature in our list of Best Salad in Buenos Aires and our list of the most beautifully plated meals in Buenos Aires. We describe it as an orchestra of flavor on a plate!

Once you’ve tried everything on the menu at Mishiguene, walk a few blocks up to Fayer and experience a slightly different take on the same fabulous cuisine. Read about that experience here. Or just flip a coin to decide which one to visit today. Whether it lands heads or tails, you’ll be the winner.