Thankfully for us, Tegui was a short walk from our AirBnB so there was no worrying about getting lost this time. We arrive at the interestingly decorated front door and are welcomed into the sitting room. We’re offered a glass of bubbles to start and are invited to sit and wait for our table. It feels almost like a spa with candles and like we’re waiting for a massage or treatment.
Once at our table we are given the menus that let us know “The Cast” for the evening which I found a nice touch. They also say “The finest compliment you can pay to your dining companion is to switch your mobile to silent and leave out of sight. Please take memories, not pictures.” I appreciate the sentiment however our server noticed we’re a little put off by this and says we’re welcome to take pictures just don’t use the flash. “What happens in Tegui stays in Tegui.”
We start with some kale leaves and olive oil mixed with basil. It’s a really nice way to serve kale and the sauce is phenomenal, it played to my palate nicely and it’s something I’d happily have again.
The wines are reasonably priced and there is nice upbeat music which still follows that spa-like theme. I should also mention Tegui are no longer in the World 50 Best Restaurants, moving down to number 60 at the latest awards however as we already had a reservation and it was our only restaurant planned for Buenos Aires we decided to go anyway.
We begin with the snacks, which are delightful. Occa, Jerusalem artichokes and cheese honey and potato croquettes.
Our bread course is scratching bread, infused with a spice we didn’t quite understand and butter. The bread is piping hot and the butter soft and luxurious. A different take on bread and butter but a very good take indeed.
Caramelised cauliflower with parmesan cheese broth, it’s good just a little hard to eat with just a spoon. Fiancee is offered another because he loves it so much. Very thoughtful!
The first official course is mushroom, pine nuts, quince, with a broth for drinking between bites. The mushroom broth really elevates this dish and I’m not the biggest mushroom fan! It’s nice and sophisticated and the quinoa is a good touch.
At this point, I’ve got a lot of crumbs on my table from the bread! Pumpkin, chestnuts. Plus pear. I like the plating and it smells good. Fiancee says it’s a nice dish however for me it left something to be desired. Crumbs are then promptly scooped.
Oyster, chilto. It’s freshly shucked and probably the best oyster I’ve ever had!
Choike, pupusa, quinoa. Argentinian ostrich, Andean potato and quinoa cakes Flavoured perfectly and a good way to try something different. A clever way to serve ostrich!
Tortellini. Served with a chestnut and meat broth. It’s really good however nothing on that chicken tortellini we had at Reale.
The bathrooms are nice however no hand lotion however perfectly in synch with the theme of the rest of the restaurant and feel just right.
Anchovy, citrus, turmeric. To be honest, this one is a bit much for me with the overbearing anchovy flavour, the beetroot is nice and if you appreciate that strong anchovy flavour this dish is for you.
Hen, broth, pinchadita. Crazy plating that is lost on me and the dish itself was underwhelming.
Goat, grape leaves. Served with some buttermilk. It’s savoury, sweet and nice.
Guayaba, rosehip. Our first dessert is refreshing, not sweet and quite tart.
Banana, yatei, chinchil. I thought I was going to love this one however it has a sourness to the sauce. Still very nice once you mix with the maple syrup.
Overall we really rated Tegui, it was a really good tasting menu out at a reasonable price. It wasn’t too intrusive of native ingredients while still getting you to try some different things. The service was fantastic and it had the best spacing of courses by far.
Latest ranking:
- Tim Raue
- Piazza Duomo and Reale
- Central
- Quintonil
- Asador Etxebarri
- Maido
- Le Calandre
- The Ledbury
- Tegui
- Mugaritz
- The Clove Club
- Saison
- Borago
- Arzak
- Azurmendi
- Mirazur
- Dinner by Heston
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