NARDA COMEDOR: IGNORE THE DÉCOR AT THIS VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY CELEBRITY CHEF EATERY IN BUENOS AIRES
The Cost -$19 per person
The Atmosphere – Located on a street with a bunch of new restaurants that have sprung up beside it, Narda Comedor’s interior has whitewashed brick walls, elementary school-looking metal chairs, and a mix of some modern design elements and design elements that remind you of a 20th-century diner; unfortunately, the combination does not work well. There are large tables that look like shared working tables for people that visit the restaurant and use it as a café as well as individual tables for diners who visit for lunch or dinner. The restaurant is open for most of the day and does not take reservations.
Chef Narda Lepes may just be the most well-known Argentinian chef. Despite winning numerous awards for her cooking and her food writing, the celebrity chef is a household name because of her role as a judge on MasterChef Argentina. In 2017, Lepes opened Narda Comedor, a restaurant located in the Belgrano Chico neighborhood of Buenos Aires that takes pride in creating well-balanced, vegetable-forward dishes with lots of flavor. Since its opening, Narda Comedor has been recognized many times, including being named to San Pelligrino’s Top 50 Restaurants in Latin America list multiple times.
The Order – Palta que lo Parió, Empanadas de Carne, and the Berenjena Asada.
The Fantastic – The Palta que lo Parió is an appetizer that features an avocado, cut lengthwise, filled with quinoa, pomegranate seeds, pickled onions, parsley, cilantro chile sauce, and toasted peanuts, all over grilled halloumi cheese. The avocado was warm and the fresh herbs combined with the nuts, chili sauce, and pomegranate seeds, made this dish hit every single taste bud in a great way. The cheese was also a great addition, giving off a nice grilled flavor and it made the appetizer even more substantial. In many ways, the Palta que lo Parió resembled something out of Thailand, especially if you think about switching the avocado out for a meat protein. Regardless of where Chef Narda got her inspiration from, this dish is a true representation of her dedication to well-balanced food.
The Great – Even Narda Comedor’s empanadas showcased a variety of healthy, flavorful foods. The Empanadas de Carne came two to the order and were packed with chunks of beef, egg whites, raisins, chiles, onions, and ground cumin. While not as flavorful as the palta, this dish is a departure from the traditional, more simple beef empanada and was another nice appetizer that was easy to share. The empanadas are fried but are not oily and though they did contain chiles, they were not too spicy.
The Berenjena Asada was the only main course that was ordered, and it did not disappoint. The dish consists of an impressive entire eggplant sprinkled with parmesan cheese and topped with cooked tomatoes, capers, and a large portion of stracciatella, the cheese that makes up the inside of burrata. The eggplant is quite good as are the cheese and tomatoes and overall, it is a very nice entrée. The one thing I didn’t like about it though was that the tomatoes and cheese were cold while the eggplant was warm, giving a temperature difference that was not particularly enjoyable.
The Verdict – Narda Comedor provides vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike a great opportunity to eat a delicious, healthy, well-balanced, vegetable-forward meal at a very reasonable price. As long as you aren’t looking for a trendy, sceney or fancy restaurant, Narda Comedor is a great option for a high-quality meal in Buenos Aires.