TANTA: DELICIOUS TRADITIONAL PERUVIAN CUISINE IN BUENOS AIRES
The Cost - $50 per person at the official exchange rate
The Atmosphere – Tanta occupies a space that feels very large because of the restaurant’s high ceilings, interior green space, bar area, and open kitchen. Its contemporary design is inviting and comfortable and creates a very nice atmosphere in which to enjoy a meal and there is also covered outdoor seating for those who prefer to dine outside. Casual attire is acceptable, but most people will be slightly more dressed up for the meal (read pants, non-graphic tees, no flip flops). Reservations are highly recommended and credits cards are accepted.
Astrid and Gastón Acuiro, two of the most famous names in Peruvian gastronomy, opened the original Tanta in Lima in 2003. The restaurant, which specializes in traditional Peruvian cuisine using seasonal ingredients, has now expanded to a dozen locations in Peru along with multiple international locations in North and South America. One of those South American locations is in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires, which has welcomed this well-known Lima-based restaurant with open arms.
The Order – Cebiche Clásico, Las Croquetas de Tanta, Pescado con Arroz a lo Macho, Ossobuco de la Abuela, and a Torta Tres Leches con Dulce de Leche.
The Great – While four of the dishes that were ordered received our Great rating, two of them really stood out: the Croquetas de Tanta and the Pescado con Arroz a lo Macho. The Croquetas de Tanta are filled with aji de gallina, a classic Peruvian chicken stew that was slow cooked with bechamel for three hours and then made into croquettes and fried. They come six pieces to an order and are served with a huancaina sauce, a yellow pepper based sauce with onions and a little bit of cheese. The combination is just wonderful and the bechamel sauce inside the croquettes just makes that stewed chicken taste even better. While this dish can be made spicy, Tanta’s version in Argentina was not, possibly to cater to local tastes. Regardless, it was an excellent, easily shareable appetizer that I’d highly recommend.
The Pescado a lo Macho is another traditional Peruvian dish that Tanta did very, very well. Featuring nicely prepared lenguado, sole fish, that was presented over a large plate of rice, the pescado a lo macho, unlike the croquetas, packed some heat. The spicy sauce was perfection and the creamy rice, which contained corn, red peppers, and peas, along with purple onions, fresh herbs, and an aioli, was a delight. While the dish contained a good sized portion of fish for one, the rice was easily enough for two. Definitely my favorite entrée of the night, the pescado a lo macho highlighted Tanta’s use of seasonal, high quality produce.
There was no way I could leave without trying the Cebiche Clásico. Tanta’s version of the most famous Peruvian dish was truly a classic and was nicely done using fresh, raw corvina rubia, a local white fish, which was soft and really lovely. In addition to the fish, the ceviche also had aji picante, raw onions, sweet potatoes, and crunchy corn kernels, all sitting in a tasty leche de tigre, the citrus based marinade that cured the fish. This was a classic done well.
The last dish that earned our Great rating was the Torta Tres Leches con Dulce de Leche. While this dish originated in Central America and not Peru, tres leches is a dessert commonly eaten throughout Latin America and the addition of the dulce de leche brought to it a little bit of Argentinian flair. The dulce de leche is incorporated into the sauce that is poured on top of the cake at the table and I was surprised at just how light it turned out. With the evaporated and condensed milks in addition to the dulce de leche, this dessert is definitely on the sweet side, but anyone who is a fan of tres leches is sure to enjoy it.
The Good – The Ossobuco de la Abuela was a solid beef shank that was slow cooked and served with mashed potatoes and some purple onions. The mashed potatoes were good, but the meat was definitely the highlight. Very soft and flavorful, it was served on the bone in a huge portion for a single person. It’s not a dish I would run to order again given the number of delicious-sounding options on the menu, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the choice.
The Verdict – The overall experience at Tanta was an excellent one – from the authentically prepared and well executed Peruvian food to the sophisticated and trendy ambiance, it is a great restaurant to go to for a special occasion, a date, an outing with friends, or just a really good meal. The service at the restaurant was also outstanding and that really stood from the beginning to end of the meal. This level of international success is not something that is easy to accomplish, but the Buenos Aires location of Astrid and Gastón Acurio’s Tanta shows exactly why this restaurant has been able to achieve it.
Tanta
Esmeralda 938, C1072 C1007ABL, Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina