Saturday, April 7, 2012

Argentinean Dining @ San Telmo, 14 Meyers Place, Melbourne

My last experience with Argentinean food was fortunately in the country itself.  For those unfamiliar with Argentinean cuisine, it is heavily focused on meat (carne).  After travelling from bustling and cosmopolitan Buenos Aries to the home of Malbec wine production in Mendoza, then up through the northern heart of the country from Cordoba to cities like Salta and then further north to the Bolivian border, there was one consistent theme throughout the country and that was expressed in a Mendozan supermarket I went to - the choices at the butcher section was beef, simply different cuts of beef.
Morcilla (Blood Sausage) and Chimichurri 
Menus at restaurants throughout the country would make you feel like you had de ja vu - there was "lomo" (Steak), there was "milanese" (Schnitzel) and then various sausages, for example "Chorizo" (spicy pork sausage) and "Morcilla" (blood sausage).  Sides were usually a small serve of crunchy thin chips or maybe a couple of lettuce leaves, lest to detract from the main event. I remember leaving the country with a severe red meat addiction and after being wary of the carnivorous offerings in Bolivia, I got True-Blood-like withdrawals.  

Vaccio (Flank Steak)
My fondest memory of eating in Argentina was a meal out with friends with their families in Palermo where the steak from the parilla (traditional Argentinean barbecue) was the most succulent and tender I've ever had (see "Pound-for-Pound Winner" at France-soir for some local options).  Less appetising was arriving in Salta after an overnight bus ride and ordering an early lunch/late breakfast parilla comprising Morcilla and various other barbecued treats like heart, liver, tripe, etc.  


Whereas the Morcilla in Salta actually tasted like what it was - coagulated blood - at the Melbourne based Argentinean restaurant San Telmo (named after a beautiful old suburb in central BA), the Morcilla was flavoursome, perfectly cooked and overall excellent.  San Telmo is a perfect venue for late night dining (like they do in Argentina, with most people not eating out till 9/10pm).  With it now impossible to travail Melbourne's streets without reservations between regular eating hours of 7 till 9 pm, the late night Argentinean style of dining is a good option.  
Papas (Crispy Potato Galette)
San Telmo has a great set-up in terms of seating options - there are the Meyers Place facing bar stools (recommended to avoid the heat/people-watch), there is the main dining area, there is a private dining area, there is a long bar at the back and there is the rear garage looking onto Windsor Place (again recommended to avoid the heat, and really nice for a date).  The big downside about San Telmo is the stifling heat - it was South American Summer sweltering hot inside, which may have been due to the sultry Melbourne evening, but probably more likely the huge Argentinean parilla being used to cook the meat.  The biggest disappointment was the chimichurri sauce, a traditional accompaniment, that was way too oily and was far from the pungent and aromatic sauce that I remembered in Argentina.  

We were happy with the Estrella Galicia beer on tap, the Flank Steak (Vaccio) which was tender but I prefer a little more rare, the crispy potato galette (Papas) was a nice accompaniment.  I also really enjoyed the Empanadas which had a crunchy exterior and were loaded with beef, olives and eggs.  The Morcilla was really memorable and I'd like to go back to sample some of the other items on the menu, especially some of the other steaks (striploin, scotch fillet, hanger steak) plus sweetbreads (Mollejas - google it, this is one for the brave!).  This certainly ain't an old-school Palermo parilla house in BA, but it'll do...for now! 

San Telmo
14 Meyers Place, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9650 5525

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