Niño Gordo — Restaurant in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

Way overhyped! I know its not good to have high expectations but that is what this place portrays... they just don't even come close to reaching them, it was a let down.

Maybe YMMV, we sat outside. I feel like the experience being outside is always going to be less positive. I don't factor that into my review as much due to being a walk in and not having a reservation, but they should still keep the QA as high as possible if they are going to add more seating outside. The red light is a weird touch because you literally can't see anything. When I went inside to go to the bathroom, the food looked better also, more fresh. Not sure if it was due to that red light outside or what. Just seemed like a way more positive experience inside.

Felt weird how she was upselling everything like we needed a lot more food when we really only needed two dishes for 2, not 3.

Our first dish came out almost immediately before our drinks even arrived, feeling rushed. It was also cold, which made me think it was a dish sent back that was just pushed to our table. The chicken was a bit dry.

The seafood fried rice was really good, but is that a dish worth 2-3x regular prices? Also kind of cold. The Ojo + Bread combo (Katsusando) was recommended but was a huge letdown. Both of us thought so. Honestly not even sure what that was, but the flavors did not mesh in my opinion.

We mentioned our experience was not the best, and the server didnt really do anything about it.

Overall, overhyped. Sitting inside might be worth it. Do not sit outside and expect remotely close to the same experience.

The food is OK, cocktails were unique and good, but I feel like its way overpriced just because its an above average asian restaurant in Palermo.

I would not come back or recommend...

I've been interested to try this place for a while. Definitely a nice change of pace if you're looking for a break from the usual steak, pasta, pizza that you find in Buenos Aires.

Food is (I think?) Asian aregentine fusion. Portions are quite large, this is a good place to visit with a group to try the different plates.

I'm not sure what to compare this with as Asian (outside of farmed salmon sushi) is not super common in BA. For perspective, I'm from Seattle where our Asian, and specifically SE Asian cuisine is pretty solid. This would not compare to good spots in Seattle but I think they've found a good niche in Palermo.

First, spicy fried rice. Very large portion. I was curious about 'spicy' given thats not common in Buenos Aires.. it actually has a nice kick. The seafood is sub par but I've not found great seafood in Buenos Aires anyway. Squid was especially chewy. Overall, nice flavors.

Second, steak sando. I like the pink center, toasted brioche, some Japanese flavors in the sauces. The meat was well cooked but I feel like it could have had a bit more flavor. Not sure if it's cooked on the parilla or in saute, but its noticeable lacking amongst other steaks here and at other restaurants with that are cooked with strong parilla charcoal notes.

Third, pork belly bao. Wow! This is the winner for the evening. I don't know if this is particularly authentic but this is where the fusion really shines. The crispy subtle sweet bao, flavorful pork belly, an array of accoutrements. My only suggestion, just premake the bao with all the wonderful ingredients instead of laying out all the ingredients for build-your-own.. maybe just a matter...

I am dumbfounded that this place is on the foodie map. Rushed, incoherent service, overall unremarkable food, and sooooooo expensive for what you receive. When we arrived they pulled our table close to another table by the "fishtanks" so my partner was almost back to back with the table behind him and I had five feet of space behind me. It was odd. The dining room is bathed in red lighting and the menus are printed in red making them extremely difficult to read, which is baffling as well, especially when the server is speaking quickly and mumbling through service. After dining here, I am convinced that the World's Top 50 List accolades are pay to play. I will say the fried chicken was good (the rest of the dish was greasy and flavorless) and the "spicy" fried rice had good flavor. It was not spicy (though perhaps for Argentina it is.) That being said, almost $60 USD for a bowl of fried rice with maybe 5 pieces of shrimp, a lopsided egg cooked in a pre-fabed circle, and two tiny pieces of rubbery squid felt criminal, especially after seeing that this dish has been garnished with peppers and other items that were missing from our dish. There are so many better options in this city for fine dining that won't cost this much, either. I just don't understand the hype...