Salmuera, the pride of Argentina?

‘‘The pride of Argentina’’, that’s a hefty title. Not only is an entire country standing on your shoulders expecting you to represent them and their cuisine, but you also have to convince every person walking through your doors that it’s true. Juicy steaks, fresh ingredients, and flavors that’ll blow your socks straight off, that’s what I think of when I think of Argentinian cuisine. I had the pleasure of eating at Salmuera recently, and based on first impressions, here’s my review.

Taste with your eyes

From the get-go, this spot only got good reviews from my friends. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food was incredible. It’s safe to say that I had high hopes for this dinner. Their Instagram feed definitely contributed to the excitement. Their photographer needs a significant raise. But, let’s get back to the food.

As soon as we walked in, we saw the grill master lining up steaks of all kinds and sizes, one juicier than the next. The smells coming from that grill, divine. Rib-eyes glistening in their own juices, crossed with those iconic grill marks and ready to be devoured. I was salivating, and I hadn’t even taken two steps into the restaurant yet.

A bit of everything

The menu was impressive. It wasn’t overflowing with options, but enough to make you rethink your choices a couple of times to make sure you picked the right dish. Ceviches, tostadas, steaks, fish, sides, they had it all. There even was a separate menu for their dry-aged steaks. We took full advantage. Spiced slow-cooked lamb tostadas with mint chimichuri, a seabass ceviche to start, with a Paper Plane to sip on.

Right out of the gate, these two alone we’re killer. The slow-cooked lamb was juicy and succulent, bursting with flavor. The crunch of the tostada adding some texture and the chimichurri balancing out the flavors. It could’ve been a main course and we would’ve been happy.

Next up, the ceviche. I’ll admit, my experience with ceviches and dishes like these has been limited. This was my first ceviche and I didn’t know what to expect. It was wonderful. The seabass was deliciously meaty, with the amarillo giving it a zing and some spice, bringing out the flavor of the fish. A pretty good start i’d say.

The piece the resistance

Not long after we got through our starters, our small plates were replaced with bigger ones, and more food for us to dive into. five hour roasted suckling pig, pimientos with creme fraiche, and their ‘‘pride of Argentina’’ rib-eye steak. Just like the cartoons, our eyes grew in size and we simply weren’t sure where to start. Divide and conquer seemed like the best way forward.

Now, here is where my opinion might change slightly. I’ve been giving the food high praises so far, well-deserved. Our main courses were also quite amazing. The suckling pig was exactly that, shredded pork with crackling on top, and that was all it had to be. It was the porkiest pork i’ve ever had in my life. Juicy, meaty, and that salty crackling was the perfect compliment to every bite. The pimientos were sweet and juicy, dressed in a chili oil, with that tangy creme fraiche dotted on top, delicious.

Now, for the steak. We weren’t too impressed. We’ve both had a good amount of steaks in our lives, and for a steak that was bequeathed the title of ‘‘the pride of Argentina’’, we were expecting something spectacular. Granted it was cooked to perfection, it didn’t wow us as much the other dishes did. We were left wanting… more. But hey, it made us want to come back and try the other dishes, so perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

The final bite

Final conclusion? Salmuera is an amazing Argentinian steakhouse that’s worth adding to your list, but maybe not for the reasons they intended. We came for steaks, and left enjoying everything else instead. Even though the restaurant is quite big, it still felt cozy and warm. Salmuera is best enjoyed with friends, picking as many dishes as you desire and sharing until you and your belly are happy.