dinstyle

Part of the pleasure of cooking at the Tango House for most of my meals, besides having the ability to eat home cook meal, is the money I saved up for eating out like a king.

Nicolette loves to go to this Restaurant called Club de Vino, which is a gourmet restaurant emphasize on excellent collection of wine. The restaurant has various seating areas with different moods, some indoor, some outdoors. As the weather has been very pleasant, we enjoyed our meal with candle light at the outdoor courtyard.

Guests were greeted by the stain glass barrel ceiling at the Main Lobby.

A portion of indoor seating in a two storey high building.

Feminine table lamp adored some intimate seating groups.

There is also a music hall where the guests can enjoy music performances before or after their gourmet experience.

Nicolette introduced this restaurant to her colleagues and me from work.

The ladies were bewitched by the Pancakes (crêpes) with dolce de leche (caramelized condense milk), they had to order a second helping.

We returned the second time at Nicolette's request, this time, with Linda. Despite Dr. Ricardo's advice, the wine here was so delicious that Linda decided to break the curfew just for one glass.

This was the final chance for both Nicolette and me to cherish this fine restaurant before we leave Buenos Aires. Short of asking her to lick her plate, I made sure that she finished up all the morsels on her plate, which I believe was lamb prepared three ways.

I think Linda had the fish, and I had the dish of the day, which was beef. It is all blurry now of what I ordered in both cases, but I remember walking to the Salon Canning both times afterwards to finish the Friday evening with fine tango as well.

I ventured out to a lot of interesting eating places when Nicolette and Ling were around. Here we tried out the La Farmacia (formally a Drug Store) and a Pub in San Telmo.

La Farmacia featured artworks that has heavy sexual connotation. This wall painting was titled "The Forbidden Fruit". Ask no more.

This is the second floor cozy lounge area, where one could zip a nice glass of favourite champagne before dinner, or a cup of cafe con leche afterwards.

Nicolette and Ling enjoyed a piece of lemon meringue pie with their coffee.

Here, we tried a pub/ beer club. How a pub would assoicate itself with aboriginals' art was beyond me. But as long as they have refreshing beer, who cares?

Henry picked this Spanish Restaurant where he ordered the roasted pig with potatoes. He initial was worried that the restaurant might not be a good one, but when he saw the restaurant being full by 11pm, he was pleased. At that time, he just arrived in Buenos Aires for a few days; he has not adjusted to eating late.

One afternoon, we had a late lunch at this famous old place called Cafe Tortoni, which is famous for being more than 100 years old. We were told that the afternoon tea or early evening jazz music is good but we did not have time to try it. This is a secret library room in the back.

This is the billiard hall at the far end of the Restaurant.

No foreigner can leave Buenos Aires without seeing a tango show made for the tourists. Here we were, at the famous Viejo Almacen. We ate first, saw the show later. The stylish doorway to Viejo Almacen is extremely famous, treated as the icon of Argentine Tango. But not sure about their food, ...or their show-- may be I was expected a lot from how famous their doorway was. But in general, the evening was very pleasant.

On my birthday night, Sharon, Henry and I enjoyed an elegant Italian dinner at the Pier. I forgot the name of the Pier (a new loft development area) or the restaurant.

Sharon, with pleasure I regarded her as my tango god-sister, tried out a tapas restarant overlooking Plaza Dorrego.

Although technically speaking Cafe Torino, a 24 hours cafe, is not a gourmet restaurant. But considering us having dancing for in excess of 6 hours, hungry and tired, the fresh lunamedia and cafe all of a sudden tasted so heavenly. Here I was, with Nicolette and my Argentinean friends, Irene, Monica, Raul and Ezequiel.

Dining in style could be from carry-out food too. Here once a month, on the 29th day, people will traditionally eat ñoquis, which are Italian potato dumplings.

It is said that as the result of the corruption in the government in Argentina, there are many friends and relatives of the bureaucrats who are on the ghost payroll. At the end of each month, these people will mysteriously appear to collect their salary. These people are nick-named as the ñoquis too.

This sign is commonly posted on the windows of many carry-out restaurants and pasta shops. The pasta tasted the same as any other day's, but somehow with me knowing the story behind, eating it on that day made me feel like I am living in style, of the life of a Buenos Aires dweller.