Beyond the dorapa pizza, the chori and the empty bread, and some lost empanada, street cooking was never a strong point in Buenos Aires. The Echeverría passage, the corridor behind the Barrancas de Belgrano train station, arrived for
change that premise. All day long, young and not so young, sit where they can to drink ramen, specialty coffee, vermouth, or eat croissants, pizzas, chipas… or sandos. These are Japanese sandwiches in brioche-type bread, well loaded and super tasty that they prepare at Sando de América, one of the busiest places on the block.
The Japanese classic is katsu sando, thick-cut, very tender pork, breaded and fried, with a spicy sauce called tonkatsu, which in Sando is made with pineapple. But the reference to our popular idol Roberto Sánchez, the great
Sandro from America, immediately returns us to this side of the planet. The house defines itself as an “Asio-Latin sandwich shop” since they use local ingredients, such as the loin sando, with house chimichurri, made with coriander, mint, ground chili pepper and sesame oil. Another multi-ethnic hit is the squid sando, with cucumber pickles and nori seaweed powder.
The young public promoted vegan options, and so Maga Núñez, today in charge of the kitchen, created a delicious oyster sandwich, on bread without milk or eggs, with apple pickles, red cabbage, beets and lots of fresh herbs that
They add a great finishing touch. It’s also worth it if you eat meat, of course, and it’s just as worthwhile as the cauliflower tempura, another vegan delicacy.
For dessert there is also sando. It is a sealed sandwich, with a light and sweet dough, filled with chocolate ice cream with sea salt or banana with dulce de leche. If you don’t like it after sando, go get it some afternoon,
because it’s crazy. The sister venue, La Chintonería, is a good complement for the night. Gin and tonics with sando or fried chicken with kimchi and cheddar mayo, it’s a great combo. This chronicler celebrates the emergence of the new Buenos Aires street cuisine, and its cosmopolitan imprint.
