Tag: azema exotic bistro

Chicken with Kumquats

Chicken with Tamarind and Kumquats

Kumquats are in season- make this!!

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 to 1½ pounds boneless chicken thighs, skinned removed
Salt
1 pack kumquats, sliced in half and deseeded
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 cups orange juice
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon agave
Salt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup mint, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Sprinkle salt on the chicken pieces. Brown both sides on high heat for about a minute or two each. Take out and keep aside. Add the kumquats and ginger and sauté for a minute on high heat. Add the orange juice, tamarind, sriracha and agave. Bring to a boil and reduce the sauce down to about a cup. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover and cook for about 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add the cilantro and mint for garnish. Serve with coconut rice.

Buenos Aires- Delicious Palermo and Good Bye…

I am back to report on the dinner last night at Azema Exotic Bistro. Unfortunately the restaurant does not have a website- I guess they want to keep it simple and old school word of mouth.. although I do think all restaurants should have a website to refer to. That being said- that was the only thing wrong with this place. Let me put it in perspective. We read up on this place- it is all over the internet. Lots of magazines like Food and Wine and Travel and Leisure have talked about this place. It is owned by Paul Jean Azema. His world travels have inspired this restaurant. It has a fusion of Creole, French, Vietnamese, Indian and Caribbean cuisines. We made reservations for 8.30 (yes, that is when the place opens). We rested in our room till then but an hour before we were to leave, the skies opened up and brought us rain and wind like no ones business. We waited a bit but it didn’t get any better. When it was time to go, I suggested we stay and order in from somewhere else but my husband insisted we go- especially because we were a block and a half away. So, we borrowed umbrellas and braved through the really bad weather. We got to the restaurant with our feet and shoes completely soaked- we were not happy. We walked into an eclectic restaurant, decorated with African objects. We sat down and were given the menus. We asked for an English version and we were told the owner will come and explain the dishes… and he did. We were happy to hear his explanations about all his dishes. We decided on sharing the ceviche. It was simply the most delicious ceviche I have ever had. It had the perfect balance of tart, savory, heat and a bit of sweet. I asked him what he added to this amazing dish and he rattled off a bunch of ingredients including milk and turmeric! Ceviche
Next, I ordered a yellow fish curry. Again, it was amazing. It invoked memories of our Kerela trip. It had Caribbean flavors including pieces of plantains that provided an amazing sweetness off set by the pickled chilies in there.

Fish Curry

I didn’t think the meal could get any better .. but it did when I had the passion fruit mousse. Not sure if I have ever mentioned before but passion fruit is my all time favorite fruit.

Passion Fruit
The dessert was amazing and a perfect end to an amazing meal. The experience was amazing and before leaving, I asked the owner if he plans on opening a restaurant in America- he said, “one never knows”. I hope he does.. but in the meantime, we will most likely be returning tomorrow for our last meal.

This has been an amazing trip to Buenos Aires. We had a wonderful time in Recoleta sightseeing and walking around. Palermo was simply delicious with all the restaurant choice. The wines and the gelato were delicious as well….

No matter where we go- I love going home. Looking forward to my own kitchen and bed! Thanks for coming on this amazing journey with me.. back to reality on Monday!