“We love eating ´asado´ because it´s part of our culture and we love communicating it.” Says Fernando, a fabulous host for an extraordinary gastronomy experience.
Fernando started cooking when he was a little boy. His grandmother was a Spanish immigrant and a great cook herself, and she shared that passion for food with Fernando.
“As a kid, I loved eating, I was kind of chubby. And I learned to cook all the things I liked so I could make them myself, and eat all I wanted.”
His grandmother on his father’s side taught him all Spanish savoury dishes. They used to go to Mar del Plata –the most popular beach destination in Argentina- during the summer, to fish and collect crabs from the port to prepare crab soup. Her grandmother on her mother´s side, taught him how to make desserts and sweet dishes. He grew up surrounded by this love for food, and spent plenty of time in the kitchen.
His memories have to do with the ingredients they used to choose, preparing many jars of marinated eggplant and other preserved food such us peaches and tomatoes.
When Fernando finished school, although his vocational orientation according to examiners was ‘Architecture’ he had very clear in his mind he wanted to be a chef. So he did. At the age of 20 he left Argentina and went to France to work at Michel Brass’s restaurant. When he was 24, he opened his own restaurants.
“Cooking has a lot to do with architecture: There’s something of construction, of aesthetics but it has to be functional at the same time, because eating is a need such as living under a roof. I think cooking has more to do with design than with any other art”.
“My cooking is the result of all my experiences, of all the trips I’ve made. It’s contemporary, with clean flavors inspired in the popular cuisine.”
One of our favourite experiences at Oriunda is a cooking class at Fernando’s that can be led by himself or by both he and his right hand chef Pablo Marinaro. Pablo, has Argentinian and Italian roots. He grew up in a family of cooks among kitchens and restaurants. He also has a great background working in the best restaurants in Argentina and abroad. The result of this experience is a wonderful “Argentinean asado with great wines”. Not only do you learn how to prepare the local classics such as corn cream, ‘empanadas’, ‘criolla’ sauce and ‘chimichurri’, and taste an amazing ‘asado’ made by the master chef, but you also enjoy an intimate conversation with Fernando about food and culture.
“There is something close to our heart about the class, we get to talk about Argentina, our food culture and why we eat what we eat. It is a cultural exchange”.
Fernando enjoys being a host, he cares for the tiny details, and we love him for that. He gives his personal gourmet touch to every dish: He adds shrimp from Puerto Madryn – in the South of Argentina- to the corn cream, he chooses the best matured Hereford meat, and he makes his sausages personally.
What do you cook for yourself? Something very simple… it can be a good sandwich with homemade butter, and sourdough bread made by me. May be I grill a beef with some herbs and garlic, and a salad with whatever I have in my garden at that moment.
“Gastronomy in Argentina is in a great moment. There’s a global boom on healthy eating, eating well, eating organic. And there are many local restaurants that represent that spirit.”
Fernando Mayoral top 10 Buenos Aires Restaurants:
- Gran Dabbang
- Don Julio, for meat.
- Cocina SUnae, for asian food.
- La Alacena, for Italian food with a touch.
- Las Pizarras, from chef Rodrigo Castilla.
- Sarkis for Armenian cuisine.
- Proper.
- Narda Comedor, new opening.
- Sucre
- Salvaje Bakery.
We truly invite you to the ultimate gastronomy experience in our gorgeous city of Buenos Aires.
Oriunda’s Team.