A Fuego Fuerte, a restaurant behind closed doors, offers a tour of textures, sensations and flavors with the help of its chef Julio Lunghi.
Is a dinner, any outside, a gastronomic experience? Fashions, perhaps social networks and their influencers, also certain clichés make us believe that a sandwich on the go is also an experience. Taken to the extreme, the concept can even defend itself, in a universe where the subjective plays strong.
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In this wear and tear of the word experience, it is difficult to take a leap forward and value the term. A challenge that Julio Lunghi, chef and founder of A Fuego Fuerte, took on, a closed-door restaurant that operates in a PH on the border between Palermo and Villa Crespo on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. “We like to receive people, we are excellent hosts and we find this aspect as important as the quality of what we bring to the tables to taste. We are obsessive about cleanliness, dishes, details and service, which is why we humbly believe that the experience we offer is one of the best currently available in gastronomy in Argentina,” highlights Lunghi.
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In the rest, one of the five best in Buenos Aires according to TripAdvisorthere is a route that the chef and the assistants master perfectly, and where diners just have to let themselves go: 17 fixed steps that require the calm of good processes, where textures, flavors, ingredients, but also climates, lighting and sensations are combined.
The beginning of the trip is a Whatsapp message or a call confirming the reservation. It is not easy to get a place, since exclusivity is dictated by Lunghi’s idea: to receive no more than 20 people and without table rotation. That is to say, a single shift, without rushing to finish, although punctually to start, since each step is synchronized even with the lighting. Therefore, the idea is that all the tables start almost at the same time.
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Then, you have to dedicate yourself to enjoying the textures and flavors that you are generally not used to and that surprise you: from crab rolls, foams, reductions, sausages, “rare” meats and desserts that do not skimp on smoke and original presentations, you attend a true gastronomic show. The first steps, which are called snak, invite you to eat with your hand. Then, each of the steps requires specific cutlery.
There are options for fish and seafood, such as trout or scallops, preparations such as duck or deer magret, even soups with French recipes. Among the desserts, the inverted volcano stands out, and it is a kind of volcano but seen in rewind: from the outside in.
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The entire experience lasts “at least 3 hours,” says Lunghi, and clarifies: “I say at least because they have such a good time here that they usually stay longer drinking coffee, having a few drinks or enjoying a drink.”
A Fuego Fuerte is out of the ordinary: every detail points to the whole, which is layered like a Russian doll: the micro of the ingredients at each step, and each step to the total experience.
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The drink is also a point to take into account, since although the menu and values are fixed, you can opt for the option with pairing that includes accompanying the dishes with some of the best labels from renowned wineries.
Regarding the public, Julio Lunghi highlights that “50% are Argentinian and the other half are foreigners, who generally come because of recommendations on websites.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
