Little Rose
Interior
Located on the second floor in one of BA's (or BsAs as the really cool people say) trendiest areas, Palermo Soho, Little Rose offers Japanese cuisine catered toward the Argentine palate. To gain entrance to this restaurant, I had to ring a buzzer and be escorted up a staircase by the Maitre'd. I explained that I did not have a reservation and even though the restaurant was almost completely empty, my lack of reservation seemed to stir up confusion. Not sure why this always happens in this city. After an available table was "located," the confusion stopped, and we head to the mesa. Quite frankly, this might be the single sexiest dining room I have seen so far in Buenos Aires. Everything is black: the walls, molding, ceilings, and carpet. The walls are decorated by eerie pictures of vampire-esque children with bright red lips and eyes that seem to follow yours everywhere. The lighting was focused such that while the restaurant was incredibly dark, the food on the table could be easily seen. Each table was wrapped in an intimate curtain of darkness which at times, made me feel like I was the only person eating, even when the restaurant was completely full, even when I could practically touch the table next to mine. It was very romantic, and very sleek at the same time. Even though people seemed to be talking loudly, the restaurant was quiet ... must have been the vampire children on the walls working their magic. In the back of the restaurant lies the sushi bar illuminated by a cool blue glow. Very cool space. However, this is certainly not a place for diners seeking an authentic sushi experience; if that's the case you will leave extremely unfulfilled. But, if salmon is all you seek, be prepared for a special dining experience.
The menu was pretty much salmon, salmon and cream cheese, smoked salmon, red salmon, and other combinations of salmon and different vegetables. This was a little different from what I had anticipated after taking a recommendation under the "sushi" section of my guidebook. But hey, this is Argentina, and fish (let alone all the varieties found in traditional Japanese sushi) is not very popular. Instead of comparing this "inauthentic" experience to Japan and complaining about how they didn't have ???????(maguro no yamakake -- slices of lean tuna with grated Japanese mountain potato, perhaps my favorite Japanese sashimi dish of all time), I accepted the restaurant for what it was: a fashionable Argentine sushi house. And for what it was, it was a very cool experience.
I ordered a pre-selected sushi combo, which came with 8 pieces of salmon sushi, 2 pieces of a salmon and avocado roll, 2 pieces of cooked salmon and cucumber, artificial crab and salmon, and salmon and "philadelphia" (cream cheese). Thankfully, the salmon was very fresh, soft, and lean, or this would have been an unpleasant meal. Admittedly, palate fatigue did begin to set in near the last bite of salmon; but, it was so clean tasting, I found it hard to complain. We skipped formal dessert and, instead, opted for some tea from their extensive collection of teas served in a a cast-iron pot.
If an authentic sushi experience is what you seek, this probably isn't the right place. But, if you really enjoy salmon, want to see an incredibly unique dining room, and happen to be walking down Armenia after a day of shopping, stop by Little Rose for some sushi and tea. Though, I wouldn't recommend coming here during daylight -- or anytime before 9pm for that matter -- it would ruin the lighting effect, something I think that makes the space really special.
