Porteño
Elvis Abrahanowicz, Ben Milgate and Joe Valore’s cult South American-inspired restaurant reopened in the old MoVida space on Holt Street, Surry Hills in December 2016 (the od Cleveland Street site is now a dedicated functions and events space).
The revived design makes the most of the glass-walled building. The floor has been tiled, the paint lightened and the walls speckled with South American movie posters and old football iconography.
The food also changed a bit; not so much stylistically, but in scope. There’s the parilla (Argentinian barbeque) complete with a trio of sizzling, whole pigs. A charcoal asado (South American barbeque) covered in sausages, steak and even more smoke. Far away from the flames there’s a wine stack with labels from Chile, Argentina and Spain.
The South American-style flame-grilled and charcoal-roasted meats are available with sides and sauces – such as the chuleta, a dry-aged rib eye with an ox-heart-tomato salad and a hunk of wood-fired baguette soaked in the steak’s juices. A custom-built, wood-fired oven, upped the roast vegetable game.
The dessert menu has wood-fired fruit hollowed and stuffed with yoghurt sorbet and rosemary syrup; and postre balcare, a triple-layered sponge cake with chestnuts, dulce de leche and a crème caramel-like topping.
The 300-strong wine list covers large swathes of Italy and Australia along with the South American picks poured at Cleveland Street.
We do not seek or accept payment from the cafes, restaurants, bars and shops listed in the Directory – inclusion is at our discretion. Venue profiles are written by independent freelancers paid by Broadsheet.
