Ethnic Food? Forget it! Uruguayans Want Meat & Only Meat, He Says

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

At the URU New Members intro thread, a Uruguayan posting under the name Fraanca who moved to Zug, Switzerland, threw cold water on someone's plans for an ethnic restaurant in Uruguay:

"There used to be an Indian restaurant in Montevideo but it did not last," said Fraanca.

"Ethnic food does not work with Argentinians and Uruguayans.听 They only want meat.听

"Forget it.听 Try the same venture in Chile or Peru."

听听 ----

What is your experience with ethnic food in Uruguay?

Is Fraanca correct about meat-eaters-only in Uruguay?

What's a non-beef-eater to do?

听 -- cccmedia in Ecuador

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janway Active member

89POSTS

10 years ago

There was a Korean one too but it seems to have closed.
I don't eat meat and although I can find plain fish or simple pasta or pizzas without meat,听 the choices tend to be identical where ever I go.
Salads consist of lettuce, tomato, onion and if you want carrot but not much else and salad dressing is oil and vinegar.

Since the majority of Uruguayans are happy with this,听 I mostly eat at home and accept that choices in restaurants are simple.

You can find a few upscale places that have more interesting choices but expect to pay $50.00 to $100.00 per couple for these and many do not open till late in the evening and often around my way only on weekends except for the short summer season.

There are a few brave people trying to offer things like Japanese or Mexican take out, usually pre - ordered听 or chef cooked private dinners but these are very small affairs and can be hard to locate and are usually only occasionally.

1 member reacted to this post

SibylleIto Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

I think the situation at least is changing in Montevideo. There are Vegetarian, Indian, Turkish, Mexican, Japanese Take Away Places. Note the key to know the details about the menus, locations... is really Facebook. You will be surprised there is more than you might have known. Not all places are typical restaurants, more commonly "restaurante puerta cerrada".

Plus if you allow me self-promotion: Yes, authentic Japanese food exists in Montevideo: pequenitouruguay.com/

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

SibylleIto wrote:
Not all places are typical restaurants, more commonly "restaurante puerta cerrada".

puerta cerrada = door closed

I haven't heard this phrase used before in connection with restaurants.听 I suppose that the message is that the door is closed to in-restaurant diners ... take-out only.听 Or perhaps:听 delivery from some places at some times.

cccmedia

Glauco Padula Active member

25POSTS

10 years ago

Very common. It is a trend in many places around the world. In Brasil they are called anti restaurantes. A place where one can enjoy an exclusive lunch or dining experience, usually via invitation or word of mouth propaganda.

SibylleIto Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

Sorry, "restaurante puerta cerrada" means only advance reservation for eat in. Applies for example for moksha, La Montevideo Mealsurving, peque帽ITO, I believe Tokyo Dulce too. Just check the FB Groups of听 Gastronomia Uruguaya or Uruguay Expats Gastronomia. As you see there, lots of take out places, delivery and "restaurante puerta cerrada" exist. If you want to know what is going on in Uruguay, FB is a must.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

SibylleIto wrote:
I think the situation at least is changing in Montevideo. There are Vegetarian, Indian, Turkish, Mexican, Japanese Take Away Places.

I read that Buenos Aires has many Italian restaurants, probably due to the fact that many Italians settled in that city.

I would think that a world-class cuisine such as Italian would have traveled across the river to MVD.

cccmedia

SibylleIto Member

10POSTS

10 years ago

Note, I did not list in my comment Italian food, because from personal perspective it is closer to US Italian cuisine than Italian Italian cuisine. There are really excellent places with for example amazing Calzone (again, check them out on FB and you will have no surprises). Further have you noticed how much the situation has changed in the last 5 years? Therefore I strongly believe Montevideo is heading in the right direction.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

10 years ago

SibylleIto wrote:
I did not list in my comment Italian food, because from personal perspective it is closer to US Italian cuisine than Italian Italian cuisine.

Attention, Swiss Expats....

The cuisine available at Italian restaurants in the U.S. is often of extremely high flavor and quality.

cccmedia, U.S. citizen

janway Active member

89POSTS

9 years ago

#10

Sorry to say the Japanese restaurant is gone and the owners have gone back to Switzerland.

armin31 Contributor

128POSTS

3 years ago

#11

There are a couple of German bakeries, "Brotzeit" in Pocitos and "Der deutsche B盲cker" in Solis (bakery) and Piriapolis (Caf茅). They seem to have their clients and most of them are not German although most of the bread and sweets are authentic German products.

In Colonia there are lots of good European cheeses that I sadly missed in Canada, Mexico etc.

I understand this may be a little off-thread but it is relevant to the question of the marketability of ethnic food.

What I do not understand is why there is no fish available in Uruguay. In Mexico there is fish available everywhere, fresh good quality, good price, from street vendors I mean, not frozen or from the big, classy and therefore outrageously expensive stores. Can anybody give me pointers?