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Gaucho Grill [Closed]

Authentic Argetinean home cooking in Matsuyama

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The location on this page has been reported permanently closed.

Last updated: May 23, 2022

On Matsuyama's Chifunemachi close to the City Station is a narrow doorway that leads directly to Argentina.

Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But the little restaurant beyond the doorway comes very close. The Gaucho Grill is run by a Japanese lady who was born and brought up in Escobar, Buenos Aires, and the grill on which the delicious meats are cooked is a piece of essential hardware that she brought back to Japan with her. Around the grill is arranged a sweeping curved counter with comfortable high-backed stools—perfect for watching the action in the kitchen, and chatting with the friendly owner and staff. Very listenable Latin folk music plays in the background.

The food at Gaucho Grill is home cooking style, and all of it is prepared by hand at the restaurant. When I went for a light dinner recently, I had the chorizo sausages and the empanada pies with a glass of rich Tapiz Cabernet Sauvignon.

No less than ten different seasonings go into the chorizo, which are made on the premises by the proprietor, using roughly chopped beef and pork. These thick, hearty sausages are then carefully grilled to perfection. They're served with salad and two sauces, a rich garlicky tomato paste, and spicy dressing type dip. There were two empanada pies, one filled with chicken and the other with cod. The filling is highly seasoned, but the fishiness of the cod comes through. The empanada are accompanied by a little mild salsa and green salad. Both the chorizo and the empanada complemented the red wine very well indeed. Although this is a light dinner in terms of items ordered, it’s actually quite filling.

Other options are Spanish tortilla with a distinctly quiche-like emphasis on the egg, gnocchi served with tomato sauce, and slices of pumpkin stuffed with minced meat. There’s also delicious rib steak. I learned that gnocchi is not always on the menu, but if the Argentinean flag is displayed outside the restaurant, gnocchi is being served inside. I also learned that the 29th of the month is the day for gnocchi in Argentina, and since it’s a delightful alternative to pasta, I suggest that Ehime should follow suit.

Gaucho Grill tends to get quite full around 8 pm at the weekend, but you can usually get a seat. The prices reflect the quality of the ingredients and the care invested in their preparation. This isn’t the cheapest dinner option in Matsuyama, but I’ve always left satisfied and looking forward to my next visit.

The South American tea-like beverage mate is also available.

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