“LUGAR FEO, COMIDA RICA, PRECIO BAJO”: Rotiseria China Tucuman

Rotiseria Vegetariana Tucuman, also referred to simply as “The Veggie Place” by TEFL alums more experienced in the artform of finding good food cheap and fast in the Micro Centro during lunch-breaks or between classes, is a spot where one can mix-and-match between over 50 different dishes (a mix of traditional Argentinian with Southeast Asian and Chinese) and still end up paying less than $2USD for 1/4 kg. My bill usually comes out to about 6 pesos, or $1.43USD and I get a variety of stuff. Here are some of my favorites:

Broccoli Tortilla and Zucchini/Carrot Tortilla are delicious and very filling, quiche-like thick omelettes, served either hot or cold, with steamed, very flavorful vegetables mixed in. The veggies are never overcooked, the broccoli and zucchini have a bite to them and do not just get lost in the eggy background.

Eggplant milanesa with tomato and cheese: Eggplant is a severely under-rated and under-utilized veggie in the States but at this place it’s often the main character of a dish. This dish uses it as a hearty replacement for beef. It is breaded and fried, served with cheese melted over the top with a slice of baked tomato laid across. Delicious and fresh every day.

“Empanadas Chinas”: Haven’t tried these yet, will do so Monday.

Potato and Cheese “Bombs”s: These are perhaps the most comforting items at the rotiseria. Breaded and fried balls of incredibly cheesy, creamy, salty mashed potato. And I thought baking it and loading it with sour cream and bacon bits was the only way to make a potato interesting!

Spinach Empanada with bits of cheese and egg is a fantastic salad topper. The casing is a bit tough but very flavorful and the fillings is cheesy, creamy, heavenly! This is definitely my favorite empanada to get here. However, if you do not share my sentiments on the spinach empanada, try one of the rotiseria’s host of other empanadas. More types of fillings than you can imagine, all veggies, fresh and incredibly flavorful.

This place represents a booming food trend in Buenos Aires which is to spend your lunch-break assembling a para llevar container full of healthy, fresh, local, vegetarian yummies which are weighed and charged VERY little for at rotiserias chinas vegetarianas. The following article, having to do with this trend, summarizes these kinds of places very eloquently: