We celebrate 10 years of Gran Dabbang with Mariano Ramón
Gran Dabbang is more than just a restaurant in Palermo. It’s the pioneer of "sharing plates," the place chefs choose to dine out, the reason for the long lines on Scalabrini Ortiz (the ones not waiting for the bus), and a little piece of Bollywood in Buenos Aires. Small and simple in appearance, but impressive in flavor, this emblematic Palermo restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary. At Time Out, we’re celebrating by chatting with Mariano Ramón, the chef, creator, and soul of this space.
Gran Dabbang’s menu reflects what Mariano learned while working in kitchens in New Zealand, England, and Southeast Asia, but with an Argentine twist: all ingredients are local, except for coconut milk, tamarind, and some spices.
Mariano, how would you define Gran Dabbang’s cuisine?
There’s a strong Asian influence in the spirit of the cuisine, the way we eat, and the atmosphere. But an Asian person wouldn’t recognize it as Asian food. Similarly, there’s a strong influence from various communities here, but an Argentine wouldn’t recognize it as Argentine food. Our idea is to showcase the diversity of Argentina and its communities: the regional ones, like the Guarani, and those that came from abroad, like the Korean, embracing them as our own. We want to highlight that diversity and strengthen it, taking advantage of all the nuances of our immigration.
And you don’t use potatoes or beef in your dishes...
That’s because dishes with those ingredients were already everywhere, so we looked