2023-07-20 07:01:31
>LA NACION>LifestyleJuly 20, 202302:01
In Olivos, on Calle Carlos Gardel 2018, hidden among residential houses with low ceilings and trees, there is a cult restaurant that vindicates the flavors of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. “Marmara” is an open secret in the neighborhood and for more than two decades it has been delighting the neighbors with its specialties and family recipes. “The name is from the Sea of Marmara, which unites the waters of the Black Sea and the Aegean,” says Osan Nahabetyan, who together with her husband Onnik, created this classic from the North Zone frequented by ambassadors and artists.
In its beginnings it was a small warehouse with imported products and, later, they turned the old garage of the home into a quaint living room with tables, Turkish lamps and gilt mirrors. “When we opened, everyone told us that we were crazy and that we were not going to survive. It is that we are very hidden. However, with word of mouth, from day one it was always packed. At noon there is a line at the door with take-out orders and at night the reservations for the two shifts are filled, ”says Nahabetyan with a turquoise silk scarf, as he welcomes the diners for the day. Everyone in the neighborhood knows and admires Mrs. “Marmara”, as the regulars affectionately call her. She is a great host who always welcomes you with open arms. “I like that they feel like they are at a friend’s house,” she confesses as she supervises every movement in the kitchen.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
Osan and her husband Onnik are Armenians born in Istanbul, Türkiye. In 1974, together with her two small children, Bianca and Herman, they made the decision to leave their beloved land behind to embark on the ship Christopher Columbus heading to Argentina. “We sailed for 28 days. At first, we had thought about going to California, Canada or Australia, but an uncle who was already settled in Buenos Aires encouraged us to come here. When we arrived we found it wonderful. At the same time, Lera, another of my daughters, was born here”, remembers Osan, excited. The family settled in Olivos, Vicente López and began to venture into the textile industry with children’s clothing. They were in charge of the factory for more than twenty years. “We did very well until he arrived in the country the economic crisis of 2001. The business began to get more and more complicated and we had no choice but to close the blind”, he expresses. It was time to shuffle the cards of fate and start from scratch.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
After thinking for long months how to reinvent themselves, the couple came up with an idea: importing food products that they longed for from their childhood in Istanbul. In an old house in Olivos they set up a small store. Among its more than 140 items, they offered spices, canned goods, oriental sweets, jams, pickles, nuts (chestnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios); burgol wheat, delicatessen, just to mention a few. They, at the top of their lungs, designed the wooden shelves, bought the display cabinets and refrigerators; and they started with the new project. “We wanted to make the food of our origins known and that it spread everywhere.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
Customers were amused by discovering different flavors. Before it was not as common as it is now ”, he admits, who offered tastings at his place every day. Some time later, Onnik proposed another interesting challenge: to open a restaurant there. She did not hesitate, she has always been fascinated by gastronomy. Immediately, they transformed the old garage of the house into a charming room with tables and old pink tablecloths. “I love cooking. I learned many dishes from my mother, aunt and mother-in-law, but I also like to dabble with my own recipes and spices. Every time I received friends or family in my home I was flattered by the dishes. They encouraged me a lot with the business, ”she admits. The familiar atmosphere and the personalized treatment transformed the enterprise into a place of worship.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
Although everything seemed to be going on the right track, in 2018 the family suffered a great loss. Suddenly, Onnik passed away from a heart attack. Her life partner, for a few moments, doubted the continuity of the business, but her children and grandchildren encouraged her to continue. “Immediately they got fully involved in the restaurant and each time they took on more responsibilities. Without them, Marmara would have the blinds down”, confesses the hostess.
Alan, one of his grandsons, began working in the family business when he was fourteen years old. With the “Yaya”, as he tells his grandmother, he learned all the secrets of cooking. “First I started as a bar assistant and over the years I got into pots and pans. Now with my brothers, Axel and Anush, we know how to do everything ”, she confesses and says that they have had loyal customers in the restaurant for years. “The family atmosphere that is set up is very nice. At noon a lot of neighbors come to buy her lunch. With many we have a friendly relationship and even They bring us their tupperware so we can fill it with hummus. At night, customers come from all over: Pilar, San Miguel, Wilde, La Plata”, he adds. Different personalities have also passed through its tables: from Turkish ambassadors, through Nora Cárpena, Zulma Faiad, Marley to Jazmín Natour, among others.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
There are dishes of Armenian, Greek, Turkish, Iranian, and Arabic origin, among others. “It’s like a cultural trip,” they say. Everything is homemade, abundant and with the same family recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. To begin the culinary journey, there is the famous “Mezze”, a variety of hot and cold starter dishes to share in the middle of the table. There is everything from the classic Hummus (chickpea puree with sesame paste); Muhamara, (paste of bell peppers with walnuts); Chicken Circassa, a delicious spread of shredded chicken with walnuts and the iconic olive tapenade. On the must-see list are the cold Sarma, children wrapped in fig leaves with rice and onion; and the raw Keppe, meat macerated with bulgur wheat and spices. And within the hot options, the Lahmajin, an open Arab meat pie, is on point; the falafel with yogurt and the Pasha borek, with a delicate layered phyllo dough and stuffed with three cheeses (mozzarella, feta, Parmesan).
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
Of the main ones, there is a variety for all tastes. From Moussaka, a tasty aubergine cake with minced meat, white sauce and gratin cheese, to Persian rice with chicken, raisins, almonds and dill.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
Currently, with the low temperatures, the stars are the Tas Kebab (with more than five hours of slow cooking), a meat stew with tomato, spices and rice; and the Kapama, a spicy lamb stew with celery, ginger and herbs with rice. While on Friday and Saturday nights, the undisputed protagonist is the Doner Kebab, also called Shawarma. “We marinate the meat with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and oil. Osan tells us about one of his flagship dishes. Then, she presents herself filleted with lavash bread, vegetables (tomato, onion, parsley) and artisan yogurt.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro GuyotMarmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
For the sweet moment there is a variety of oriental sweets: baklava, fingers, gurabie accompanied with oriental coffee or digestive tea.
Marmara Restaurant in OlivosAlejandro Guyot
“I love that people feel at home”, closes Nahabetyan, as he accompanies a couple to sit at a table in front of the window.
Conocé The Trust Project
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