Photos by Ruben Cabrera and courtesy of Niño Gordo
Before Germán Sitz became one of Argentina’s most celebrated chefs, he grew up immersed in the traditions of the Argentine Pampas, where Eastern European Jewish immigrants built new lives after fleeing antisemitism in the late 19th century.
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“Many of them arrived with completely urban backgrounds — they had never worked the land before,” the 37-year-old explains. “They had to learn everything from scratch.”
Their teachers were gauchos, skilled horsemen and cattle herders who understood how to live off the land, raise animals and cook with fire.
“That’s where the idea of the Jewish gaucho comes from,” Sitz says. “People bringing one culture and adapting to a completely different way of life.”
He was steeped in that heritage from a young age, learning firsthand about the full process behind the food on the table. Both of his grandmothers, who were of Russian and Polish descent, cooked often, shaping his understanding of food and family traditions.
“That gave me a very natural way of looking at food,” Sitz says. “I understand where it comes from and what it takes to produce it, so the relationship is different. A supermarket doesn’t give you that — it gives you everything, all the time, without context.”
Signature dishes from Niño Gordo
Afterward, he headed to Buenos Aires, becoming one of the country’s most promising chefs by the time he was in his mid-20s. In 2014, his grandmother loaned him money to open his first restaurant, and La Carnicería, a traditional Argentine steakhouse, took off. There, he developed what he calls his “ranch-to-table” approach. “It’s how I grew up, and it’s something I want to pass on to my guests,” he says. “But it also connects two important parts of my life: the land, which is my family and my origin, and the table, which represents everything I’ve learned professionally.”
Today, Sitz co-owns a total of nine restaurants with his business partner Pedro Peña. Those include Chori, a fast-casual take on Argentina’s beloved choripán sausage sandwich, and José El Carnicero, whose primary focus is on the Argentine tradition of slow-cooking meats over an open fire on a spit, or estaca. In 2024, the duo expanded to the U.S. with the opening of the second location of Niño Gordo, in Wynwood. (The original debuted in Buenos Aires in 2017.)
The Red Room at Wynwood’s Niño Gordo
The vibrant exterior of Niño Gordo
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The Miami restaurant mirrors the playfulness found in the Argentine location. Crimson light glows throughout, the wallpaper is lined with pudgy babies and porthole windows serve as aquariums for neon jellyfish. “We wanted the environment to be part of the experience,” Sitz says. “Pop Japanese anime figures, bold colors. The idea is for you to leave feeling more energized than when you arrived.”
While whimsy reigns in the decor, the food is a serious affair. Dumplings and sandos (Japanese-style sandwiches served on soft milk bread) are treated with an Argentine touch, illustrating Sitz’s desire to share with the community what he felt was a secret find.
“What really inspired the opening of Niño Gordo was spending time in the Korean neighborhood in Buenos Aires,” he explains. “It’s a place that isn’t easy to access — if you’re not part of the community, doors don’t open.”
Sitz was drawn to Miami, and specifically to Wynwood, for its mix of cultures, vibrant art and energy, all of which reminded him of Palermo, the buzzy Buenos Aires neighborhood that is home to his restaurants. Despite the culinary empire he has built, Sitz doesn’t feel that he has strayed far from his Jewish-gaucho roots.
“My cooking is very connected to fire, to meat, to something more direct and primitive, because that’s how people lived there,” he says. “There weren’t many resources beyond what you produced yourself. I grew up with that, and it’s still very present in what I do.”
The Gold Room at Wynwood’s Niño Gordo
Wagyu Katsu Sando
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
For The Wagyu Cutlet (Milanesa):
• 5.3 oz. A5 Wagyu beef
• 2.8 oz. (about 11/3 cups) panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons fried shallots
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 quart grapeseed oil
For The Katsu Sando:
• 2 to 3 slices Japanese milk bread (shokupan), depending on the size
• 1 Wagyu cutlet
• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon tonkatsu sauce
• ¼ cup Japanese mayonnaise* (Kewpie is commercially available)
*To make at home, blend 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons soy sauce and ½ teaspoon wasabi.
PREPARATION
Cut the Wagyu into a 4-by-4-inch rectangle, about 3/8-inch thick. Lightly season with salt.
Dip the cutlet in the flour, then the beaten egg, then the panko mixed with fried shallots. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set the coating.
Slice the Japanese milk bread into ½-inch-thick pieces. Lightly toast with butter until just golden. Let cool before assembling.
Heat grapeseed oil to 350°F and fry the breaded Wagyu for 2 minutes. Remove and drain excess oil.
Spread tonkatsu sauce on one slice of bread and Japanese mayonnaise on the other, place the Wagyu between the slices and cut into two equal portions. Serve immediately to maintain a crispy texture and optimal temperature.