Known as the South American barbecue, the parrilla grill is used throughout Argentina and Latin America to cook meat and vegetables, giving the produce a delicious smoky and charred flavour. (Seriously, I had the best steaks of my life when I travelled there in 2018.)
At Zama, Bondi’s new red-hot restaurant found on the happening Bondi Road, the chefs cook over a custom-built parrilla grill using Argentinian charcoal – so the flavours are as close to the real deal as they come.
Named after the Mayan word for dawning of the sun, Zama is the first restaurant for Duncan Friedrich and David Holder. They have brought in Fredrick Bernard to lead the kitchen – and he absolutely knows his way around a flame having worked at Porteño and Woodcut.
Highlights on the opening menu include traditional Argentinian empanadas; wood-fired chicken with yogurt and corn salsa; whole grilled baby snapper with salsa verde and lemon; and a whooping 800-gram rib eye steak cooked on the bone.
Pair your meal with freshing twists on classic cocktails, as well as Australian and Argentinian vinos.
Inspired by the vibey beachside bars in Tulum, Zama’s fit-out is warm, sexy and sleek, with rattan lighting, a bamboo clad roof and lush plants. (AKA prime date-night territory, if you ask us.) Head there while it’s hot.
