El Gordo Daniel inaugurated its new Kiosk at Playas
On Tuesday, December 1, Daniel Mascaró, of Uruguayan origin, known for his tank grills and lobster sandwich, moved to a new location and opened his new restaurant at Playas: El Kiosko del Gordo Daniel at km 5 Via a Data, 1 hour from Guayaquil. Since October 2014 he served at km 3.5 where now, a sign "We are further ahead", guides its customers to the new location.
With 480m², the new kiosk, which serves from Wednesday to Sunday, has capacity for 40 people, parking for 6 cars, 1 container as an operations center with 3 work tables, 3 cold rooms and 1 steel tank to prepare their grills, in addition to 2 artisan ovens and 1 grill with disc, 2 crosses and grill for events on the outside.
It is the first environmentally friendly restaurant on Playas, "the consolidation of the land is made with vetiver biotechnologyvetiver, a plant used for soil stabilization, 4,400 plants plants support this land", says Daniel. - states Daniel. Waste treatment is carried out with 2 grease traps and 1 wetland for gray water. It also has a garden with 80 aloe vines, cactus and fruit trees of mango, mandarin, 2 varieties of orange, lemon, loquat, pomegranate, guava and 1 vine. All take-away or home delivery packaging is made with 100% renewable organic bamboo fiber. The home delivery service covers everything Playas from San Antonio to Posorja.
"The consolidation of the land is made with vetiver biotechnology, a plant used for soil stabilization; 4,400 plants support this land."
Daniel started in the world of grilling informally in Uruguay in the 1960s. In 1970 in Villa Gesell, Argentina, he was the first to experiment with grilled vegetables, "we sold up to 240 kilos of grilled tomatoes in 1 day", he exclaims. In 1982 he opened Parrillada del Gordo Daniel with a 72-course menu at Kennedy Vieja in Guayaquil, then he moved on to Alborada. When he started, the custom in Ecuador was to eat grilled meat in thin, highly seasoned steaks, the meat was consumed fresh with the adrenaline and toxins of the freshly slaughtered animal. He taught how to eat grilled meat in terms and made sure that the meat went through a resting process to obtain its best flavor and texture. The largest barbecue he prepared was for 6,421 people at the Valdez sugar mill, who were celebrating the end of a harvest with a barbecue.
"We sold up to 240 kilos of roasted tomatoes in 1 day."
The current menu has 23 dishes, among which the lobster sandwich and the tank meats such as picanha, pork ribs, handmade chorizos, T-bone, Tomahawk, bife de chorizo, matambre and stuffed wings stand out. The tank cooking technique is a Chinese principle, however, Daniel adapted it to grilling. The tank reaches a temperature of 350°C, and the heat is concentrated in the upper part, where the meat is hung.
"Tank cooking does not dry out the meat, it obtains a homogeneous sealing and allows it to cook in its own juices, resulting in a healthy dish with its true flavor, since it is only seasoned with salt."
The fixed menu does not stop the creativity of this friendly Uruguayan, who has new dishes every weekend, "I identify myself a lot with artists, always creating", says Daniel, pointing to his friend's corner in the new kiosk, a wall with 10 works by the painter Héctor Ramírez, who lives and has his workshop at Playas. In his new grill, which was unveiled on the opening day, he cooked a suckling pig a la cruz and grilled 3 ribs, 2 stuffed chickens and chorizos. He plans to offer dishes prepared on the cross or on the disk, and in one of his ovens to cook in salt. " These ovens reach a temperature of 1,000°F and can bake a pizza in 90 seconds due to the refractory qualities of the adobe and the brick. He also plans to offer Uruguayan style pastas, "my dream has always been to have a spaguettería too, I can eat pasta every day", he says.
In Guayaquil, Jaime Máscaró, Daniel's son, continues the tradition of barbecues under the name "Los Tanques de Daniel", in Alborada. Daniel also serves on Fridays and Saturdays at the Hotel La Ría Playas where he offers packages to spend the day with his parrillas al tanque by the sea . With the opening of the new kiosk at Playas at Km 5 Via Data, there are now 2 options in Playas for locals and tourists who now have the opportunity not only to enjoy the sea, but also to taste the real flavor of the meat.
El Kiosko del Gordo Daniel
Km 5 Via Data
Playas - Ecuador
WhatsApp: 096 873 8584
Instagram: @elkioskodelgordodaniel