The story
On a quiet street in the Palermo district, Mishiguene reimagines the vast culinary map of the Jewish diaspora. The name, a Yiddish term of endearment meaning “crazy” in the way a grandmother might describe a mischievous grandchild, sets the tone: playful, heartfelt, and deeply personal.
Chef Tomás Kalika and entrepreneur Javier Ickowicz opened the restaurant in October 2014 with a clear mission: to revalue the cooking of immigrants—the recipes of mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers from Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. Rather than simply recreating these dishes, the kitchen updates them with modern techniques and a focus on seasonality, textures, and intense flavor.
Born in Buenos Aires into a typical Jewish-Portiñean family, Kalika brings over 25 years of experience from kitchens in Israel, Argentina, and his time as an executive chef on cruise ships. For him, the most important ingredient is the emotional memory behind each recipe. That memory, combined with the energy of Jerusalem’s markets and the legacy of his mother’s Jewish-Argentine cooking, results in a cuisine that is cosmopolitan, vibrant, and constantly evolving.
The restaurant’s approach to Israeli cuisine, along with its wider exploration of Jewish food traditions, has earned it a Michelin Recommended distinction. Since 2017, it has also been recognized by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants as one of the top establishments on the continent. In 2019, Kalika was awarded the Chefs’ Choice Award by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, voted by his peers as the chef of the year.
The dining room at Lafinur 3368 is a warm, welcoming space. The goal is simple: to bring surprise while evoking familiar, powerful tastes. The mission of the entire Mishiguene team is to recreate and spread the cuisines of the worldwide Jewish community through a fine-dining experience rooted in heritage.
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