About us

Hola! We are Adriana, Jorge, Mariel, Veronica and Borja – owners of Malo and a family of Argentinians with a passion for our Argentinian culture. When opening our first restaurant Baqueano Steakhouse in 2019 – located in 125 Western Road, Brighton –, we realised the love our customers had for our Empanadas. In 2020, when the pandemic hit and all hospitality venues were forced to close, we adapted to a takeaway business model that was completely new for us. We had a great response to our takeaway offering and the Empanadas were extremely popular. This is when we saw an opportunity to continue embodying our knowledge and our love for the Argentinian cuisine, and keep introducing our customers to our culture.

 Malo is built on family love and cooperation. It is a small Empanada shop and deli located in central Brighton that’s great for hanging out or taking out. From the Spanish verb empanar, which means “to wrap”, essentially the Empanadas are crescent-shaped pastries made of dough and filled with a variety of ingredients. Empanadas are one of the most versatile dishes out there: they can be baked or fried, sweet or savoury, and can be enjoyed as a small snack, as a meal, or as dessert if filled with sweet ingredients. 

At Malo, all our empanadas – including the fillings and condiments – are handmade and made in house. We offer 15 different varieties of Empanadas, savoury and sweet, all baked (not fried). The Empanada flavours have been carefully chosen by us and are a mixture of some very traditional recipes together with some more crazy and unique combinations. We promise you they are all seriously delicious!

The name Malo literally means “bad” and originates from a type of Gaucho. According to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, an important figure in Argentine history, there are four types of Argentinian gauchos: el Baqueano (the expert), el Cantor (the singer), el Rastreador (the tracker), and el Malo (the bad one). 

 

“His name is feared, spoken in a low voice, but without hatred and almost with respect. He is a mysterious character; dwells in the pampas. The bad gaucho is not a bandit, he is not a robber, the attack on life is not his idea” - Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, 1845