The night started off poorly on their part. With a booking at 8pm.. we did not get seated until 8:30pm.... which makes you think why even bother booking. Fortunately most of the party ended being slightly later than the 8pm starting time and to be fair, the whole place was completely full when we entered.
To start off our set menu we had Guacamole (avacado, serrano chilli, pistachios)... smashed table side. Well technically that was slightly incorrect.
Due to the large number of servings we had, they only offered to smash one serving and the rest was pre-made out back. The show added a nice touch to the meal.
To pair with the guacamole was a serving of plantain. I think most of us were extremely peckish at this point and each serving only allowed us one piece of plantain... such a tease. Although upon request, they were happy to bring more servings to the table. Thumbs up for great service.
The entrees continued with a small sampling of Salmon Cerviche. I'm a big fan of cerviche.. and this dish did not disappoint. The salmon was subtle and soft.. and accompanied well with the crackers provided. Though a small complaint has to be the fact we only got four crackers per plate.
The Corn Lollipops brought a new element to our meal... the sauce. Yes the corn was cooked perfectly.. sweet and slightly burnt.
The pairing of the popcorn on top was different but it worked.... and that sauce... it was to die for... so much so my friend just requested a plate of it to use as dip... and they were happy to oblige. Thumbs up again to that!
Next up was their Chorizo Salad - pedro Ximenez sherry, smoked black beans, paprika, feta and hand-cut plantain chips. It was quite dry on its own though mixed with some of that aforementioned sauce really added that needed moisture to the dish.
Still on the entrees, next up were the tacos. One was braised lamb with tomato, guajillo, mint-infused mayo and gremolata.
The other was chicken with chorizo, cucumber, cumin and chives. I think at this point we were in shock that we still were dining on entrees. The tacos were a very heavy entree meaning most people shared them comfortably instead of eating one... especially not knowing how to pace yourself through the meal. That's always the biggest dilemma when doing set menus.... they load up the entrees with carbs... and you find yourself undoing your belt to breathe by dessert... it's almost as bad as all-you-can-eat buffets.
Finally we were in the mains part of the night. To start off with, a favourite of ours, Patatas Bravas. The potatos were soft and just melts when you bite it. The sauce was the same (or similar) to the corn lollipops... and you can't complain about that. It really brings back good memories of Barcelona.
We then got served the Achiote chicken with ginger, honey, lemon achiote, fresh Yucutan-style mango and habanero sals, quinoa and spice almonds. This salsa topping had a lot going on... the chicken on the other hand was hit and miss with most pieces being quite juicy and tender... and I definitely have to acknowledge that because chicken is one of my most dreaded dishes to order as majority of the time it tends to be too dry.
One of my favourites for the night was definitely the Black Rice Salad with capsicum, corriander, lemon zest and habernero.... which explains the burn everyone was detecting but could not point a finger at which dish to blame. I for one enjoyed the chilli charge... it just had enough kick to waken up the senses without needing to drown the burning sensation away.
One of the dishes that my wife loved was the Lamb Adobo with serrano chilli, garlic and house made chimichurri. In the low lighting I was trying to enjoy the lamb without the chimichurri and found it too dry... until someone noticed and pointed out I was missing a key element to the meal.... then the dish just worked well.... I mean honestly.. I could eat anything with chimichurri on it..
The dessert portion of the night drew upon us and with bright eyes we waited patiently for the dishes. First up was the Meximisu (I assume a play on word symbolising Mexican Tiramisu) - a commandeered classic with Cafe XO Patron, cinnamon-spiced chocolate mouse and sweet mascarpone. I would have loved to have filmed the reaction as everyone dug in for their first bite... it quickly altered from OMG this looks amazing to What the F did I just eat...
There was just something off with the dessert... it didn't work... it looks sweet but felt like it had a chilli kick that was quite deterring...and at that point we wished we were just served a simple plate of piping hot churros with some delicious chocolate dipping sauce instead.
The second dessert was the Lemon meringue de Mejico with hibiscus pistachio crumb, citrus delete de leech, salted coconut meringue.... this also failed to impress leaving an awkward ending to the night.
Majority of Mejico's meals took us on the journey of fresh foods with the some pizazz... but those desserts really left us reaching out for some alcohol to wash away the taste... maybe that was their plan...
I still definitely recommend giving this a try... especially for the entrees and mains... and maybe pass on the dessert and head elsewhere.... unless you're feeling adventourus.
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