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I was psyching myself up both mentally and physically for this week’s dining out assignment after a sudden change of venue, writes Stan Szecowka.
The good lady wife, Kathryn, and I were all set to sample the fare at the Gulf Hotel’s oriental outlet to celebrate the Chinese New Year when a request came in for us to instead meet the recently-appointed Chef de Cuisine of Margarita Mexicana who had offered to tempt us with some of his ‘special dishes’.
The very thought conjured up flashbacks of piles of mince-beef, soggy cheese and fajitas and I immediately thought I’d have to make it a 5km run the following morning instead of my normal 3km trek around the rugby club pitch to shave off the excess calorie intake.
I apologise. I had fallen into the Tex-Mex trap. Instead, Chef Rafael López had lined-up an astonishing ‘tasting menu’ combining the authenticity of street food and his grandma’s culinary family secrets in a presentation that would not go amiss in a famous Michelin star-rated establishment, as is evident in the photographs accompanying this review.
Mexican cuisine, of course, is as complex as any other world cuisine. It is created mostly with ingredients native to Mexico, as well as those brought over by the Spanish conquistadors, with some new influences since then.
But Chef Rafael, 35, is on a mission: “I want to present the real and traditional flavours of Mexico through to Margarita Mexicana and show the difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican food.”
A native of Veracruz in the south of Mexico he has experience in the kitchens of The Royal Riviera Maya and Hotel Banyan Tree Mayakoba Riviera Maya in his home country, as well as a spell as Specialty Chef at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort’s celebrated El Sombrero Restaurant.
But his culinary journey started a lot earlier than that. “I grew up with my grandmother and we always spent time together in the kitchen,” he explained. “I still remember all the flavours of the dishes she created. She taught me all about traditional Mexican food and when I decided to study gastronomy, she was my best supporter.
“In my opinion Mexican food is special because it preserves the ancestral technical skills and traditional use of ingredients rooted from the ages of the Aztecs (a tribe, according to their own legends, from Aztlan somewhere in the north of modern Mexico dating back to before the 12th Century) and Mayas (based in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala and an empire which reached the peak of its power and influence around the 6th Century – Editor’s note; history lesson ended).
“You can find a great variety of dishes from north to south and it is very difficult to mention just one. Three of my favourites are ‘Chilpachole’ – a spicy-crab soup, the second one ‘Mole’, one of the most representative dishes and made with more than 30 ingredients including dried chilies, peanuts, spices, chocolate, plantain and toast tortilla, and the last one is ‘Tamales’, a kind of steam corn-cake stuffed with stew and wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves.”
Our ‘entrada’ was entitled Empanda de hongos, picada de tinga de pollo y cremoso de aguacate, a nice little tongue-twister consisting of a perfect corn parcel containing an exquisite creamy spicy chicken and mushroom filling with an accompanying spread of stunning avocado – creating one of those crunchy, squishy moments of mouthwatering delight.
Chef Rafael then delivered the promised sopa – Chilpachole de cagrejo, crujiente de tortilla y verduras mixtas – a spicy crab soup, oozing with meaty morsels best described as superb, lip-smacking luxury in a bowl, plus a toasted tortilla and mixed vegetables.
The main course was the Plato Fuerte, Pechuga de pollo en adobo de chile guajillo, escabeche de pina y elotes con epazote. Slices of corn-fed chicken had been majestically-marinated with chili, accompanied by slivers of pineapple and sweet corn with segments of orange to refresh the palate.
Kathryn suggested this was the finest chicken she had ever tasted. Top marks chef. It was so soft and full of flavour I broke one of my recent ‘keep fit and healthy’ rules and instead of removing the chicken skin, savoured every last piece. Wow!
The Postre, entitled Tostada de arroz con leche y frutos rojos, consisted of a crispy tortilla covered with creamy sweet rice and berries. A refreshing and fine dessert.
Readers, you may have noticed that I hadn’t posted any prices alongside these dynamic dishes. It’s not because I’m being secretive, it’s still a work in progress and, you know, someone has to be the guinea-pig and I’m happy to take that responsibility.
Chef Rafael says he hopes to add them all to the menu after Ramadan … but I’m sure if you asked him nicely, and mention you’re a friend of Stan’s, he might conjure up a little treat before then.
As for me, I was full but not bloated and decided I could get away with just a 3km run on Saturday morning. And I’ll be running all the way back to the Gulf Hotel as soon as these dishes become a permanent fixture at Margarita Mexicana.
The venue may already boast a bundle of dining out awards but with Chef Rafael now in the kitchen there’ll be a few more on the way.
