September 6, 2015
“Papa, have you ever had a taco before?”
Sure! Why do you ask?
“I’d like to try it!”
..So excited to introduce a new cuisine to my lil diner…
Turns out Crazy Dave loves tacos. Google that!
There’s no taco trucks in Asia so the default of choices for a taco in this town is either a painfully overrated hipster joint or a Mexican fine dining one.
I chose the latter thru El Mero Mero
Located at the newly refurbished and tenanted CHiJMeS.
I was surprised how posh and upmarket this place was. Even more surprising was the presence of Mexican servers and cooks! Asia doesn’t necessarily have a wide representation of Mexican nor Latino visitors, much less residents.
The kitchen was utterly modern with sous vide machines, vacuum chambers and dehydrators sitting alongside a dozen active mortar and pestle’s. Apparently all guacamole and salsa’s are hand pounded.
The decor is a mixture of Día de Muertos souvenirs and rustic kitchen. Lines are clean and the lighting considerably sets the upmarket tone of the place. What seems to be mod-mex-Latino mood music gives that final edgy cool touch.
As there were only two of us this time, the menu choices were limited. For lil diner, a classic two taco carne asada with picked onion. It was gone before the camera could come to life. I can say with great confidence, it was a much loved dish.
For the accompanying adult, a Mexican soda before the El Mero Mero ceviche and followed by the roasted suckling pig.
The ceviche was great with a tostada cover holding cilantro, a wedge of avocado and a grilled lime to dress the ceviche. Base flavours are predominantly tomato, onions and cilantro with a hint of Chili that slowly creeps up on you. The seafood was a nice medley of octopus, shrimp, bay scallops and white fish. The creamy avocado adds a nice creaminess to it while the smokiness of the grilled lime gives additional oomph!
The suckling pig came next. It was a surprising “sandwich” of crispy skin, one on the bottom and another on top. The meat was probably sous vide’d. Texture was a tad soft for pork and it fell apart too easily. The mole that came with it was bright, earthy and the Chili was beautifully smoky. The touch of grilled pineapple lifted the dish. Overall good but probably not very “Mexican”.
Dessert was the star of the show. Creative yet never straying from its roots. The roasted pineapple showed the perfect marry of maturity and sweetness accompanied by a condensed milk ice cream.
Lil diner had the Churros con chocolate. Without ruining the surprise, this is a must try dish as familiar tastes are elevated with a fresh reinterpretation.
What started out as a curiosity ends with more curiosities. I want to go back and try more dishes, including the lengua taco. Lil diner wants the carne asada again.
thebearandhiscigar 