Showing posts with label Mexican Cuisine. Show all posts

El Mostacho


The Bystro Group, is all set to add more excitement to the buzzing F&B scene in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) with its upcoming Mexican concept El Mostacho.



The compact space boasts vibrant quirky décor, with trinkets bought at Mexican markets, such as crafts from Guadalajara and Oaxaca and an open kitchen.










The restaurant boasts a zesty menu packed with authentic Latino delights, with a keen focus on street food tacos.

In addition to classic dishes you'll also find healthy options, including homemade gluten-free tortillas, salads, and soups made from family recipes. The kitchen is led by Mexican-born Isaac Mendoza, who promises the “zesty spirit of Mexico” in all his dishes.

We started off our tasting session with special Coca Cola that contains sugarcane as opposed to corn syrup in regular Coco cola’s. Personally, since I stay away from aerated drinks it was hard for me to spot the difference.




If you go to a Mexican restaurant and don’t eat Guacamole then you definitely missed authentic Mexican experience. We had some creamy guacamole with Nachos. I love Guacamole, and this was really good. However, my Indian palate would have loved it to be spicier (I know, i'm rolling my eyes too).




For soup or sopas we had fresh tortilla soup, Tortilla in soup was definitely a fresh new concept for me. The combination of tortilla and tomatoes was not that bad. All the tortilla's are freshly made at the restaurant, which is an added bonus.




However, the star of the tasting was definitely the Tacos.  I loved the Beef and vegetarian tacos the most. The Taco plate had the Barbacoa, Carne Asada, Tinga De Pollo, and Hongoz corn Maiz.




What stood out was the Barbacoa which is slow cooked shredded beef – This shouldn’t be missed at all. It was juicy and tender and so well marinated. Big shoutout to Issac for making Vegetarian tacos so tasty. The Hongoz Corn Maiz had marinated portabello, sweet corn, avocado & pimento pepper. It was made to satiate.

We ended the meal with caramel flan. I prefer flan to be softer and not so chewy. Hence the dessert was a miss for me.




This place is perfect for quick bites. The menu is still in its nascent stage, so I’m sure in time – we will definitely be enjoying a full-fledged Mexican fare


Location: Ground Floor, Silver Tower, Cluster I , Dubai
Cost: AED 80 for two


Reserve your table at: 045516679

I was invited to El Mostacho and all views and images are © Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.


El Mostacho Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Riso

Riso is an Italian-Mexican Vegetarian restaurant (Yes, VEGETARIAN) that has recently opened in Oud Metha. As always there’s a Desi element as it’s created by the same guys who own Punjabi By Nature.  This place is definitely a food haven for vegetarians, and they also cater to Jain food requirements.

What first caught my eye was the ambiance. It looks quaint from the outside, but as you walk in you feel you are in a different place altogether. Vibrant bright colors, bright lights, give it a very cozy Italian home vibe. The interiors are chic, modern and artistic and is perfect for Photography. The lights are perfect bright and the colorful food make it Instagram worthy.










Post being seated comfortably we started off our colorful vegetarian experience with Mock tails. You can win my heart with a Mojito, I feel t’s a beverage you can never go wrong with and it’s so refreshing.




For Soups we opted for Mushroom cappuccino which by now has become such a rage at Riso, that we definitely had to try it. It was served in a wide brimmed coffee mug and topped with froth. I loved the presentation. It was served on a wooden platter with a mushroom slice. Mushroom soup was good, the presentation piqued my interest and the taste wasn’t a letdown.



I opted for Zuppa Di Broccoli soup – I prefer thicker and creamier consistency with my soup and for me the soup was a bit watery and not as creamy as I would have loved it to be. It was served on a wooden platterwith Broccoli floret.



We moved onto their set menu for Appetizers which included Pale Di Potato – which was marinated crispy potato skin served with garlic mayonnaise sauce. It tasted good and was a good appetizer to start off with.



Next we tried cheese corn balls, the presentation could have been better. The filling wasn’t well cooked and I could taste the raw batter which was a major put off.




We moved on to the Antipasti cart which was amazing – bread topped with cheese, mushroom, tomatoes and bell peppers. My favorite of the lot was definitely cheese & olives, and the salsa. I would definitely go back for these.




For main course we had lasagna and Mexican rice. The Lasgna was good and creamy, but it didn’t really set my taste buds tickling. The Mexican rice was served with fresh veggies and was cooked well, but it wasn't delectable and complete as a main course on its own.






For the finale we had the Chocolate mud cake. I am a chocolate person and hence will be a little harsher on desserts.  A gooey chocolate layer was topped with a ball of vanilla ice cream garnished with mint leaf.  The chocolate layer was gooey and coupled with the ice cream, it was decent. But not amazing.





The décor is beautiful and is perfect for those for those beautiful Instagram feed. The service was prompt and the staff was ever courteous and smiling with all its patrons. 



Contact:

Location:  Lamcy Plaza, Oud Metha, Dubai.
Timings –  12:00 am to 16:0 pm
                   19:00 pm to 01:00 am

Cost: AED 120 for two
Reserve your table at: 043966044

I was invited to Riso and all views and images are © Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.






Riso Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato 

Cactus Jack

Aloha Amigos,

Cómo estás

Mexican food is one of the best culinary experience that people can have. It’s full of color, life and music – it’s like a piñata exploding in your mouth. In Mexico they believe that barriga llena, corazón content - which means that a full stomach is a happy heart, and it’s evident in the food they serve.

I had the distinct pleasure of dining at Cactus Jack located in Millennium Airport Hotel. Cactus Jack is famous for its frozen mojitos, margaritas and fajitas. I would definitely not deny the latter at all.

The restaurant is tastefully done that to reflect the rustic charm of the Wild West along with the fun city life of Mexico. Props like cactus and the hanging Ristras adorn the entrance, prepping you for what’s to come.











The entrance is a bright yellow, and as you walk in you have a more muted setting with wooden chairs and tables. The dim lights created a very cozy and relaxed vibe. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, and as the weather is getting pleasant we chose to be seated outside. The restaurant effortlessly transforms into a lounge with a dj and some good music post 11:00 p.m.

We started off with our welcome drinks which was a mix of watermelon & mint & enjoyed munching on Nachos & salsa while exploring the menu.





When life gives you limes, garnish your margarita – and we decided to do just that and ordered for Jalapeno cucumber Margarita. It wasn’t something I liked, and hence decided to move to Mexican Lindo which was suggested by the staff and I was so happy to have taken their advice. It was just the perfect cocktail for what was to follow.







Nothing says Mexican like Taco’s and we ensured that we had our share of Taco’s.






We ordered for the Cactus Jack fajita’s with shrimp and steak. Not a conversation passed between us as we devoured the fajita. It was delectable, sumptuous and appeased our senses. The shrimp was succulent, juicy, piquant and so flavorful. I would eat it all over again. The steak was perfectly cooked. The shrimp and steak coupled with the vegetables were served on a sizzling platter and the Fajita’s did sizzle their way into my senses.




If you go to Cactus Jack, you have to try the Fajita’s  - they are mouth watering and unavoidable.
In between all this we were told about the Dynamite chicken challenge and I flipped my hair and was ready to try the chicken. How spicy could spicy be, and especially since spicy food is like second nature to me, I was sure I was going nail it.






The challenge is called “Wings on fire” and for a reason. You have to be the first one to finish eating EIGHT spicy chicken wings and you will be rewarded with a free bucket of malt beverage.

It sounds like fun, and it is as well.

We loved how beautifully the dynamite chicken was placed in front of us. Like how can something so pretty be extremely spicy. And I was chanting ‘piece of cake” in my mind. I let my friend try first, and his reaction had me in splits.




I was still smug and didn’t think it would be spicy for my palate, but boy was I wrong! The first bite you take, you feel nothing but the moment you start chewing into it – the spice just bursts in your mouth and now we know why it’s called dynamite chicken.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but then again if I were you I would definitely try it.

We ordered our mains – Lamb Amarilla and Camarone Diablo and while we were doing so, we were told about the ‘Dentist chair’, wherein tequila will be poured in your mouth for 10 seconds on the go.




Lamb Amarilla was cajun marinated lamb chops served with mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and habanero sauce. It was a little overcooked, but tasty nevertheless.




Camarone Diablo was the highlight for me along with the Fajitas. Jumbo prawns marinated with garlic and olive oil were served with Chipotle, vegetables, avocado and mango salsa with diablo sauce.




We moved onto dessert and it was the best way to end our dinner.

We had Sizzling Hot chocolate fudge, which was served on a skillet. It was mesmerizing to see the fudge cake melting away to white chocolate and cajeta sauce. Not only was it mouth watering to look at, but every spoonful was a burst of flavors in the mouth.









We also tried Nachos de chocolate, which was novel and innovative. Baked crispy sopapila was served with hot chocolate sauce and cajeta, along with strawberry and vanilla mousse.







Cactus Jack is just the perfect place to unwind over Mexican food and drinks. The ambiance is relaxed and the outdoor seating is perfect for the weather now. The staff is ever smiling and always ready to help make your experience at Cactus Jack an amazing one.

The food, and the presentation is just amazing. The effort that the staff make towards ensuring comfort is commendable.





Cactus Jack is definitely on the list of my fun places to dine at.








Contact:

Location:  Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai
Timings –  6:00 pm to  3:00 am
Cost: AED 350 for two
Reserve your table at: 047028855

I was invited to Cactus Grill and all views and images are © Urbanmodish, unless stated otherwise.

Get all the details on their website too!











Cactus Jacks - Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato