From a year ago.
Nuevo Latino Dim Sum Brunch
We decided to have the deluxe tasting for $34.95 per person. This includes every single “dim sum” item offered – 31 different tastes. This is definitely an overload and I am not sure I would do this again with just two people. Palate fatigue was definitely an issue. Some of the dishes were wonderful, others fair and some just not worth it. One problem with so many dishes is that many arrive barely lukewarm which severely detracts from the dish.
I have not eaten at the bar at Café Atantico as they only serve dinner. Here is a picture of that area.
Now for the dim sum lunch.
Fresh Oysters with Mango Oil and Passion Fruit – excellent beginning and the fruit component was an excellent pairing with the oysters.
Guacamole, freshly made tableside and tortilla chips – always good and you can specify your preference re spiciness.
Spinach Sautéed with Raisins and Pumpkin Seeds – nice
Duck Confit with Passion Fruit Oil – This was delicious. The skin was crunchy, almost caramelized and the duck flesh is fork tender, sliding off the bone.
Fried Egg with Veracruz Sauce – this suffered from not being hot enough, but the flavor was a perfect marriage.
Pineapple Shavings with Plantain Powder – interesting palate cleanser
Shrimp with Butternut Squash, Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds and Lime Air – actually an interesting concept, but the “air” didn’t add enough of the lime component
Four dishes were now presented at the same time.
Chilled Cucumber and Tomatillo Soup
Potato and Vanilla Mousse with American Caviar – just perfect
Asparagus with Plantain Powder and Orange – saucing a tangy orange sauce
Fried Eggs with Black Beans and Pork – I do wish this had been hotter.
Tuna Ceviche with Coconut. This was very cleverly presented. The Ceviche had been wrapped in a thin sheet of jicama and dusted with crushed corn nuts on top. Excellent.
Quinoa and Cauliflower Couscous with Sliced Onions – I wasn’t expecting to like this, but it was served steaming hot so maybe I was taken in by the decent temperature of the food. Crunchy and quite delicious.
Now another four dishes were presented at the same time.
Salmon-pina ravioli with scallion sauce – fair, suffering from overcooked salmon
Red Snapper with Avocado sauce – actually this was quite good. The avocado sauce added creaminess to the snapper.
Seared Watermelon with Citrus Vinaigrette – I was surprised that I enjoyed this – an excellent palate refresher.
Beef with Tamarind sauce – I was really looking forward to this, but the beef was poor quality – one bite was enough.
Mango Anchovy Raviolis – horrible. Mango and anchovies just isn’t a match made in heaven – personal opinion.
Four dishes presented:
Beets with Goat Cheese Fondant – This was OK, but the ratio of beets to cheese was off – there wasn’t enough cheese to offset the beets
Huitlacoche and Wild Mushroom Quesadilla – This suffered from the cooked ahead syndrome
Coconut rice, crispy rice and squid – This was delicious – great taste and texture
Scallop with Orange sauce – The scallops were huge and tough. One small bite.
Hot and Cold Foie Gras and Corn Soup – this was a mini foie gras soup. On top was corn foam with a bit of crushed corn nuts – a winner
4 dishes presented:
Jicama-arugula rolls, quinoa, corn and cabrales cheese
Seared Baby Corn with Corn Puree – excellent
Conch Fritters with a Liquid Heart – Soggy
Jicama-avocado raviolis with Citrus dressing – this was much like a beggar’s purse with the jicama being the wrapper and filled with an avocado mousse. I must admit that palate fatigue was definitely an issue.
The jicama wrapper:
Three dishes presented:
Salmon with Papaya sauce – my notes say why? The saucing made no sense
Quail with Latin Spices – the duck confit was far superior
Seared Cigales – quite good.
Pan dulce with Cinnamon Syrup – delicious
This was an extraordinary experience. Temperature of the dishes becomes a major issue, particularly when you are getting 4 dishes at the same time. However, this would make a perfect group experience – better suited for more than 2 people.
Refined Palate 