There is a new Mexican joint in town! From the owners of La Tacqueria, they've opened up a Mezcal bar in Vancouver, the first of its kind here. I didn't know what Mezcal was, so upon further investigation, I found out that it is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico.
I was invited to try out this restaurant and I was surprised to see that it was completely packed by the time Meta Knight and I arrived. We were so glad we reserved in advance!
Their tasting menu. So many choices.... so little time.
Meta Knight started off with the
Agua Fresca del Dia con Piquete which was spiked fruit water of the day. For us, it was lime day and he said it tasted like limeade with an alcoholic kick. I ordered the
Horchata which is non-alcoholic. It is made from rice water, cinnamon, and condensed milk. Meta Knight found mine way too sweet while I found his to be even sweeter. Oh well, to each their own.
There was no way for us to try La Mezcaleria without trying their famous
Queso Fundido which is Mezcaleria's molten cheese fondue served in a volcani rock molcajete. You have a choice of salsa verde or Mexican chorizo for the topping. Unless you are vegetarian, there is absolutely no reason for you not to get the chorizo!
We had four sauces to accompany our fondue. It goes from the least spicy (which is the Salsa Verde), to most spicy (Habanero of course). Meta Knight and I never touched the Habanero. We are wusses. :P
As oily and guilty as this was, it was probably one of the most indulgent delicious things I've ever had on this planet.
The way to eat this is to actually stir the cheese around with the fork, and put some of that cheesy chorizo mixture onto the tortillas they provide. Listen, there is no nice way to eat this, cheese will hang out of your mouth, the oil will drip down your chin, the chorizo will burn your mouth like fire.... it's all part of the process.
Ta-da! Add some salsa verde and this baby is good to go.
The
Parillada consists of grilled beef short-ribs marinated in their home made pasilla chile sauce, mexican chorizo, cactus, peppers, and green onions.
I personally thought the dish was overall on the oily side and the beef ribs didn't compare to the ones I make at home. However, the cactus was really interesting to eat and the flavours of all the meat and vegetables worked well together.
Last but not least is the
Tostadas De Pato which is a tostada topped with Fraser Valley duck confit, guava, fruit mole sauce, chayote squash, and radish. This will be a hit or miss with you depending on whether a) you like sweet fruity sauces in your savoury main dishes, and b) whether you enjoy confit that has cooked for so long you no longer texturally feel the meat. To us, the meat was like a sauce which was fine because the flavours were incredibly complex. However, for people who like something to bite on and chew, this duck confit is not for you.
All in all Meta Knight and I had a wonderful time at La Mezcaleria. The cheese fondue is THE thing to get here and is the perfect appetizer for cheese lovers. My only criticism is the oiliness of each dish. We felt like we each ate a bucket of oil during dinner.
Service Rating:
4.5/5
Food Rating:
3.5/5
Price:
$$-$$$
Overall Rating: 4/5
Happy Eating!
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