My entire professional career has been predicated on my love and passion for bold flavors and interesting texture combinations in food. So it is no surprise that one of the very first cookbooks I bought was one penned by Douglas Rodriguez, the iconic patron of Latin cuisine. As Paul Prudhomme is to Cajun cuisine Rodriguez is to Nuevo Latino cuisine.
Nuevo Latino cooking abounds with bold flavors and contrasting textures all displayed in a myriad of colors on the plate. We always eat first with our eyes and, when Nuevo cuisine is done properly, it more than exemplifies this doctrine.
With the many diverse ethnic cuisines available in Montreal we are lucky to have a couple of the very best advocates of this exciting cuisine both with kitchens run by chefs that excite our palettes every day: Mario Navrette Jr (Madre, Raza and Callao) and Marcel Larrea and Georges-Etienne Tremblay of Mezcla
On a recent Saturday evening I paid a visit to Mezcla, tucked away cozily on a small side street just south of St Catherine St in the gay village. It’s not a big place by any means, but it oozes a casual bistro ambiance. The large floor to ceiling windows look out onto a small park and the inside resembles a Latin bistro with high ceilings, colorful paintings adorning exposed brick walls and two hand carved Spanish wooden chandeliers providing most the subdued lighting. There is also a small open kitchen at the rear of the restaurant.
Before we get into the food let me start by saying that, by any standard, the service at Mezcla is superb from the moment one steps inside. The servers work as a team and are thoroughly professional, friendly and very knowledgeable of all dishes on the menu. They made our evening a joy!
I have read many rave reviews about Mezcla since it opened in 2012 so let me humbly add mine to the mix.
The menu is not large and is printed on one side of an 8 x 12 sheet, food on one side and wines on the other. It offers an excellent selection of entrees and main dishes (vegetarian, seafood and various meat and poultry selections). Their wines feature vintages mainly from Spain and South America.
While enjoying our cocktails we were offered a complimentary amuse bouche of a light crisply fried fish cake on a skewer sitting atop a tangy and slightly smoky chipotle chili infused homemade mayonnaise….Yum!
We started with two entrees: Pulpo Al Oliva ($15) consisting of thin slices of grilled Spanish octopus drizzled with a boldly flavored Botigas Olive Emulsion, cancha (fried corn nuts) fresh coriander and a drizzle of XO olive oil. The octopus was tender to a fault and the combination of flavors and textures were fantastic. The second entree: Anticucho de Pato ($14) were four perfectly grilled Palmex farm duck hearts presented on bamboo skewers with a dip of huancaina (a luxurious creamy Peruvian cheese sauce made with Aji amarillo chili peppers). It was accompanied by a tower of batter fried yuca fries, wonderfully crisp on the outside and cushiony soft inside. This was my first time tasting duck hearts and I must say that the way they are done at Mezcla made me an instant convert. Eaten with the flavorful dip they were tender and had a slightly pleasant char taste from the charcoal grill.
For main courses we chose Chicharron de Cochinillo ($26) and their Roasted Cornish Game Hen ($26). The chicharron was a thick medallion of Gaspar Farms suckling pig braised and flash fried. It was covered with a pisco, a Peruvian brandy and soy glaze and accompanied with a small fresh green mango salad and a side dish of superbly braised lima beans bathed in a robust chili flavored tomato sauce A beautifully presented plate with awesome flavors.
The other dish of roasted Cornish game hen was roasted to perfection then flash fried to achieve a wonderfully crispy skin. It was served as the whole trussed bird with wonderfully crisped skin and moist and tender meat inside. It was a accompanied by a small basket of the same battered yuca fries and another side dish of perfectly sautéed meaty king mushrooms and fresh asparagus. I’m consider myself a big eater, but this plate was ‘over the edge’ for me so I opted for a doggy bag.
Portions at Mezcla are very generous!
After a short reprieve, enjoying the remains of our Spanish wine, we grudgingly found room for a shared dessert: Coeur Fondant au Chocolat ($9), a sinful Latin take on the chocolate flourless cake made from Valrhonna Manjaii Grand Cru 64% chocolate and served with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and drizzled with a wild berry confit…… Insulin alert!
What a way to end an amazing trip through the delectable world of some of the very best Nuevo Latino cuisine I have had in Montreal or elsewhere.
I can’t wait to return and sample some of their other enticing dishes.
Cost of or meal including wine, but not including taxes or tip was $135
1251 de Champlain St
Tel: 514 525-9934
Dinner: Wed – Sat 17h30 – 22h45
Lunch: Wed – Fri 11h30 – 14h30
www.restaurantmezcla.com
