Our late night of carousing led to a late start. We had breakfast at El Terrible Juan Café. The name promises more than the food delivers, but it was pleasant enough. There was nothing wrong with anything, but Piggy Back had a better breakfast.
We decided to take a long way through the city to Ex Convento del Carmen—the former convent turned cultural center, another example of Mexico’s practice of repurposing colonial religious buildings for secular use. The space is quite beautiful and there were a number of paintings that were lovely. Another free art museum and it definitely deserves a few moments of your time.
We walked from there all the way to Hospicio Cabañas. I read there was a free cultural event, but it turned out to be for kids, so the day was simply filled with a big walk in the historical center of the city. Vacation was winding down, so it was ok to simply stretch our legs before our last evening.
That evening there was a Christmas and craft market on Ave Chapultepec Sur, so we used it as an opportunity to spend the last of our pesos. Sam bought me a small black ring that I think looks really nice on my hand.
Dinner at Erizo de Mar Restaurante. The best meal of the trip, without question. The chef is named Freddy Monteros and presented each dish to us. He was really nice and we appreciated everything he and his team did for us that night.
It seems that tasting menus are not very popular in Mexico. They are a dime a dozen in Philadelphia, but the chef really thanked us for doing the menu. It started with three lovely amuse-bouches: a perfectly dressed oyster; potato mille-feuille topped with pickled mussel and roe; and smoked mackerel layered over uni, pepper, and a memela—kind of like a mini Mexican English muffin.
The second course was raw clam ceviche with cucumber and cilantro. Remarkable enough to convert a clam skeptic—clean, bright, exceptional.
Third: salmon tartare so finely chopped and mustardy it evoked beef tartare entirely. Just very good.
Fourth brought lobster tagliatelle. This was so good. The lobster stock that was used to make the sauce was so lovely, and the noodles themselves were expertly made.
The first main was a Pacific white fish—likely sea bass—with chamoy and a sea urchin sauce that transcended the ordinary. Then skewered octopus and sweetbreads. I resisted octopus on principle but failed. Both were excellent. A single taco followed, made from the cooked head meat of tuna on an exceptional tortilla. Out of this world.
The finale: a toffee dessert with chai foam and a sea urchin cracker on top—gossamer-light, salty, carrying the essence of the sea without tasting of seafood. It unified the whole experience. Delicious.
Everyone spoke of Bruna as being this very special restaurant, but Erizo de Mar blew Bruna out of the water. What an exceptional way to end the trip.
Next: Guadalajara – Conclusion