Flautas: crispy and crunchy with a chipotle tang, the taquito-like treats – along with an array of other North Mexican dishes – have found their way to Shenzhen.
They’re currently being served up in a corner of Huaqiangbei so thickly clustered with retail it’d put a strip mall to shame. Hemmed in on either side by a semi-posh Chinese eatery and a portal to dozens of tiny clothing stalls, Órale dishes out authentic (also, halal) Latin cuisine in Shenzhen’s tech district.
Flautas (RMB54) are a signature dish, as the restaurant sign proclaims. Stuffed with beef, the rolled-up tortillas are served underneath a salad of shredded lettuce, carrots, beets and… surely that’s not mayonnaise?
“Garlic sauce,” Órale co-owner Luis Arguello clarifies. The sauce turns out flavorful, an acidic counterpoint to a side of hearty refried beans.
A compact burrito (RMB44) – peppery chicken and veggies inside a lightly toasted tortilla – puts its bland, rice-stuffed Tex-Mex cousins to shame, while the house special quesadilla (RMB57) offers satisfying slices of beef and caramelized onion.
We try a dish due to be released at Órale’s grand opening in mid-April. Arguello informs us that the ‘wire taco’ – a more palatable English name is in the works – requires scooping glistening cubes of beef and mushrooms into a warm tortilla.
Throughout the meal, he excuses himself several times to offer clarifications and instructions to customers. Employees are also trained to explain; on one visit, a server delivers, unprompted, a short spiel on quesadilla anatomy.
Which begs the question: can a menu that requires footnotes really catch on here?
Arguello, of course, thinks so. During Órale’s short lifespan, he’s seen groups of experienced diners draw in curious customers with a taste for the new.
The time may be ripe, in other words, for flautas, ‘wire tacos’ and more to catch on – but until then, Órale serves as a rare taste of Mexico in Huaqiangbei.
Price: RMB45-65
Who’s going: Latin food lovers, office workers
Good for: authentic Mexican food, flautas
Nearest metro: Huaqiangbei (Exit C) one minute
See listing for Órale.
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