So you think you know tequila ... or Tequila Coyote’s, the Sea World mainstay mixing margaritas and tossing tacos since 2010. We thought we did. But after last week’s refined Cuatros+Manos banquet, we have to rethink everything.
In eight courses, Tequila Coyote’s Chef Fernando Quiroz and Chef Rodrigo Gonzalez of McCawley’s Futian explored a nation of taste from the beaches of Baja California to childhood memories in old Tenochtitlan. With elegant dishes and expert technique, the pair reminisced and reimagined authentic Mexican cuisine in delicious new ways.
In the educational journey of Cuatros+Manos, the first lesson was – surprise! – tequila. More precisely, how to appreciate the difference between a faint and fair Tequila Blanco and Mezcal Amores. Though both are brewed from agave – tequila from only the blue variety – the mezcal is sweet and smoky in its taste and breath, with some feel of aloe in the sip. Taken with a peculiar Oaxaca salt blend – including crushed chilis and tequila-soaked worms – it transforms to a bright and spicy broth of mezcal gazpacho.
From there we were off to Baja with perhaps our favorite dish. Borrowing from Peru, the chefs fill a coconut with their own Tiger’s Milk – an acidic citrus marinade that cures perfectly tender scallop ceviche. With slices of chili, the crunch of crisp tortilla and a sprinkly of cinnamon-salt 'sand', it's a perfect day at the beach.
Then we're whisked back to 1987 – specifically, that guy selling corn on Mexico City street corner – for the texture and flavor of Chef Fernando’s childhood. The corn is simplicity itself: charred, not so tender. But his mole, that complex concoction of almost 80 ingredients, is the best of the dish, softened and almost slick as mayo. Back at the beach for the next course, we find baby octopus hiding in soft cilantro-corn tortillas. The ends inevitably get a little tough, but the appetizer is charming and shows off the taqueria chops that Tequila Coyote’s has honed over the years.
More delicious yet was the trip to the Yucatán and an ultra-tender Chicken Pibil. 'Pib,' we learn, is from the Mayan meaning "cooked inside the ground," and we can feel that earthy flavor. Achiote pepper provides a beautiful crimson and onion ashes decorate the smooth sauce of bean – not a symbol, we hope, of the conquistadors and disease that took down the mighty empire. But the diced red onion was pickled so well, we were left to wonder how the grilled pineapple would fare with similar treatment.
Two entrees proved exceptional success in the quest to mix international cuisine with Mexican. Beef short ribs were excellent, the quality cuts given enough time to fall apart when coaxed. The tamarind sauce, though, struck our tender tongue as too sweet, tangy and potent, but the mellow sweet potato smash and elegant curls of crisp onion more than made up.
With the exquisitely prepared pork belly and crisp-fried pig skin, we were kindly invited inside the house of the chef’s mother. The brilliant color of the adobo doesn’t quite match its light flavor, though it's a sensible choice for feeding little ones. But the mushroom risotto is decidedly grownup: it’s made Mexican with shots of tequila, of course.
Tequila, of course, was never very far from diners: in the sweet Jarrito de Tanalá (with orange juice and grapefruit soda) and in frequent shots from the host. Rum appeared in the Fidelito de Jamaica – sweet hibiscus with lime and mint. And Mexican cerveza spooked the crowd inside spicy, tangy micheladas rimmed with a Mexican candy so sour, we’re sure we couldn’t survive a childhood there.
The feast concluded at a Mexico City street fair, with crunchy fried bunuelos drizzled with brown sugar reduction and gels of mango and strawberry. Jamaica Textures gave us more sweet hibiscus, as a gel, alongside tart-sour sorbet and crushed cookies. But we barely had room after the courses before.
If Cinco de Mayo came early for only these 20 guests – and if these elegant dishes are not destined for Tequila Coyote’s menu – never worry. Another eight-course event is planned for November. And even without tasting these culinary wonders, visitors to Tequila Coyote’s can know that the master of this kitchen wields an admirable technique and a subtle genius, sure to be revealed in that next tasty taco or bountiful burrito.
READ MORE: Refresh Your Summer: New Menu at Tequila Coyote's
[Images by Tequila Coyote's and Adam Robbins]
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