BLACKBOOK IN THE KNOW
BLACKBOOK IN THE KNOW Global Gourmand Two Latin American cities offering an international feast, plus the best gastronomic tomes. By BROOKE PORTER KATZ MEXICAN BOUNTY You could spend an entire week – even a month – in Mexico City eating nothing but tacos, tostadas, tamales and other dishes with a healthy dose of what’s called “vitamin T”, but that would mean missing out on what makes the dining scene there so exciting right now. Take Masala & Maiz ( € masalaymaiz .com), which recently opened in the residential San Miguel de Chapultepec neighbourhood and is possibly the only restaurant in town that blends the flavours of Mexico with those of India and Africa. This surprising yet genius mash-up was inspired by the cultural backgrounds of its owners, Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, who create dishes like masala-spiced, peel-and-eat shrimp served with jicama and peanuts. Clockwise from left: Saqib Keval and Norma Listman at Masala & Maiz; Parisian-influenced El Roma Bistrot; Carmela & Sal‘s short rib with chirmol Buzzy young chef Joaquín Cardoso also looked to his heritage for his latest project, the romantic El Roma Bistrot (elromabistrot. com). His grandmother hailed from Cuba, which results in creations like seafood croquettes and soft-shell crab over beans and rice. Desserts – such as a rum baba topped with strawberries and whipped cream – come courtesy of pastry wunderkind Sofía Cortina. And while it’s tucked in a quiet corner off a leafy park, one step inside and you may as well be in Paris. If you’re looking for a powerlunch spot among a wellheeled business crowd, you’ll do no better than chef Gaby Ruíz’s elegant Carmela & Sal (carmelaysal.mx), in Lomas Virreyes. Floor-to-ceiling windows and wood parquet floors set the stage for a menu that’s divided by stages of music, from the interlude (like a refreshing fish ceviche) to the climax – think tender short ribs with a tangy chirmol sauce. For something a bit more low-key, try the new, noname spot in La Roma from Guerrero-born chef Jesús Tornes and the owners of next door’s El Parnita. It’s easy to find, now that it’s searchable by Expendio de Maíz € , which simply means “the sale of corn”. A few lowslung tables and benches are set right on the pavement within view of baskets of PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ALEXIS RAYAS, © EL ROMA BISTROT, © CARMELA & SAL 42 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
Joaquín Cardoso of El Roma Bistrot vegetables and a rustic, barebones kitchen. Your meal consists of whatever is available that day, but expect quesadillas, stews and tlacoyos that spotlight farm-fresh ingredients and pipinghot tortillas made with corn from local producers. There’s also no menu to be found at Mariscos Don Vergas, a monthsold stall in Mercado San Juan that’s only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am until it runs out of food. Behind a tiny, seven-seat counter with a party vibe, twentysomething chef Luis Valle furiously works his magic on seafood fresh off a plane from Sinaloa. The resulting dishes could be marlin quesadillas, a spicy octopus and scallop aguachile or shrimp tacos – the best vitamin T of all. Culinary PAGE-TURNERS Fäviken’s Magnus Nilsson tours the Nordic region to produce 450 examples of its finest baked creations – savoury and sweet, modern and traditional; phaidon.com PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: © EL ROMA BISTROT, © EMILIA GRACE, © CHICHERIA DEMENTE, © EMILIA GRACE ; BOOKS: COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHERS Bogotá Bites Clockwise from far left: hardware and fine fare at Emilia Grace; Chicheria Demente‘s rustic interior T he Colombian capital is a sprawling cosmopolitan city, and its restaurants reflect this international outlook – which is why you’re just as likely to find an incredible Peruvian or Japanese spot as one that celebrates local ingredients. When it comes to Italian, there’s the new brick-walled Emilia Grace (emiliagracerestaurante.com) in Zona G (for “gourmet”), which turns out classics like arancini and pappardelle bolognese. (The owners also run a pizzeria, ramen bar, Greek restaurant and burger joint.) A few minutes north, in Chicó Norte, a global trend has finally touched down with the recent opening of Patrono Food Hall. It’s home to nine different vendors selling everything from Taiwanese bao to fried chicken sandwiches to ice cream made to order with liquid nitrogen. For a taste of Colombia, head to the months-old Chicheria Demente (+57 320 9373 488), in La Concepción, the second project from former finance executive Nicolas Wiesner. Set in a restored 1900s farmhouse, it’s like an upscale piqueteadero, a rustic, roadside eatery where families and friends gather. Here, the menu transforms Colombian products into dishes like a grilled T-bone with black garlic butter and tempura-battered courgette flowers served with smoked honey. And the chicha – a traditional, sour fermented corn drink – is as local as it gets, made by producers in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Food blogger Nik Sharma (A Brown Table) combines Indian flavours with southern US recipes – and 270 sumptuous photos – in his debut book. chroniclebooks.com San Sebastián-based American Marti Buckley explores the history of her adopted region’s most beloved dishes and the processes behind them; artisanbooks.com Canadian chef Matty Matheson charts a culinary journey from his Ontario upbringing to TV stardom, via some classic recipes; abramsandchronicle.co.uk CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 43 FOR HOT TABLES IN MUST-VISIT CITIES, GO TO: CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
