To continue the celebration of my brother's graduation we had an interesting and delicious meal at broken spanish in downtown. some mexican dishes i have tried before and many it was the first time, it was like taking a trip all over mexico with so many different and unique flavors. apparently this place is so popular we had to already book a table a couple weeks in advance.
here were the starters we shared:
Tostada of Cauliflower "Ceviche," White bEan aioli, sea bean, and mexican lime. this was very delicious, however the fresh JALAPENOs gave this dish quite a big punch, and unfortunately it was a bit too spicy for most of us, but there was definitely a freshness about the dish with the sprouts and blood orange.
Chochoyotes- Masa Dumpling with Potato, Green Garlic, and Pasilla. this was probably my least favorite dish of the night. the dumplings reminded me of little tamales due to the texture and taste. and the sauce, which looked more like a soup so we asked for soup bowls but were informed that we didn't need them. as you are supposed to eat the dumplings with a bit of soup as a spoonful. we thought that was a bit of a waste as there was so much soup leftover but i don't think anyone could have drank the whole thing as it was quite sour.
Albondigas- Duck Meatballs with Bacon and Salsa Chipotle. this was also very spicy and tasty. you do get the smokiness from the chipotle but also the heat. i hoped that the next few dishes weren't so spicy otherwise some of us might not be able to eat so much and fortunately they weren't too spicy but still very flavorful.
pulpo- octopus with midnight black beans, lardo, pickled green tomato, radish. this was one of my favorites of the night, it had a good combination of flavors and textures, a bit sour, sweet, fatty, earthy and chewy. there was a richness and lightness to the dish.
for the main courses we shared these dishes:
barbacoa of short rib, domingo rojo beans, bacon, chipotle. another one of my favorites of the night, the tender short rib with the earthiness and richness of the beans and the slight spiciness and smokiness from the chipotle. a definite must try.
Carnitas of Grass-Fed Lamb, Carrot Escabeche, Onion Mermelada. this dish was good, however compared to the chicharron and barbacoa it couldn't quite compete. it just wasn't that interesting, maybe a lack of flavors or elements on the plate.
Chile Relleno of Poblano, Potato, Kale, Lemon, and Soubise. this was definitely not what i was expecting from a chile relleno, but maybe the ones i have are the american versions. i do however really liked this version, more creamy and sour, less heavy and fried.
CAZUELA - FUN TO SHARE! Tequila Blanco, Mezcal, Moro Blood Orange, Pineapple, Orange Blossom Honey, and Fresno Chile. they have a great cocktail list, so many intriguing drinks to choose from but we decided to order this one as it said it was fun to share and it certainly was. it was like a very small version of a punch bowl. it is definitely just worth it to come in for a drink and some small snacks at the bar.
Chicharron of Garlic Mojo, Radish Sprout, Picked Herbs with fresh made tortillas. again nothing can be bad when it comes to pork belly. it was so soft and tender with the pickles to cut a bit of the fattines and the warm delicious tortillas. a really great dish.
Whole Snapper of Capper, Olive, Celery, Chile Piquin, and Avocado. this was good, however it was one of the last dishes we had, so by the time this arrived we were all already quite full. and as you can see it was a considerably large fish, next time we will try not to order so much food.
AND FOR dessert, i guess we almost tried everything on the menu.
CHoco Taco of Kumquat Mermelada, Candy Cap Cream, Banana Namelaka, and Black Truffle Ice Cream. it was a bit of a disappointment as choco taco was once one of many favorites i got at the ice cream truck when i was a child. and i guess i had imagined it to taste like that or similar, but it was completely different. i think there was too much going on the plate and it didn't come together or maybe i was already a bit biased from the beginning.
Pavlova of Pink Lemon Curd, Strawberry, Seasonal Citrus, Avocado Ice Cream, and Pistachio. i think this was the overall favorite of the group. it was just tasty, the pavlova was made just right, crunchy but a bit chewy in the middle with some fresh fruit and the avocado ice cream was delectable, smooth but not too overpowering in flavor.
Cafe de olla with hazelnut dacquoise, canela pastry cream, jivara ganache, mocha stout reduction, and cafe-canela ice cream. this was my second favorite of the desserts, it was a very chocolatey mille feuille. if you like chocolate then this is your dessert with a good combination of chocolate and coffee flavors.
Arroz con Leche of Saffron Rice Pudding, Cara Cara, and Coconut. rice puddings can be a bit boring as most of time it includes one or two of the same ingredients. so it was refreshing to taste other flavors in the pudding and the saffron turned it into a beautiful light yellow.
Corn Tortilla Ice Cream, Cara Cara Sorbet, and Meyer Lemon cilantro Srobet. the corn tortilla was interesting and strange, it was a split in between the middle of people actually liking it and people who hated it. the cara cara sorbet was delicious, i could have had another scoop. the meyer lemon cilantro sorbet was good too, however i think the cilantro slightly overpowered the lemon flavor.
overall it was a great dinner, all the dishes were delicious in their own way, each packed a lot of flavor and some might have been a bit too strange or unfamiliar for our taste buds. i had remembered coming here a few years back when it was a very upscale mexican restaurant, it was good but probably a bit too high end for what they were serving and charging. i hope that broken spanish doesn't follow history and can stay around a bit longer.