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A gastronomic night

Published:Thursday | September 19, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Natilla con pulpa de guayaba - cream with guava pulp - was the perfect end to a delicious night.
Barbecued pork with refried beans.
Clockwise: A great blend of flavours from the chicken sope, fried chicken tacos, shrimp patty and Sinaloan fish ceviche.
Crema poblano - poblano pepper cream with fresh cheese and sweet corn grains.
Chicken in mole sauce with Mexican rice.
Mexican chef Cuauhtémoc Ramírez flew in from Mexico to make sure the night's feast was flawless. - Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
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Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Editor

If you were not at The Grog Shoppe last Friday night, you missed a gastronomic feast of epic proportions. It was all about Mexico, as that nation celebrated its 203rd anniversary of independence.

If you're thinking tacos and salsa, then you're wrong. It was Margarita upon entry to get you ready for the mastery that was unfolding in the kitchen. Twenty-five-year veteran chef, Cuauhtémoc Ramírez, was in from the motherland to keep the dishes authentic and, thanks to him, the taste buds of those invited were in for quite a treat.

The appetiser awoke all the senses. Think shrimp patties with cheese, guajillo pepper, tomatoes, onions and cilantro, perfectly balanced by ceviche Sinaloense and empanadas. Suble yet effective, they were a great combination to get the night started.

The soup was no ordinary soup. The crema poblana had the right kick from the poblano peppers. Croutons and sweet corn grains added the right amount of crunch.

But then, it got down to business with the first of two main dishes. Barbacoa de pierna de puerco con frijoles refritos - barbecued pork with refried beans. The barbecue sauce was thankfully not overpowering, and the morsels of pork just melted in the mouth.

The same was true for the pollo en salsa de mole arroz Mexicano - chicken in de mole sauce served with Mexican rice.

As as with most meals, the best was saved for last. The natilla con pulpa de guayaba - cream with guava pulp was a high point. Creamy and spicy with a literal cherry on top, it was a real celebration of the flavours of Mexico.