MEXIco Launches In Style @INTUDerby @TrueTasteMexico
Published On Wednesday 6 Jul 2016 by Sticky Beak
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Thursday 30th June, 2016 saw the Launch Party of the hottest new eaterie in town; MEXIco in the Intu Centre at Derby.
This restaurant is the brain child of renowned Chef Johnny Hernandez who has himself cooked for Barack Obama on the lawns of the White House to celebrate the Mexican festival Cinqo de Mayo, and Dirk Eller CEO of Prezzo.
These two gentlemen don’t do things by halves; they decided to bring the first flagship MEXIco restaurant to Derby a mere 8 weeks ago!
Credit for the fantastic decor must go to a very talented lady called Nadine who pulled together all the original artwork, sculptures and fittings to create a cohesive, authentic Mexican feel. Most of the artwork was created by several contemporary Mexican artists especially for this restaurant, and environmental issues were addressed by the re-use of the newspapers used to pack the art pieces being utilised as wallpaper in the toilet facilities.
The contemporary decor manages to be fresh, vibrant and modern whilst still being inviting and friendly, which is a delicate balance to pull off.
So, the space itself scores top marks how does the food measure up? The first thing Ashton brought to our table was a massive bowl of fresh stone ground organic corn chips with bowls of salsa Roja and Salsa Verde.
The Salsas were both absolutely rammed with flavour; if you could go and pick the ingredients out of your own garden it couldn’t be fresher. The table was a symphony of appreciative murmurs of delight; my own personal view was that I preferred the taste of the Salsa Verde but liked the slightly chunkier texture of the Salsa Roja, and the chips were superbly crisp and had a lovely little angle to them that made scooping the dips up very easy.
All the salsas are made fresh on a daily basis to ensure that they reach diners in prime condition. Johnny is a firm believer that fresh ingredients and top quality produce is the key to unlocking the true taste of Mexican cuisine. When I quizzed him further he said that the true character of Mexican dishes lie in the layering of the flavours and textures and this was very much evident in the Chicken Tostados that Ashton brought next for us to try.
With this dish from the Puebla region of Mexico texture came from the corn tortilla and fresh lettuce, punchiness from the Tinga sauce (thanks to the smoky Chipotle Chilli component) and a lovely creamy note from the Avocado crema and the Queso Fresco cheese.
Ashton herself was so passionate about the food she was serving you couldn’t help but ride the wave with her, if you’re lucky enough to have her as your server when you dine there you are in very safe, knowledgeable hands.
The drinks are amazing too, we were handed a bottle of Don Equis lager on arrival, which I have never tried before and it does have a nice rounded taste to it that I think will appeal to a lot of people.
For me though, nothing says Mexico like a good old Margarita and at MEXIco they have several mouth watering versions for you to try. We started off with the classic variety and then another staff member called Holly recommended we try the Pacific variety; this has Lemongrass, Ginger and Cucumber in its blend.
Well I took a sip of this little beauty and what can I say except “woo hoo”; this is my tipple du jour from now on. I was expecting it to be quite fiery if I’m honest, you know, one of those drinks that are really nice but you can only have one at a time, but talk about be the complete opposite; and they do say assumption is the mother of all doo-dahs don’t they? Whilst you do get the spicier hints, the overriding flavour is of the refreshing cucumber, so it is the perfect companion to the full on tastes of the Mexican cuisines.
The tropical Margarita has Coconut and pineapple juice in it, so this is liquid paradise in my opinion; light and refreshing on the palate this would again be great alongside the food on offer at MEXIco. . The saying that what you put in is what you get out applies to cocktails, which is why a quality Tequila from El Jimidor is used to base Margaritas on; you really do get a delicious tipple at MEXIco.
Jane brought round some Snapper fish fillets with Salsa Verde for us to try, and as a fellow foodie we were talking about the menu for a good while. Honestly, the serving team at MEXIco are so informative and very good at recommending dishes for your own taste preferences. Anyhow, the fish was delicious, lovely and moist with hints of garlic, coriander and a lovely zip from fresh lime juice.
Another dish to try is the individual nachos; gone is the frustration of having nachos with no cheese and Salsa on them, this version ensures that each nacho is layered with refried beans and melted Monterey Jack cheese, then covered with Crema, fresh Pico de Gallo salsa and smooth Avocado. So every mouthful is loaded with textures and flavours, every time, no ifs, buts or maybes.
Johnny was in his element talking about his country and its flavours, and I was curious to know what single flavour, for him, epitomises Mexico. Most people, I’m sure, would immediately think Chillies, and in part you would be right; in fact Johnny said Peppers, in all their guises from humble sweet varieties through to fresh Jalapenos and smoked, dried Jalapenos (Chipotle peppers) form the basis of most Mexican dishes.
He said that they can impart so many different elements into a dish that Peppers really are the signature ingredient to Mexican cuisine from dips and Marinades through to stews, soups and side dishes.
Again this comes back to his earlier statement that layers of tastes and textures are at the heart of Mexican food. MEXIco also has an utterly delicious signature dish; Puffy Tacos. This gem is, as the name suggests, puffy, crispy corn tortillas with pulled Chicken Tinga, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and homemade Guacamole.
The end result is just beautiful to eat with a cascade of flavours bursting onto your tongue and the texture of the taco is something completely different. In fact I think this is a first to our country, so get down to MEXIco, try it for yourselves and spread the trail blazing word.
At the launch party Johnny was hosting Tequila Flights where we sampled many different types of Tequila. Tequila can be aged in many different ways and for different lengths of time and you really can taste the difference between them; older Reserva varieties definitely command respect and are to be sipped and savoured rather than blended into cocktails.
The Jose Quervo Reserva Tequila we sampled had a magnificent Caramel note to it that went blindingly well with the chocolate dipped Churros and mini Mexican Caramel Brulees that Holly brought over. Yes, the desserts at MEXIco were also totally yummy too, so when you go there remember to take your appetite!
We had an absolute blast at the launch party, and I am sure that a great time awaits you too dear reader.
I just want to say thank you to Johnny Hernandez for being such a great host and to congratulate him and Dirk Eller for bringing what I’m sure will be a great restaurant success story to my beloved Derbyshire and its premier city, Derby. I also want to congratulate all the staff on being so friendly and professional - you guys rocked!
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