15. August 2012: Restaurant Biko

PHANTASMAGORIAL – Original Mexican dishes served in a new and unexpected way – that is what you get at the restaurant Biko (the 38th best restaurant in the world according to TheWorlds50Best.com.

When you enter, you are welcomed by the head of the restaurant which then guides you to your table. The chairs are removed so you can sit, the napkin is folded over your lap and within seconds the first order for drinks is taken. Within a few minutes, the drinks and the menu is brought to your table.

What to eat, was easy, I went for the “Menu con Armonización” (1’660 MXN) which is the tasting menu of the chef, Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso, and with each course an accompanying wine was served.

The “Aperitivos del Chef” were a “Sopa de Pescado” (a fish soup) …

… with a “crocetta de Pescado” (fish croquette). Both elements together were good but tasted intensely fishy (not negatively though) and the croquette was a bit too crunchy for my taste.

“Espàrragos con Aromas de Campo” was already a small revelation – the “Aromas de Campo” which were placed on top of the asparagus gave me shivers. That course was absolutely delicious!!! The accompanying wine was a sparkling wine from Spain (Cava; Mistinguett Brut V.S.L.U., Penedes) which was quite refreshing.

After a great dish, another quite tasty one followed: “Cremoso de Txipirones Ibéricos” (black rice with popcorn, potato soup, roasted onions, a dextrose leave with the artifical taste of calamari, and fried calamari). The combination of the popcorn (crunchy and salty) with the black rice was great, as well as the dextrose leave with the taste of calamari which once again gave me shivers. The onions (below the dextrose) were good too and went well with the fried calamari. The accompanying wine was a white Spanish wine – “Izadi Fermentado en Barrica 10, Bodegas Izadi, Rioja Alavesa” which was light and not too taste-intense.

While the name sounded very promising, the next course did not give me shivers but was absolutely delicious, nevertheless. The “Quesadilla Liquida (Hongo y Epazote)” was basically a small fried quesadilla with mushrooms and a mushroom soup. Absolutely mouthwatering! The accompanying wine was a true revelation though – a Mexican white wine called “Espacio En Blanco, Hacienda La Lomita, Ensenada” was light, fresh but very intense in taste – definitely a must-buy when I am back home.

The first main course – “Pescado en Pipiàn” – was a snook with a radish foam, a potato croquette, and a sunflower seed mole, and a pigweed reduction. The fish was dry but juicy at the same time, the radish foam was very subtle but rich in taste, the croquette was nothing special really and too much like the starter croquette (but it looked nice). The pigweed soup was very good but what was really a knock-out was the sunflower seed mole – shivers again!! The accompanying wine was a Spanish white again – “Naia 10, Bodegas Naia, Rueda”. Good again, nothing outstanding though.

A real traditional Mexican taste is what was provided by the next dish “Carnitas de Guajolote Almendrado” – the meat was absolutely tender like butter and it was accompanied by a chili reduction and dried chili. It was a very little spicy (good for Europeans) and just great in combination with the tender meat. Finally, a Spanish red wine was served to the dish which was good and intense – a “Ostatu Crianza 08, Bodegas Ostatu, Rijoa Alavesa”.

The desert was mouthwatering and very surprising – the “Maiz y Guayaba” was basically corn bread with guava liquid – the bread was very soft and tender and almost melted away like butter in your mouth.

The bread icecream which came with it was truly outstanding – I never had such a thing and I must admit it was absolutely and perfectly delicious! The wine which was served to this course was a sweet white wine called “Casas del Bosque Late Harvest 10, Valle de Casa Blanca” from Chile.

As a last course, coffee was served with sweets from the chef (“Café y Alegrías”). The sweets were Churros, chocolate, marshmellow with tamarindo and some jelly. They were all really good but the best was definitely the churro.

The food was definitely outstanding and mouthwatering and I had quite some “shiver-moments” which usually do not happen that often (especially not during one meal). The price is quite heavy for Mexican standards but more than adequate for central European standards.

The interior is nice, harmonious but simple and appealing at the same time. Especially the fact that you are seated right next to the window and get a glimpse of the lively and busy street Avenida Presidente Mazaryk.

Our waiter was Arturo Gutierrez which provided an excellent service – only a few things have room for optimization. At first, the single courses were served too quickly but when we told him that he should please slow down a bit, he did accordingly (although the main course was served when the white wine glass of the previous course was still almost full). Other than that, the service was excellent – always friendly, helpful, taking up the orders in no time and executing them accordingly (besides the last bottle of water which took quite some time). So, if you decide to dine at Biko, make sure you get Arturo.

To sum it up – an outstanding experience with great Mexican dishes served in a non-traditional way for a very reasonable price in a nice atmosphere and great service. Make sure to book your table in advance though.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Biko

Avenida Presidente Mazaryk 407

Colonia Polanco

11550 Mexico City (MEX)

Tel.: +52 55 52 82 20 64

E-Mail: eventosespeciales@biko.com.mx

Homepage: http://www.biko.com.mx

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.