Lemongrass Restaurant at Now Sapphire Riveria Maya

Had a great dinner at Lemongrass. Some really tasty bites.   The appetizers are tapas-style so I recommend ordering a few. The Vietnamese Roll was my favorite followed by the Yakitori.  

The vegetable tempura had good seasoning but I don't think the cooking oil was hot enough. The coating wasn't very crispy and a bit greasy.  Also tried the shrimp tempura roll. The taste was good but had the same problem as the veggie tempura with not being crispy.  They have a separate sushi menu but unfortunately were out of tuna and all sashimi (my two favorites) so only ordered that one roll.  I also had the Tom Yam soup.   Very tasty broth that has a spice that builds up.   My wife got the Japanese Soup which was chicken broth flavored with lemongrass.   It needed some more Udon (she only had one).

For mains, we had the sweet and sour pork and green curry with chicken. 

 The pork was the better of the two.  Had a sauce that was not too sweet and well cooked pieces of pork.  Very tender and moist. The chicken curry dish had great flavor, unfortunately none of it was curry. Either we got the wrong dish or you really have to imagine yourself having curry.  In last times I have had green or red curry, there is a creamy sauce normally that color and it has that warm essence of heat. Nothing like that here.  Tasted fine and we enjoyed it.  It just wasn't curry. 

For dessert we had the coconut tapioca (outstanding) and we had ordered the Curry Dome but instead I think we were brought the Tempura Ice Cream.  

The chocolate coating was really good. The curry dome was supposed to have ginger ice cream and this tasted like vanilla. We didn't bother to get this corrected since we were both full and didn't need more dessert.  

We had decided to eat at one of the outside tables to be able to maintain social distancing since the tables inside were pretty close together.  If you do eat outside, make sure to use your favorite insect repellent.  We had forgotten to do that and as it got dark we found that mosquitoes really love asian food.  The staff must have known this and they brought a bottle of citronella spray which helped alot.  

We reserved another bali bed for today at the main pool. Yesterday was very relaxing.  Although there were many activities around the pool if you wanted to participate.  They had archery, aerobics, water aerobics, pool volleyball and then the "Crazy Game".   The entertainment staff do a great job keeping everyone happy. And Diego was there to keep our glasses full.  Lunch was from Barefoot Grill again.  Had a hot dog with guac and jalapeno!!  And a cheeseburger.  

So good. We think Bluewater Grill will be open for lunch today so we will try that.

Chef's Table at Hard Rock Riveria Maya

During my recent stay at the Hard Rock Riveria Maya, I had the chance to enjoy the chef's dinner.  This is available for an extra charge and usually held a few nights during the week.  Check with your travel professional or guest services at the hotel for information on booking. 

One of the entertainment staff hosted the evening and introduced the chef who prepared each plate in front of us.  

First course was a tuna appetizer with tomato.    Nice chunks of red tuna which had marinade of sesame, soy and orange.  Twirls of seaweed salad, sesame seeds and alfalfa sprouts added some nice cruch.

Next course was a beet salad.   

There were slices of red beets, a cheese which was somewhat like marscopone and an orange wedge for a bit of acid.  This was my least favorite dish since it didn't respect the beets.  The beets were very dry and lacking flavor. And there was nothing in this dish to really bring it altogether.  Perhaps that was that purpose of the cheese, but it needed more like a traditional vinaigrette.  

 While you await the best course, I will tell you one of the most exciting parts of the dinner.  Each of the first four courses was paired with a Mexican wine.  Now usually you would ever think of Mexico as having notable wines.  That is (and has been) changing.  These were two of my favorites from the night. 

The first was a Grenache style rose from the Guadeloupe region.  Fruity and refreshing.   

Next was a Chenin Blanc from Casa Madero which is in Coahula. 

Next course was a soup.  But not any ordinary soup.  This has the flavors of Mexican street corn which if you haven't had, you should.  Sweet, savory corn with a hint of cheese.  Topped with a crunchy radish and thin slide of Serrano pepper.  

And to top it all off, the chef provided a perfectly cooked lamb chop as the "spoon".

Next course was an amazing plate of short rib.  

 Having made short ribs before, I can tell you how time consuming they can be. They take many hours to braise and to still keep them juicy, I always recommend making them a day before to let the braising liquid soak back into the meat.  It definy seemed like the chef used that truck here.  And the seasoning was with five spice powder, cranberry juice and maple syrup.  If you are not familiar with it, five spice powder is used in many Asian dishes and can have different recipes.   Traditionally it is ginger, cinnamon, fennel, peppercorn and star anise which has a licorice flavor.  Certainly ingredients I never would have considered putting together.   Such a smart combination of spice, sweet and tart - all working together    The rib was served over some velvety cauliflower puree.   I don't even want to think how much butter had been emulsified to make what ended up almost being like a buttery spread.  Roasted carrots and zucchini were nice additions to drag through the cauliflower.   

And finally the dessert course.  

This was a flourless chocolate cake served with a passion fruit ice cream, topped with a berry compote.  The cake had a slight flavor of Mexican chocolate which has a nice spice.  It was too dry, but the passion fruit ice cream and compote helped with that.  I also like the small pieces of fresh fruit.  I really liked the passion fruit ice cream and could have eaten that by itself.  

Overall it was a very good meal.  One misstep with the beet course.  Saved by the soup course.  And the short rib was a crescendo that put an exclamation point on the meal.  Two takeaways for me.  I will consider cranberry and maple syrup next time I make short ribs.  And lamb chops make great utensils!!  I suspect they change this menu and the winea frequently so your experience may vary from mine. But chef's dinners are a great way to expand your food comfort zone.  

QUICK BITE:. Quesadillas need some love!!

Why don't quesadillas get their own day of the week?  We have Taco Tuesday so I am renaming today as Quesadilla Thursday.  These are being served poolside.  I went with the mushroom and chorizo.  Sides of crema and guac!!

#Quesadilla #TacoTuesday

Unico - Riveria Maya Restaurants

We had the opportunity to visit the Unico resort in Rvieria Maya Mexico.  One of the unique things about this resort is they have a cocktail ready for you to make when you check in. This is the Rojo Oaxaca which has Mezcal, rosemary syrup and lime!! Great refreshing drink after our journey.

August 3rd 2019 - 

Tonight's dinner was a five course tasting menu from a two-star Michelin chef. The amuse bouche was forgettable. It was nepales (tender cactus) on a tostada and served with a raspberry bloody mary. It had no flavor and the accompanied cocktail didn't have any spice either - just tomato and raspberry. The salad was my second favorite dish. It is best described as a salad that eats like a soup. Beetroot was the star and it was well prepared. Not sure how they got the slices so thin. Maybe it was pureed into a mold and then sliced? Dressing complimented the fresh ingredients although I would have liked a bit more acid. The shrimp dish had mostly well cooked shrimp in a dashi broth (sort of a thin souplike roux). It needed some sort of heat or spice to liven it up. Flavorful but a bit boring. The short rib was excellent. Had all the flavors you would expect in a slow cooked short rib. I didn't taste any of the mint mentioned on the menu - although I don't think I would have wanted to. My favorite dish was the dessert. A cleverly composed dish whose signature flavor was passion fruit ( one of my favorite breakfast items from Breathless in Punta Cana). It had creamy, cold, savory and foamy elements. It had a passion fruit curd, sorbet, olive oil cake bites and a delicate lemony foam that complimented each other without being overly sweet. A refreshing palate cleanser and great end to the meal.

This restaurant also offered signature cocktails which is the first I can remember from an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. Most of the restaurants here have special cocktails - will find out more for our next dinner on Sunday.

August 4th, 2019

Good Morning from Mi Carisa!!   This is the Italian restaurant at night and serves a la carte breakfast in the morning until 11AM,  Breakfast today was a fruit plate, vanilla yogurt, avocado toast and over easy eggs. They also had what was called cream bread. Think about if a beignet and a bagel with cream cheese had a baby. Piillowy, sweet and creamy - but tang of the cream cheese kept it from being like an overly sweet breakfast pastry The fruit plate was so pretty it was (almost) a shame to topple that delicious tower of goodness. The avocado toast was the best I have had. It had a crusty sprout bread with a thin layer of hummus and perfectly ripe avocado slices. Accompanied by pea tendrils and alfalfa sprouts. I probably didn't need the egg but I love a runny egg with toast!! Very good coffee and most importantly an excellent breakfast companion!! 

Today's lunch was at one of the two snack bars they have next to  the pools. Angie had something more authentic (chicken tacos). I went with pub staples (cheeseburger and chicken fingers). All three delivered on flavor. Tacos were more like taquitos with seasoned chicken. The burger was a very flavorful patty with provolone and ham. Chicken fingers were my favorite dish. They were well cooked, still juicy and had a super crunchy panko crust.

After lunch we went back to the room for siesta and I tried a couple of the snacks from the included mini bar. The candy was a tamarind paste which was in a push-up container. Very similar to the tamarind margarita I had at Hyatt Zilara a couple of years ago - of course without tequila. The peanuts were dry roasted, super crunchy and had a subtle lime (or in Spanish "limon") flavor.

Tonight's dinner was Asian at Mura House:. Started with a Bento Box which had an assortment of sushi and sashimi. Also got eel and hamanchi nigiri. My favorite was the spicy tuna roll which had a creamy sauce that complimented the fish. Eel was very good also. Once we finished with the Bento the sushi chef asked if we wanted anything else. It reminded me of a trip from 2018 when we travelled to Sandals Ochi in Jamaica. We had asked the chef to surprise us with his favorites and it was amazing.  We used the same approach here and it didn't disappoint.  iI think the chef must not hear this type of request very often since he asked us to confirm it twice!!  He came up with a great roll. He didn't have a name for it but it had smoky salmon, a creamy sauce and coated in crab (or maybe krab). It was my new favorite!! All the sushi was served with really fresh pea tendrils and thin radish. We also got an order of lobster fried rice and Asian ribs. The rice was well seasoned with soy and ginger and had large pieces of Caribbean lobster that was still moist. I usually find Caribbean lobster is dry but they did an excellent job. The ribs were a bit salty but had lots of ginger flavor and the fresh scallions and carrots added freshness. They were served on a small grill which had embers inside. Such an interesting presentation. No room for dessert after this great meal.

August 5th, 2019 - 

Today we did some touring off the resort.  Lunch was off property.  Dinner was back at Unico at Mi Carisa the Italian restaurant.  Dinner was outstanding. The pear salad was so crispy and fresh. The gorgonzola cream was perfect compliment to the sweetness of the pear and spiciness of the arugula. Mushroom Cappuccino had such a deep mushroom flavor. Could have had bowls of that with crusty bread and called it a meal!! Lasagna had the crusty cheese topping I like along with well made fresh marinara and bechamel. Chicken parm was well fried and not drowned in sauce and cheese so it stayed crispy. Surprised it was served with carrot, potato and broccoli. All well cooked and flavorful. Carbonara had the creamy, salty and smoky sauce you expect over Al dente pasta. Desserts were a mix. My favorite was the semi fredo. The addition of the blackberries made it not overly sweet. While I really enjoy a fresh fig, that dish was just "sweet" - no real contrast of flavors. Overall an excellent meal!! Plus they had signature cocktails which were well made.

August 6th, 2019

Today's Breakfast was at Mi Carisa.   A partial "Rinse and Repeat" since the Avocado Toast was so good on Sunday. Also tried the whole wheat crepes with berry compote and fresh raspberries. Crepes were thin and hot with the slightly chewy texture you look for in a great crepe. The berry compote was fresh tasting and not overly sweet!! 

Lunch was at the second of the two snack bars by the pool.  They primarily serve tacos and pizza.  We ordered seafood tacos (fish and shrimp), tempura-style onion rings and margarita pizza. With Modelo and bottled water pairing (always important to hydrate).  Onion rings came with a honey drizzle. Very well fried!! Such a light batter. Seafood tacos were my favorite. Well cooked seafood with a slightly spicy sauce which was similar to thousand island dressing. Pizza had great toppings and the pesto had just enough flavor.

Dinner tonight was Mexican at Cueva Siete. Started with some freshly made tortilla chips with Pico de Gallo, fresh guacamole and three sauces. Then we had three types of tamales and melted cheese and chorizo. Tamales were deconstructed (not wrapped in the corn husk) and as a result it made them dry. The black bean was my favorite. Melted cheese was very flavorful. Could have eaten more of that. We then had two kinds of cerviche. The grouper is pictured and was my favorite. Fresh fish with just enough acid and spice. We also had a lobster ceviche which came with a surprisingly crunchy potato wedge. Both were delicious. Entrees were duck tacos (more like taquitos) and what was called "local pork". Duck tacos had a very savory tamarind sauce which cut the richness. The pork was my favorite. Succulent meat with a bit of spice. Dessert was a fantastic lime tart which was essentially a deconstructed key lime pie. It had an amazing ginger marshmallow on top which was cold like ice cream but still had that gooeyness you crave from marshmallow. And of course, you need to finish your meal with Cafe Maya. We went to the lounge after dinner where they had a great band playing Latin dance music.

August 7th, 2019 - 

Breakfast!! The buffet was closing and didn't really have impressive options (maybe I am spoiled by the a la carte breakfast at Mi Carisa) Good thing there is always a Plan B. Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toast open faced sandwiches from the coffee shop along with double espresso!! Very tasty!!

We skipped lunch today since we had a mid morning excursion to a Cenote (underground cavern for exploring and swimming).

Tonight's dinner was at the steakhouse called 20 87. We didn't have lunch today so we had extra appetites. Wedge salad, portobello salad, three kinds of sausage including chorizo and blood, crab cake, tuna tostada, parmesan Risotto, braised octopus and cowboy ribeye. Octopus was my favorite. Succulent and fresh tasting, almost like lobster. The ribeye had lots of flavor. We ordered medium rare and it came closer to medium but still good. For dessert we ordered what they call the Ice Cream Truck. Chocolate, strawberry and coconut ice cream served with hot fudge, chocolate chips, toasted coconut, strawberry sauce and dried cherries.

August 8th, 2019 - 

Tonight's Dinner: We had another chef's tasting menu at Cueva Siete. Abel Hernandez is a Chef at Restaurant Eloise in Mexico City which is one of our dream destinations to try the great restaurants. It was a real treat to have the chef here in Riveria Maya. He came out to our table several times explaining the dishes. And this was all included in our stay at Unico - no added cost. Wonderful dinner.

The bacon jam served with this amuse bouche was incredible. Salty, smoky and savory. I want it in my pancakes tomorrow

Tomato salad which had a dusting of fois gras

Green peas and Basil were an excellent combination. The shrimp was really not necessary and added nothing to the dish.

The chicken breast was super flavorful. The chef says he marinates it in milk for a short time to get it juicy. The lactic acid in milk is behind the science.

Steak with smashed porcini mushrooms. The escargot were similar to a mushroom duxel and tucked under the beef. 

Lemon tart. Using yogurt really helped add more tanginess. The cardomon meringue was very crispy. The crust was somewhat like a shortbread but crispier.

August 9th, 2019 - 

This was our last full day so I needed to get to some of the places for snacks I wanted to try.  The coffee shop has a menu of paninis I have wanted to try, I ordered two kinds. Veggie and ham and cheese. Both delicious and on crusty bread. Veggie has zucchini and mushrooms with a light balsamic on wheat bread. Ham one comes with fresh tomato and machego. Let's call it what it is:. First Breakfast!!

Tonight we did  a "best of" tour of the restaurants since it is our last night. Starting off with sushi!! Carlos was here (same sushi chef from Sunday). We asked him to make us what ever he wanted. Such a delicious roll!! Salmon, tuna and avocado!! 

We did try to get into Mi Carisa for Italian dinner but the wait was crazy. Even after waiting the 45 minutes they said it would take, we decided to call it a night and just order room service. We ordered the flank steak and the filet - both surprisingly cooked to medium rare (as requested).  They both had great sauces.  Probably the nest room service dinner I have ever had.   Unfortunately the only picture I have is of the dessert - CHURROS!!  They were delicious and a great way to end dinner,  I have never seen churros on a room service menu before.