The feather headdress wasn’t just handed to him. He earned it and he’s proof that
nice guys finish first.
I
was with Chef Salas at Aperi this week to taste his new luncheon menu which
debuts on Monday, April 4th. The big surprise? A four-course lunch
for $400 pesos including a glass of wine.
You can also purchase a tasting with two ($300 pesos) or three ($350 pesos)
courses as well.
In
the coming weeks, Aperi will open at 1:00 PM for lunch. More good news… their
menu changes weekly like my taste buds.
Chef
Matteo Salas is a master of flavor; it's surprising what he does with
vegetables because I always enjoy them as much as the main course.
Aperi
now buys produce from a large farm in Mexico that has historically sold only to
clients in the U.S. Three varieties of asparagus are coming out of their fields
in July and Matteo is already making plans to integrate them into his menu. I am
still coming down from what he did with the Brussels sprouts today. Vegetables
are not suppose to taste this good.
On
Aperi’s regular menu, you can order duck foie gras and other dishes like his
infamous leg of suckling pig, cooked at a low temperature - soft meat with crispy
skin - served with potato puree and a demi-glace with
leeks and a lemon vinaigrette side. The guy at the next table amused me by slowly
savoring every bite while smiling the entire time he was eating. That takes
practice but was the first clue he loved the food as much as I did. I couldn’t get that
suckling pig out of my head all night so I went back Thursday to try it.
There’s a reason this dish is legendary.
There
was also a new appetizer today: cantaloupe sous-vided with gin and lemon then
frozen and sprinkled with sea salt before serving. It
was refreshing and a perfect addition to his new, spring menu.
My four-course
tasting menu was:
Appetizer:
A corn puff with smoked black bean pure, avocado yogurt and queso Cotija from Michoacan.
This
puff was light but crispy, enhanced by the tiny yellow flowers on its crown.
The
cheese was much like Parmigiano-Reggiano
only better and was so good I was tempted to ask for another round of grating.
When this cheese is made, it is white but with aging, it
becomes hard like Parmigiano-Reggiano. Chefs call it the Parmesan of Mexico. The
aged variety is called "anejo", just like a fine Tequila or Mezcal. I
passed on both of them today, sticking with water so I could take hold of all
of the flavors.
That will not be the case when we go to his new restaurant in
Doce 18 called Jacinto 1930, a contemporary Mexican restaurant, as Casa
Dragones, SMA’s much-loved, hometown tequila maker, created a private-label tequila
just for them.
First
course: Pickled and grill artichoke, duck ham, radish, pickled lemon zest,
flours, Serrano served with fennel, cucumber and jicama gazpacho.
The
combination of textures and flavors were incredible. I loved the gazpacho which
was green instead of the conventional red I usually eat. I never anticipated that
pickled artichoke and gazpacho would marry so well.
Second
course: Braised Oxtail ravioli, meat juice reduction with Oporto (port from
Portugal) and Parmesan crisp.
Why
is oxtail suddenly my favorite dish? This oxtail is from Rancho 17 in Hermosillo, Sonora
which produces some of the best meat in Mexico.
As with all ingredients, quality matters and at Aperi you can taste the
difference.
It
was difficult to tell whether I should consume
the ravioli or just look at it because they were so beautiful. With the
contrast of the meat juice reduction against the brilliant, blue-green pottery bowl, the
dish quickly became the subject of my admiration… and photography. Unfortunately,
I was so preoccupied photographing it, the dish got cold. Even cold, it was my
favorite course of the meal and I usually go for the meat course or the
dessert, not the pasta.
Third
course: Grouper cooked in chintextle (garlic and chile paste from Oaxaca)
butter, served with potato, thyme and fresh cheese foam, Hollandaise
sauce without butter and charred Brussels sprouts.
OK.
It’s official. I’ll never eat Hollandaise sauce with butter again. This sauce
was light and delicate, pairing well with the fish, which was impeccably
grilled and the perfect sized portion.
The
first time I had Matteo’s food I wrote: “When
did I ever like a main course more than the dessert? Yesterday, at Aperi, Chef Matteo Salas stunned me by a simple
ingredient, a carrot, that completely altered my view of vegetables. It’s a day
later and I can still taste the flavor.” Now, as I take immense pleasure in the Brussels
sprouts, I imagine what it would be like to be a vegetarian and eat at Aperi
every day. I came back to reality when the dessert arrived.
4th
course: Dessert: A meringue with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, guanabana
sorbet, passion fruit and Jamaica gel, lemon curd with ginger and raspberry
paper.
This
deconstructed dessert had textures of the gel, foam, meringue, cream and
raspberry paper that worked well together. I also loved the addition of the
lemon curd, which is one of my favorite tastes.
If
you haven't eaten lunch at Aperi, you no longer need a special-occasion excuse
to go there.
I
know, a $400 peso meal from 5-star Chef Matteo Salas will undoubtedly be the
hottest ticket in town, especially when he wins Top Chef Mexico.
He's
a shoo-in. I'm certain of it.
Aperi
Quebrada
101, Centro, 37700 San Miguel de AllendePhone: 415 154 4073 Ask for Eric to make reservations or email booking@aperi.mx
Hours: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Lunch and 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM Dinner
Closed Tuesday
www.aperi.mx
https://www.facebook.com/aperimx/
Note: Click on the photos to see the enlargements.
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