Botanas

Question 1

What are botanas?

Answer 1

Small servings, things to nibble on. Translates to “Snacks”. Most are portion size of about 4 spoonfuls, maybe more. Great to enjoy at the bar or communal table while waiting for guests.

Question 2

Requeson

Answer 2

Listed ingredients: Snap Peas, Black Sesame Agave, Sea Beans
Price: $9

Full ingredients: Requeson, Blanched Snap Peas, Pea Shoots, Black Sesame Agave Puree, Blanched Sea Beans, Fleur De Sel

A fresh cheese; soft, like Ricotta. Cow’s milk with salt, sugar, and acid until it turns into curds, then strained. No aging process (so less salt than a harder, aged cheese)

Japanese Black sesame is mortered into a paste and mixed with agave (for sweetness) and grapeseed oil.

Sea Beans add a saltiness to the dish, in England also known as Samphire Greens.

Question 3

Escabeche

Answer 3

Listed ingredients: Pickled Market Vegetables
Price: $8

Currently: White Asparagus, Romanesco, Pearl Onions, Bell Peppers, Carrots

Ingredients will rotate seasonally, approx 4 times per year. It is a spicy traditional side dish at most taquerias or taco trucks, but here you’ll find it more balanced.

Veggies are lightly cooked and then pickeled in apple cider vinegar.

Question 4

Rebanada

Answer 4

Listed ingredients: Pan dulce, Foie Gras, Piloncillo
Price: $13

Full ingredients: Pan dulce, Cured and poached foie gras, butter, pilioncillo

Translates to “Slice”

Pan dulce is a milk bread, not unlike a brioche, but more sweet, soft. The slice is 1-1/2” thick. There is butter and sugar on it.

Foie Gras is goose liver (Rougie, from Quebec, Canada) that is cured, poached, then passed through a screen, butter added. It is spread across the bread.

Piloncillo is sprinkled across the top.

Question 5

Esquites

Answer 5

Listed ingredients: Corn, Kewpie, Smoked Manzanos
Price: $8

Full ingredients: Corn kernals sauteed with onion, kepie mayo, creme fraiche, epazote, dried manzano chile, parmesan cheese.

Loosely described as a Mexican Creamed Corn.

The corn is cooked with onion and butter.

A housemade Kewpie mayo on top. Like a mayo with MSG, sugar, egg yolk, and Dashi mustard powder. UMAMI!

Manzano chiles are slightly hotter and sweeter than a Jalapeño, here they are diced and tossed with lime juice.

Cotija cheese crumbled on top.

Question 6

Molletes

Answer 6

Listed ingredients: Smashed Peas, Yierba Buena, Pecan, Panela
Price: $9

Full ingredients: Epi, dried peas (boiled, refried in oil w onion and serrano), epazote, yerba buena, ground pecan and honey paste, panela cheese.

Molletes are traditionally on Bolillo (a baguette-type crusty bread) with beans, cheese and salsa.

Here we have refried peas (cooked, fat added, fried then mashed) with Yierba buena (spearmint), canola oil and pecan butter (roasted nuts, salt and honey).

Panela, a white, fresh and smooth Mexican cheese of pasteurized cow’s milk. The cheese also has similarities to the Indian cheese paneer.

Not vegan (fat and honey)

Question 7

Corazon Asado

Answer 7

Listed ingredients: Duck Hearts, Orange, Spring Onion
Price: $15

Full ingredients: Duck hearts marinated in Shaggy’s, OJ, Beer, Torpeado/White/Spring Onions, serrano, cilantro, soy burnt onion/orange sauce.

Same flavors as the Carne Asada at BS Taqueria. Meat cooked with Orange peel, Orange juice, Beer, homemade “Shaggi” for umami (like a Maggi, but made from Kombu broth, Dashi, Tomari, Mustard powder).

4 duck hearts per order, they are skewered and grilled to Med Rare. They are tender with a lite, iron minerality.

There is an onion salad on the plate with raw and grilled onions, burnt oranges and “Shaggi”.