"Dining
Out"
by Eric Asimov
The prevailing image
of Mexican cooking in New York is hard to shake: heavy,
fatty dishes laden with thick layers of cheese and swimming
in refried beans. But in the last few years a fleet of
new Mexican restaurants has sailed in, bringing a lighter,
subtler cuisine that is showing off the regional glories
of Mexico rather than the familiar one-dimensional margarita-fueled
Tex-Mex dishes. La Palapa, a bright and cheerful restaurant
in the East Village, is the latest to present this alternative
view. The owners, Barbara Sibley, who grew up in Mexico
City, and Margaritte Malfy, who has traveled extensively
in Mexico, share kitchen duties and are devoted to the
cooking of Diana Kennedy, the Mexican food authority, who
is a family friend of Ms. Sibley's.
The fascinating menu that results shows
off all sorts of complex flavor combinations based on traditional
Mexican ingredients like the pungent herb epazote, avocado
leaves, cactus pads and, of course, the many varieties
of chilies, each with its own expression of flavor and
heat.
A moist cod fillet ($17.95) is served in
pipian verde, a sauce based on ground pumpkin seeds that
is quite different from similar sauces I've tasted. It's
quiet and subtle, given its color by cilantro and extra
taste by a mild chili that complements the cod perfectly.
By contrast, a special one night of pork, puerco en pipian
verde de Morelos ($12.95), was livelier and more powerful,
befitting the more robust meat. This sauce was made with
a spicier chili as well as tomatillos, giving it a vibrant
edge.
Though appetizers are the least interesting
part of the menu, they are satisfying. Tacos ($4.50 for
two) are authentically Mexican, made with soft corn tortillas,
and are also artful, with fillings with spicy chili-rubbed
chicken, shrimp in a smoky adobo sauce or mild poblano
chili with epazote and onions. Ceviche ($7.95), made with
fish, shrimp, olives, capers and tomatoes, is not as sumptuous
as the Peruvian version, but it was fresh, with pleasing
flavor contrasts. Guacamole ($5.95) is chunky and well
spiced, and a jicama and pineapple salad ($7.95) is a pleasantly
refreshing. Perhaps the most unusual appetizer is a delicious
tamal ($8.95) made not with corn, as is traditional, but
spiced catfish and soft pickled cactus pads. The more conventional
tamales ($7.95) were dry and dull, possibly because they
were filled with chicken breast rather than pork.
The real excitement comes with the main
courses, like thin slices of duck breast ($16.95), fanned
out in a wonderful sesame mole with a rich, wonderful sesame
mole with a rich, almost malty chocolate flavor given added
dimension by the underlying chili heat, served with savory
rice and refried black beans. Chicken enchiladas ($11.95)
are almost stewlike, in a soupy tomatillo sauce that is
very spicy but tangy as well, while roast chicken ($15.95)
is covered in a mild sauce that is given an anise edge
by avocado leaves. Shrimp are served with garlic cloves
($15.95) that are cooked down to a soft golden mush that
never overwhelms the shrimpy essence. I can't remember
seeing a pork chop as big and meaty as the Yucatain-style
chuleta en salsa pibil ($17.95), full of flavor and served
with chayote, a squash as sweet as fruit.
One drawback of the new breed of Mexican
restaurants is that they have taken back the expected freebies,
like chips with salsa; these cost $4.50 at La Palapa. And
when the level of the food rises, I want the slection of
wines to rise, too. La Palapa's list needs more bottles
geared toward the food.
For dessert, ice creams ($5) are more Ciao
Bella than Mexican, but are they good: rich Mexican chocolate
and a spicy chili-laced peach sorbet. They also accompany
other delicious desserts, like an empanada stuffed with
cinnamon-flavored rice pudding ($6). I don't know whether
this is authentically Mexican, but it's so goodit doesn't
really matter.
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