My second stop by Xoco in the last year served me well once again. On this super quick late lunch trip, we enjoyed an appetizer of chicharones. Twice fried to a fluffy airy texture, the crisps are easy to eat without any tough or gristly bites.
They were served with finely diced onions and a spicy red sauce which provided a nice contrast to the rich fatty niblets of pork skin.
Jill enjoyed a “Meal in a Bowl” of delicious seafood accompanied by a spicy red broth. Perfectly cooked pieces of shrimp, fresh fish and mussels float in the liquid with cilantro, fresh greens and a melange of other spices. The dish is complex yet extremely fresh and light on its feet. While the broth is spicy, there is a zesty citrus driven lemon grass quality that separates it from other caldos.
I ordered one of their signature sandwiches made toasty in their wood burning oven. The Cochinita Pibil is a slow roasted pork delicacy. This wood roasted suckling pig is served on a warm crispy baguette accompanied by achiote – a paste derived from a Mexican shrub that gives the meat a smoky robust flavor. Black beans, pickled onions and a spicy habanero salsa complete the dish.
As the runner delivers your food they warn you of the intense heat found in the salsa served beside the sandwich; they aren’t kidding. Plenty of flavor and plenty of heat, I recommend treading lightly.
I’m hungry. Let’s eat!
Hungry Hungry Hinden 