Mexicano by Chefs Jaime & Ramiro - Dig it!

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
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La Casita Mexicana has always seemed to have a dedicated following. I always found it… ok I guess? I’ve seen pix of La Casita’s Chefs Jaime Martin Del Campo & Ramiro Arvizu on various sites, doing special dinners that look amazing! But when I went, those fancy dinners seem to be off-menu, or for special events only I think?

I heard about Mexicano, their new “exquisite Mexican cuisine” restaurant at the Baldwin Hills Mall from Eater last year. Figured I’d give’em a try one of these days, but ended up going there during my Flautas taste test, LOL. :stuck_out_tongue:

Totally forgot about the place, but after lunch there, I’m glad I tried it.

Mexicano is a beautiful space. Brand-new, clean, classy decorations. It’s sunny, relaxing and pleasant.

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Stopping in for a quick lunch, and dying from the ridiculous heat wave, started off with their Aguas Frescas, a Cucumber & Mint drink:

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Seriously perfect. On such a hot day, I’m so glad their housemade Cucumber & Mint drink was lightly sweet, cold, and refreshing! I wish they bottled this stuff, I’d buy it by the 6-pack, no joke! :smile:

Complimentary Chips (doused with Beans):

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I ordered their Cochinita Pibil (Pork shoulder marinated and braised in achiote, bitter orange & spices. Served with white rice, black beans and spicy habanero sauce):

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It comes with handmade Corn Tortillas (presumably smaller versions of their large versions used at Flautas (next door)).

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Their Cochinita Pibil is SO tender, juicy, succulent. Dig it! :heart:

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Their arroz (rice) is flavored with Chicken Broth, giving it a nice delish aftertaste. Nice touch.

I think I like Chichen Itza’s Cochinita Pibil more for the depth of flavor, but I certainly am no expert on this LOL. So I’ll leave it to all the experts here to point me in the right direction.

I definitely wanna come back and try more of the menu, and their Chile En Nogada looks delicious. Next time.

Mexicano
3650 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90008
(323) 296-0798

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Hmmm! Thanks for the reminder! I hadn’t thought they would have Chiles en Nogada here… Will have to try myself! I love their cocktails and they have the BEST plantain dessert! :slight_smile:

–Dommy!

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Thanks Dommy. Plantain dessert, got it. :slight_smile: something to check on for my next visit. Let us know how their Chiles en Nogada compares.

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It’s getting a little fucking confusing or maybe there’s a cluster of these New Mexican joints in Baldwin Hills. ???

The Mexicano joint, the Revolutionario, and the fucking Flautas joint.

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Hi kevin,

It just means you gotta try all 3. :wink:

Seriously, check out Revolutionario and the Flautas at Flautas to start.

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Mexicano and Flautas are attached. Revoluntionario is not far, but it’s in West Adams near USC.

–Dommy!

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If this place is “as good as” La Casita then literally no one needs to go cause: Rocio’s, Mole de Los Reyes, Las Molenderas.

Yes, I get the fact that they’re celeb Mexican chefs rolling around in a pair of 5-series but… insert jerk off motion

The only worse “celeb” mole shop in LA is that other joint on 3000 Olympic with the dad chef who left to Mexico to open a burger shack. True story.

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Hahah. Fucking Guelaguetza ???

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Yah I haven’t tried their mole here yet. I love Rocio’s moles for sure.

I’ll have to try more of their menu to see my impressions, but I like it more than La Casita at least (I know it ain’t saying much LOL :stuck_out_tongue: ).

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Dommy and chowseeker that looks great. Where can I get an enchilada plate like this in la? This was from Tucson.

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If this place is “as good as” La Casita then literally no one needs to go

Not a huge fan of La Casita and was disapointed at the lack of risks in most of Mexcano’s menu, but Mexicano is a better. I’ve been happier at my meals at Mexicano than any of my meals at Rocios, which still can’t seem to cook proteins properly.

–Dommy!

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Yah I haven’t tried their mole here yet. I love Rocio’s moles for sure.

The Poblano at Mexicano is okay. It’s better to get in Flauta from from the stand if you have the itch. HOWEVER, the Pipian at Mexican and La Casita is the best in the city. Really nuanced. Rocio knows most Moles, but I’ve always found her Pipian lacking (She does a red style).

–Dommy!

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Where can I get an enchilada plate like this in la

Don’t make me CRY. L.A. is not an enchilada town. There are excellent renditions of Emoladas (Mole Enchiladas at Tamayo), Enfrijoladas (Monte Alban), Entomatadas (Taqueria Sanchez on Centinela) but a great all around Enchildada experience like you would get in Tucson, doesn’t exist, Sonoran cuisine and styles are still very much concentrated there. I will say though, if worse comes to comes to worse, when ever I get dragged to El Cholo (which you don’t even want to ask) I do ALWAYS get their Sonoran Stacked Enchilada. It’s not the same… but still the best thing they have on their menu.

–Dommy!

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My folks live in Tucson—and that’s Sonoran style Mexican food or AZ/Mex. It’s not that easy to find good versions of that style of food in LA. I visited Tucson last spring and got some :wink:

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no fucking offense, but is it really really close to tex mex style ???

thanjs.

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no, not at all. lots of sauces (and sometimes lots of cheese). Burritos are usually served “wet” like an enchilada, there are chimichangas (fried burritos), also lots of the meats are stewed vs grilled. Salsas are different and mostly flour tortillas are used.

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I visited Tucson last spring and got some

Yep! Tucson is a great place to visit and has a wonderful fresh new spirit running through it (along with great Mexican food! ;))

–Dommy!

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mostly flour tortillas are used.

And they are unlike any flour tortillas found anywhere else… STUNNING things.

–Dommy!

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yeah—the tortillas are very, very good (as is that style of regional cooking in general).

When my family moved from Boston to Tucson (I was in high school at the time—in the 70s), Sonoran Mexican food was my first encounter with Mexican food of any kind (or even jalapenos). They really didn’t have Mexican food on the east coast then. It was another surprise for me when I moved to LA for college that the Mexican food here was completely different than Tucson. L.A. Mexican food covers a much wider variety of regional Mexican cooking styles/ingredients whereas Tucson pretty much just has one.

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YEP! Many transplants drive themselves MISERABLE trying to find something of ‘home’ in their new surroundings. Home will be home. Embrace what is growing in your garden NOW otherwise you’ll miss that too!

And Tickets on Southwest are not that expensive… :wink:

–Dommy!

1 Like