Broken Spanish - Chef Ray Garcia's Elevated Mexican Cuisine with Farmers Market Produce [Thoughts + Pics]

Gracias @ipsedixit @robert @A5KOBE

I won’t let you down.

Tortillas with refried lentils.

The tostada.

All their cocktails.

2 Likes

chicharron, whole snapper, oxtail quesadilla, refried lentils, cabbage

2 Likes

we go to Broken Spanish often, it’s really great. agree with all the recs above. the food has always been exceptional, the service previously was hit or miss but we went a couple of days ago and our waitress was very friendly and competent, which was refreshing.

Left: Duende Verde (Mezcal, Paranubes Oaxacan Rum, Cilantro, Tomatillo, Cucumber) savory, a little more green/cucumbery than I prefer but nice overall.

Right: El Zocalo (Mezcal, Passionfruit, Campari, Yellow Chartreuse Habanero Tincture, Sal De Gusano), well balanced, good mix of fruity herbal and salt.
For other cocktails, I particularly like the Hecho en LA and Oaxacan Melody.

Top: special, elote-style corn with bone marrow. creamy with slight corn sweetness, loved this, the bone marrow added a great richness.

Right: special, porcini mushrooms with bacon and seasonal peaches. Liked the flavors in this, the balance of smoky bacon and mushroom umami with the fleshy sweet/tart peaches. However, I wasn’t a fan of the presentation – it’s a warm dish that came wrapped in this plastic sheet tied with a corn husk, maybe supposed to be a play on a tamal; pretty to look at but had an off chemical/plasticky flavor and I wasn’t crazy about the warm plastic directly touching the food.

Bottom/Left: refried lentils. one of our favorites, it was spicier that day than what we remembered, and the portion of lentils smaller than before, but still delicious. the handmade tortillas are still some of the best I’ve ever had.

Spinach tamal. first time trying this, new? Lovely, creamy and light with sweetness of corn, tastes of spring.

Barbacoa. Complex flavors with great mix of beefy richness, slightly sour/tart sauce, perfectly cooked beans with a firm bite. Worth ordering extra tortillas to eat with this.

Pavlova (Pink Lemon Curd, Strawberry, Seasonal Citrus, Avocado Ice Cream, Pistachio). beautiful presentation, the white meringue-like crust opens to the yellowish curd. reminds me of a fruitier, bolder version of the famous corn husk meringue at Cosme in NYC.

Overall a great meal, can’t wait to go back.

6 Likes

A bit tardy with the report back. I’ve been basking in the afterglow of this meal. I am now a staunch Broken Spanish believer, and I’m going door-to-door spreading the gospel.

Hard, nay impossible, to pick just one highlight. The tortillas/lentils (not pictured below) were a delight. The spinach tamales was delicious and interesting. The beet pibil had wonderful spice, and the texture of the beets was wild. And speaking of texture, the tenderness of the barbacoa was sublime. Sublime, I say! Both the desserts were truly fantastic, as well.

This immediately shot up the list of places I’d take visitors to show them what is so great about food in LA.

spianch tamales

beet pibil

barbacoa

cafe de olla

banana choco taco

14 Likes

So glad you liked it @President_Mochi! :slight_smile:

It’s one of our regular rotation spots.

albondigas - duck meatballs, bacon, salsa chipotle
Somewhere out there, there’s a duck missing a ball.
20180903_170912

heirloom corn tortillas
A pleasure to eat.
20180904_191512

chicken necks, chile de arbol, lime salt
Is necking at the table rude? Delicious and pretty damn spicy.
20180904_191750

esquites - corn, bone marrow, chile guero, cotija, epazote
Creamy, fatty, spicy, sweet.
20180904_192435

chicharron, garlic mojo, radish sprout, picked herbs
praise da lard! praise him!
20180904_191955

20180904_192307

choco taco - kumquat mermelada, candy cap cream, banana namelaka, vanilla bean ice cream
Is this considered first dessert or second dinner?
20180904_192839

9 Likes

That dessert looks killer!

How was the chicharron???

1 Like

Hi @PorkyBelly,

Nice dinner! :slight_smile: I really like Broken Spanish, and yes those Handmade Tortillas! :slight_smile:

What were your favorite dishes on this visit?

1 Like

cooked perfectly, crispy skin and tender meat and lots of fat. even with all the herbs and acid to try and balance out the fat it was still too much to eat in one sitting. still made some good leftovers though.

2 Likes

Sounds delicious, thanks.

thanks @Chowseeker1999. i really liked the duck balls with the corn tortillas. my favorites are still the mole duck, stuffed squid and carne asada.

1 Like

Thanks @PorkyBelly. Ah the Carne Asada! I still need to try that; more incentive to return soon. :wink:

1 Like

Is the stuffed squid back? Last two times it wasn’t there. Agree the carne asada is freakin good. Maybe my favorite steak in LA.

Those abodingas they serve are so flavorful and good!

1 Like

Same.

the cabbage is a good order to go with the chicharron. it has a good level of acidity that offsets the fattiness of the pork. with the tortillas, it’s stellar.

Still great! Though I think my tolerance for spicy food is getting lower, because I found the beet pibil a bit spicier than last time. Meal could have used a non-spicy / fresh salad for palate cleansing, but we used beer. restaurant was fairly full before the Lakers game last night.

  • oxtail quesadilla (not pictured)
  • corn tortillas with carnitas whipped butter
  • beet pibil
  • lamb shank with butternut squash puree and pomegranite seeds

6 Likes

Thanks @DTLAeater. Looks delicious. :slight_smile:

“corn tortillas with carnitas whipped butter” :open_mouth:

How was it? Sounds like it could be amazing.

The carnitas whipped butter was tasty, especially with the salt / spice on top, but it wasn’t as good as some of the better French butters I’ve tried. Then again, some of the spices make it hard to taste the more subtle flavors.

1 Like