Be a “Taste Adventurer” at Tekila Cocina Mexicana!

Cactus, “barbacoa” beef and Oaxaca cheese. What do these three ingredients have in common? They are all used in inventive, but traditional Mexican dishes served at Tekila Cocina Mexicana in Bonsall. These recipes were born in sunny, aromatic kitchens in the far reaches of México.

Manuel “Manny” Enriquez, restaurant manager, was born in Veracruz, but has also lived in Guadalajara. Tekila owners Frank Morelli and Leone D’Arcangelo told me that Manny was “a godsend.” I agree. He has natural culinary instincts.

Tekila’s menu lists recipes that Manny’s mother, Maria Refugio de Castillo, collected from various regions of México, including Guadalajara, Veracruz, Oaxaca and the Yucatan. When Tekila first opened, Maria spent two months overseeing the kitchen staff while they perfected these recipes.

Manny calls himself a “Taste Adventurer,” and his goal is to ensure that Tekila diners have taste adventures as well.

“I want people to have a different experience. I want them to try something they have never eaten before,” Manny explains.

To ensure that this will happen, Manny offers menu specials. One such dish is Shrimp Ceviche, which can be eaten as an appetizer or an entrée. Chopped shrimp, onions, cilantro and avocado are the main ingredients in this fiesta of colors and flavors. It’s cool, fresh and perfect for a warm spring day.

How did a splendid dish called “Manny’s Birthday Tacos” end up on the menu? His mother, who discovered the recipe while living in the Yucatan, would make them for his birthday. However, the official name is “salbutes.” For Tekila’s salbutes, they first make their own corn tortillas using another of his mother’s recipes. I have to say that these are the most flavorful corn tortillas I have ever eaten.

“We make them every day – the old way,” Manny explained, “we cook them as we need them.”

The tortillas are then stuffed with “barbacoa,” which is beef marinated overnight in ancho chile sauce, and then slow-cooked. There is nothing like a hand-made corn tortilla bursting with savory “barbacoa” beef to set the stage for a culinary journey to the Yucatan. Delicately chopped cabbage enhances the meat, but is not intrusive. The taco is layered with lightly caramelized red onion, which adds a hint of sweet to the salty dish. If you crave an extra kick, try the green salsa made with roasted jalapeño chilies and a squeeze or two of lime.

Refried beans are ubiquitous in Mexican restaurants, but are not usually the subject of a food review – at least not any of mine. However, I am making an exception in this case because the beans are exceptional. Tekila’s beans are lighter and more flavorful than other refried beans I have sampled. Served in a bowl made from a corn tortilla, they are not just served to fill space on the plate.

A deliciously assertive dish, the “Shrimp Molcajete” is bursting with sautéed shrimp bathed in a fiery roasted tomato sauce with Oaxaca cheese. Grilled nopal (cactus) and mild “queso fresco” tame the dish a bit.

Don’t go home without trying dessert – that is what Manny said to me – and I repeat to you. The house-made flan is decadent and creamy.

“Buen Provecho” is the directive on the menu cover at Tekila Cocina Mexicana. It means Bon Appétit, and, as you can see – they really mean it!

Tekila Cocina Mexicana is located in Bonsall’s River Village at 5256 South Mission Rd., Ste. 907. ​Open seven days a week – 11 a.m. to close. Contact them by telephone at (760) 643-1278 or find them on the Web at: tekilacocinamexicana.com.