Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Casa Latina

Authentic Mexican food has FINALLY arrived to Beijing!! I have really missed good Mexican food since El Fogoncito closed in Wanda plaza (such a shame) but everything about Casa Latina is an absolute delight and the food is no exception.

CityWeekend made it easy with the ordering. Casa Latina’s CW Gourmet Month Set Menu (RMB 99) offered four courses which left us happy Humpty Dumpties stuffed to the brim. If there was a wall, we definitely would have had a great fall.

For the first course, we started off with tasty Sopesitos (normal price: RMB 48) – 3 crunchy mini-corn tarts topped with refried beans, shredded chicken, fresh lettuce a la Julienne, sour cream, cheese and served with spicy salsa verde that gave the perfect amount of kick. The combination of rich flavors and textures all complimented each other perfectly.  I highly recommend ordering this dish either as an appetizer or the perfect compliment to accompany your Latin cocktail (they have a long list to choose from).

Casa Latina's Superb Sopesitos

Crema Poblana Soup

Next, they served Crema Poblana soup (normal price: RMB 48). Never have I had such a thick, spicy cream-based soup! Made from roasted poblano peppers, the Crema Poblana is also served with mini squares of cheese and corn kernels.

The main course was Traditional Fajitas (normal price RMB 98) – a massive skillet filled with pinto beans on one side and the other half with strips of beef tenderloin on a mound of onions and peppers. The best part – it came with homemade real corn tortillas and freshly made guacamole! While the fajitas were big in portion with a lot of flavor, I thought it was a bit on the dry side. Next time, I’d definitely like to try one of their other main course dishes – Enchiladas Verdes, Pollo Con Mole, Ropa Vieja, Ensenada Taco Fish, the list goes on.

For dessert, the Capirotada was a bit rich for my taste with a condensed milk-like sauce poured over mini bread slices with cinnamon, raisins, peanuts and cheese (think Mexican French Toast). In the future, I would also prefer to replace this dessert and try their cream caramel or apple cake.

Capirotada Dessert

Review of Casa Latina: Located across from Invito on Solana Bar Street (down the road from All-Star), 6 Chaoyang Park Road, 朝阳公园路6号, Solana蓝色港湾商业区8号楼3单元; Tel: 5905-6201; Daily Hours: 6PM-2AM

Best Part:

• In just one month, they’ve already begun to establish themselves as the one and only authentic Mexican restaurant in Beijing.
• Everything from the decor, the food, the chef, the music is all as authentically Latin as can be.
• Sopesitos and Crema Poblana soup were the highlights of our meal.
• They have a great live Cuban band every day except for Mondays
• Owners/managers are both personable, professional and knowledgeable.

Comments:

• Newspaper style menu is cluttered with the first page listing salads, soups and main courses, 2nd page listing cocktails, appetizers and desserts, third page with pizzas, snacks, martinis, milk shakes and non-alcoholic cocktails, and left overs of their drink menu on the fourth page. Pizza is random to offer at a Mexican restaurant, but then I met one of the owners (from Italy), and the pizza addition came to make sense.
• RMB 99 for a four-course set menu was a great meal and incredible value (normal price would be RMB 218), but when I go back (which I definitely will), I would prefer to order a la carte and try one of their salads or their Aztec Soup – the house special with fresh tomato and dried pepper base with fresh cheese and avocado cubes, crispy corn strips and fresh cream. I would also love to try their Pollo con Mole (Chicken Leg dipped in dark sauce made of chilies and chocolate!) and finish off with a cream caramel dessert. The only thing I might order again would be the Sopesitos starter, which was perfect.
• We happened to come on a rainy Monday night, the only night of the week without the live Cuban band and having just rained, it also explains the lack of customers, but word is that it has been consistently full almost every night for the past 2 weeks. In any case, this just gives me an excuse to return for some more delicious Mexican food to enjoy with live music and a lively crowd.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 6 (no live band on Mondays, and it was raining, so quite empty, but I heard it is normally packed and very lively)
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8