We were in the Arboretum area, checking out a few shops, and sipping away at a Del's Lemonade from the Farmer's Market, when hunger struck at 4 pm. Reacting, we decided on Bulevar Mexican Kitchen, since, hey, it's just down the hill from the Arboretum shops, by Capital of Texas Highway. So we whizzed out through Pottery Barn out the back and arrived at the parking lot shared by Bulevar and Eddie V's Prime Seafood. Both locations offer complimentary valet parking, but you aren't forced to use it. There are plenty of spaces to self-park, but valet does block of the curb adjacent to the restaurant and the part of the parking lot farthest from the restaurant. Note that some of the spots are compact car parking, and others aren't, but the signage doesn't exist.
Entering into the establishment, you'll be greeted by the host/hostess near the bar area. If you wish to be seated they offer "inside" and "outside" seating options. The inside seating closer to the bar area will be noisier, and is centrally located in the restaurant. There is also seating near the windows, and near the rear outdoor patio area. The decor in the center of the restaurant near the bar is dimmer and darker, while the decor around the perimeter is brighter and warmer.
After being seated, we browsed the menu; our waiter explained the menu to us and described his favorites. We ended up obtaining the Burrata + Salsa Taquera to start, the Kanpachi and Mixto Pibil for mains, and opted for the flan (spiced flan) for dessert.
The Burrata + Salsa Taquera is essentially chips and salsa, but with burrata, smoked trout roe, and sliver thin fried onions added in. Because the burrata is cold, the salsa is also cold. The spiciness of the salsa was enough to mute some of the taste of the burrata. The salsa itself could probably have used a tad more salt, but I suppose the roe was supposed to provide the salt. When the roe was tasted alone, it was slightly fishy, but when eaten with the other ingredients, the fishiness was not noticeable. The super thin fried onions were fun, crispy, and salty enough to eat by themselves, and were the first item noticed, because they seemed to be quite novel. We weren't sure if they were onions or green onions. The fried tortilla crisps were beautifully arranged in a wooden bowl. Overall, this was enjoyable, especially towards the end when breaking into the burrata cream itself. But I think I would have possibly enjoyed it more if the salsa were warm.
The Kanpachi was enough to feed a pair of individuals. It comes with small tortillas which are made in the kitchen. I thought the marinated cucumbers slices were zucchini slices. The sauce surrounding the fish is savory. The red dollops are some spicy ground chili, along with some seeds and nuts. I also found some macadamia nuts underneath the fish. The fish itself is topped with cilantro, red onion, a lime slice, the marinated cucumber slices, and the fish itself seems to have been grilled. The fish had a great flavor and was moist, but needs a larger quantity to combat the stronger flavor of the tortillas (if you're making fish tacos). But the fish itself can be enjoyed perfectly alone.
The Mixto Pibil came in a wooden bowl. It was topped with radish slices, pickled onions, and a white onion cilantro mix. The braised pork was well-seasoned and delectable alone, but even better with all the toppings inside a tortilla with a bit of guacamole.
The tortillas provided were made fresh in the kitchen. They are on the thinner (less fluffy), and smaller (in diameter) side. They arrived in wooden bowls, and are kept warm by linen towels. Each bowl only contains 5. Guacamole, lime, and a non-spicy one-noted salsa verde accompanied them. The guacamole was chunky with some onion within.
The flan (Fall Spiced Flan) was spiced with some vanilla and cinnamon. The syrup on top was thick, rather than runny, and it can switch some nuts in top. It was served in a glass ramekin. It was noticeably sweet, but not excessively sweet, though I would have liked it to be a tad less sweet. It was a heavier, richer flan, rather than a light, fluffy, simple flan, and it had those vanilla and cinnamon notes.
To conclude: great, filling food, presented nicely, creative, relatively flavorful, and executed satisfyingly well. Service is on point. Doggie bags are provided. Bathrooms are opposite the entrance, by the bar, and feature higher quality paper towels, automatic faucets, and slightly aromatic hand soap. However, the bathroom floor has a greasy feel. It would very reasonable to come back here to try other menu items. read more