I like this spot. I believe a menu should be like a resume - one page. This place fits the bill. English/Spanish. The staff speaks English well. Cool folks. Prices are fantastic. The chefs are creative, hard working, and professional. A big step above what you would find in local Mexican restaurants. Ambiance is that beach vibe hence the Hawaiian restaurant name. Chairs are unyielding/tough/solid, but comfortable enough to eat. Open air with lots of fans to prevent COVID. You can bring your dog in the restaurant.
My main gripes are:
1. The menu is full of raw, cold foods. Yes, you have fish and chips, a few burgers (mostly fish then chicken), and a cooked fish or two. Fish plus oil even if fried is heavy on my stomach. But for the most part the temperature is cold. Fantastic in the summer (90F with 90% humidity days), but it wears on you if you come here often. I wonder if this helps business-wise not to use heat much.
2. The agua del día is fire, but runs out as early as the mid-afternoon.
3. There is only one waiter who I believe also co-owns the place. Not a super charismatic or engaging guy (at least to me). Seems in a rush so I do not feel attended to so well. He usually takes a while, but has never messed up an order. Only the order of my meals (I ordered a salad, tostada, and main course. Got the salad, main course then tostada which was odd). He has never asked me if I wanted anything else so I push on to get to dessert.
4. Not Mexican enough for me. Definitely a lot of Mexicans touches throughout the dishes I will elaborate on below. The European, Hawaiian, and Japanese fusion elements pop in dish names or preparation styles. I was surprised to meet a masajera on the beach in Sayulita who told me mariscos was not comida mexicana real. She referred me Maria Bonita in Sayulita saying that was real Mexican food in her opinion. Surprsing to hear because ceviche, aguachile, enchiladas de camarón, etc are all staple Mexican seafood dishes. But most of Mexico does not regularly eat seafood like those on the coasts of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Yucatán, etc. You will not find Mexico's national dish, Mole, in the coasts unless you find an artisinal store passing through. When I think Mexican food I think depth, complexity of ingredients and long preparation times (mole taking days to make and nixtamalizing corn for hand pressed tacos takes two days when you soak the dry corn kernels). The food here has superior presentation, solid flavor, and absolute freshness. But it lacks those three elements which seafood somewhat allows you to gloss over. More economical.
Thoughts on dishes I have had:
Ensalada de Betabel - wow those beets were impressive. They aquired them in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Earthy, organic, and unique. What a beet. Mexico grows everything. The cheese could have been sharper. The arugula was the right choice. Dressing is on point. Other than the name and origin of ingredients, this dish is not so Mexican. But damn did I enjoy it.
Quesadilla - fine. Something nice and simple when your tummy is not at 100. Served with beans and guac. Sometimes they serve slices of avocado. Sometimes they it is just mashed up guac. Does the job.
I had two tostadas - the tuna and aguachile rojo. Both are delicious. I like the tuna better. The presentation works, but the practicality of eating it is a little awkward. Remove the bottom of the two tostadas, fill that one up and have at it. They usually pack them up so you will have to pick at it with your fork for a while.
Fish Burger - the fries are well-done and homemade. Not much on the salt. Not to die for, but sufficient. Not oily either. The paty was a hearty bread that worked well. The fish was breaded/flaky and fried perfectly. The salad was a little overdressed, but tasty. I am just not a fan of having fish in my burgers. Not a fan of the sauce either.
Sashimi del Día - a traditional Japanese dish with many Mexican additions - small chiles (gave it a kick for my gringo stomach), finely chopped onion, cilantro (which Mexico loves), and a homemade sauce. The fish was fresh and sufficient. I enjoyed the bowl it was brought in. I wish the sashimi was laid out in a clear, organized fashion. It seemed plopped together on top of a green sauce. I recommend.
Pavlova - what an ice cream dessert. The basil leaves on top won me over. The merengue was not out of this world, but added an element of pizzazz the dish needed. The ice cream was fire.
Caramelized Banana with Cardamom Ice Cream on top of Banana bread - my favorite dish in the whole place. Everything from the plate to presentation was perfect. I have never had a such a perfectly caramelized banana before. The ice cream was an excellent compliment to the bread and banana. The Banana Bread was almost perfect. Burned black slightly on one end. Other than that I never thought I would find Banana Bread done this well in Mexico.
Check it out. You will enjoy Makai. read more