Address: Elliott Stables, 39-41 Elliott St
Phone: (09) 303 0217
Website: besoslatinos.com
Cuisine: Latin American (Cuba, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Chile)
Rating: 7.5/10
I'm in love. At last I've met a restaurant in Auckland serving up Latin American food with which I want a second date. Wading our way through the crowded main courtyard of Elliott Stables one busy mid-week evening, my world opened up with a visit to Besos Latinos, which translates to "Latin Kisses".
Situated down the back, in its own corner, painted murals and images of Frida Kahlo and Che Guevara adorn the distressed plastered walls and a fountain bubbles away in the centre of the dining room.
Huge vases of garish, fake red flowers sit dramatically in the tiled wall recesses and the original brickwork and timber trusses are left exposed to add to the romance of the place. I was smitten as soon as we arrived.
Seated by the fountain and on the edge of what would later become a dance floor, we sipped tamarind margaritas - deliciously sharp and refreshing, if a little on the weak side - whilst maitre d and manager, the gorgeous Cecilia Lara from Mexico City, explained the concept behind Besos Latinos.
Rather than offering cuisine from just one country, owner and chef Luis Fernando Cabrera (also from Mexico City), has designed a concise menu that offers a selection of dishes from across Latin America. There are humitas from Chile, a raw fish dish from Peru, Mexican grilled flank steak and even a Cuban dish of prawns and rice.
With half a dozen entrées, five platos principales (mains) and three of each ensaladas and postres (desserts), plus a few blackboard specials, the selection is interesting enough without being overwhelming. What's more, mercifully, there are no Tex Mex options.
From the blackboard specials we started with the eiche platter as it gave us a variety of dishes to sample. The humitas, tender corn tamales from Chile, were smaller and more intensely flavoured than the larger, sometimes more bland Mexican equivalent. They were excellent. Freshly oven-baked empanadas were stuffed with a tasty filling of carrot, onion and herbs and a Cuban-inspired dish of succulent prawns were beautifully basted with a toasted garlic mojo (sauce).
A sesame-encrusted haloumi cheese, grilled and served with a sweet orange dressing was described as "delicioso", so we couldn't resist ordering it alongside our platter.
Priced at $16, the cheese was slightly disappointing, with only two small squares of haloumi but the orange dressing was sensational - slightly sour but with the sweet scent of orange blossom.
We shared an arrachera nortena y papa horno, a dish that hails from chef Cabrera's homeland. It consisted of wonderfully chewy flank steak that had been marinated with thyme, oregano and garlic then chargrilled and served with small, handmade soft corn tortillas, which were perfect for smothering with spoonfuls of the velvety charro beans and folding around the strips of tasty meat.
I like this style of eating where you build your own meal from a plate of shared food. There's a casualness and intimacy that develops as you add a bit of this and that, and the conversation ebbs and flows between mouthfuls. Our main came with a rather ordinary stuffed, baked potato that we left mostly untouched as we needed to leave some room for postres (desserts).
By this time the lights were dimmed and the dancing had begun. A talented young couple expertly demonstrated two sultry Latin dances, then invited diners who were interested in learning some basic steps to join them for an impromptu dance lesson. A few attempts with Zumba (in the privacy of my own home) have proven that my ability to hold a Latin beat is abominable, so I suggested we keep working (i.e. eating) and tackle dessert instead.
We went about demolishing a flan Frida (creme caramel) and an arroz con leche (rice pudding) with grilled pineapple. The Frida was incredible - cooling and silky, it slipped down our throats, leaving behind the delectable essence of orange and almost-burnt caramel.
The warm rice pudding left a different impression. The pineapple had found its way on to the same grill-plate as the flank steak so was tainted with its meaty flavour. Easy to fix and I hope they do, as rice pudding is a beautiful thing on a dessert menu.
The staff at Besos Latinos are warm and genuine, the setting is magical and the kitchen is doing a fine job of bringing decent Latin American cuisine a step closer to us. Now, if only I could perfect my Latin dance moves ...
From the menu: Eiche platter for two $39.80, Queso asado - haloumi $16, Arrachera Nortena - grilled flank steak $32, Flan Frida $12, Arroz con leche $12.
Drinks: Fully licensed.
Note: Dancing is not on every night, so check by phoning ahead.
