Discover Authentic Guatemalan Flavors at Tikal Mayan Food Uptown | Eater NY
"Situated in Lenox Hill at 1393 Second Avenue, near 72nd Street, the restaurant occupies the deep, brightly lit space of the former Indian restaurant Rangoli, and the walls are emblazoned with murals of pyramids in the ancient city of Tikal. The owner is Noe Rodriguez, who was born in San Marcos, Guatemala, and many of his staff are family members. The menu offers polished home-style fare: tamales come wrapped in a banana leaf (the beef version includes refried black beans and fiery chiles); tacos come three to an order with a choice of five fillings — the lengua tacos ($21.85) were overstuffed with tender chunks of spice-rubbed meat sided with a tart green tomatillo salsa: "Pour it on!" Rolled, deep-fried tacos dorados are also available with the same fillings (chicken, steak, carnitas, birria, and tongue). The enchilada is a tortilla fried crisp and used as a platform for profuse toppings, the equivalent of a Mexican tostada; in the Guatemalan style the tortillas are a bit thicker and made by hand in the restaurant’s kitchen. Enchiladas de res con curtido ($7.30) feature grilled skirt steak topped with pickled beets, dried cheese, red onions, and a slice of boiled egg — quite a meal in itself, with flavors pulling in several directions. More arresting is an enchilada topped with chicken chow mein, a legacy of Chinese immigration from Guangdong in the first half of the 20th century: the flavors are old-guard Cantonese, and the effect is wonderfully crunchy and mellow. Chinese food has never tasted quite like this before. From the Platos Fuertes, the pacaya envuelta ($12.50) is the blossom of a date palm that looks like corn, coated in batter and fried, with a taste and texture something like artichoke hearts. Also notable is kaq'ik de pavo — turkey leg in a dark, rich orange sauce of cobanero chiles and pumpkin seeds — great for dipping warm tortillas. The restaurant also offers one of the city's best lamb barbacoa: long-stewed chunks of meat that remain firm in a sauce of marjoram, cloves, garlic, and morita chiles. The menu ranges across Central and parts of South America with rotisserie chickens painted with a Peruvian-style spice mixture; Salvadoran-style pupusas stuffed with cheese and either loroco flowers or pork cracklings; grilled steaks with rice and refried beans; dobladas (like empanadas) filled with chicken or beef; shrimp ceviche; and guacamole with tortilla chips. For drinks, atole de elote steeps corn cobs with milk and cinnamon into a creamy, mellow, and foamy hot beverage, while jamaica is a sweet, cold hibiscus drink with a tart edge that pairs well with the richer, sauce-driven dishes — either makes a refreshing complement to the earthy menu." - Robert Sietsema
