Ricardo V.
Yelp
Where do I begin?
My wife and I were roaming around Palm Springs on a honeymoon vacation one Sunday night and we stumbled upon a teeny tiny empty open patio restaurant(come to learn they were trying to find a permanent location). We decided we were going to try it out as the menu we had looked at, spoke to me directly, as my family is from Oaxacan. I am familiar with Mole and Chapulines, they had me at that.
From the very beginning, while looking at the silverware... I knew this was going to be either breathtaking or a disastrous cover up for god awful food.
Well, if you've gotten this far... based on my 5 star review... you know that I was left short of breath.
The silverware shined in such a way, that they would put some of the most expensive steakhouses to shame, their glasses crystal clean. The service, was on point. The server was well mannered and genuine, sadly because I was in the moment, I did not get his name.
At the time, we ordered the Bread and Butter, Agua Chiles, Birria Ramen, The Octopus Tetela, Flan with Kumquat and Chapulines. When I say that everything was creative and full of flavor... it is and was exactly that.
Bread and Butter, the sourdough bread was toasted to perfection, the butter was a unique blend I believe of Morita Chile and Lava Salt... if you thought bread at large food chain restaurants was your enemy... this simple plate would have left all those moments you experienced in the past... in the past.
Aguachiles was the most complex flavored dish of the night.... each bite you took, left you tasting different flavors and textures. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, the unique sauce the dish had with the lime, salsa macha, grapes, avocado... no words to describe it but simply worked.
The Octopus Tetela. Octopus cooked beautifully. Slight char, not rubbery, soft, refined. Paired with the pork beans and Pipian, another hit.
Flan with Kumquats.... never had I ever thought to see kumquats on a Mexican dish.. it maybe a be a common dish elsewhere but to me, that was a new one. You would expect that the kumquats would engulf the flans flavor... somehow, it paired perfectly. Each bite left me with a smile and my wife could see it all over my face. Of course I ended the night with chapulines, perfect.
My wife enjoyed her Birria Ramen, unfortunately, I had ordered way too much and knew exactly what I wanted to eat and kept it at that and did not get to try the dish. She too, just as I, shared the same feeling about Hoja Blanca, simply the best restaurant to date in Palm Springs.
This review is not for the people who go to restaurants and remove ingredients from menu dishes or for those who expect traditional Mexican food. This restaurant is for people who are open to new ideas or give ingredients they dislike, a second try, for those who understand what "Modern Mexican Inspired" actually entails and ultimately enjoy food that comes from chefs who make their dishes appear as a work of art.
I hope that if you go ahead and give this restaurant a shot, that you thoroughly enjoy your experience and get to feel the way I do about Hoja Blanca.
