Santo Remedio's Delicious Mexican Sunday Brunch

Name: Santo Remedio

Where: Santo Remedio, 152 Tooley Street, London , SE1 2TU, https://www.santoremedio.co.uk/

Cost: Starters are £4.50-£6.50, mains £11-£15, with sweet pancakes or filled doughnuts  at £4-£8.50.  Brunch cocktails are £8.50-£11.50. 

About: Edson and Natalie Diaz-Fuentes set up Santo Remedio in Shoreditch in 2016, opening their second branch in London Bridge's Tooley Street in 2017, serving up a menu of modern Mexican food.

The menu focuses on dishes from Mexico City, Oaxaca and the Yucatan peninsula.

Santo Remedio uses a blend of imported Mexican ingredients and fresh local produce (for example, their Mexican-style Cotija cheese is made by Gringa Diary in nearby Peckham), to create fresh, vibrant Mexican flavours, and the dishes I have tried before were among the best in London. All the salsas are made on the premises.

From October 2018, they are serving a Mexican Sunday Brunch menu, and I made my way over to give it a try.

What We Ate: A classic guacamole, with smashed avocado, onion, tomato and tortilla chips (£6), with grasshoppers (£1.50) was fresh, vibrant and delicious.

Tetela - was a delectable corn masa parcel filled with black beans served over a glossy mole negro, finished with Cotija cheese and crema (£5.50).

Equally good were the Motuleños - corn tostadas with black beans, topped with 2 free range fried eggs, salsa roja with morita and ancho chillies, Cotija cheese, grilled bacon and plantains (£14). This is a regional dish from the Yucatan peninsula, and was Edson's favourite brekkie while he lived in that part of the country.

But the dish that really made me want to visit Santa Remedio was their Torta Ahogada, which I had tried a couple of weeks earlier at a one-off collaboration they ran with Bubbledogs (reviewed here).

This is a sourdough baguette filled with crispy fried pork belly, dunked (ahogada translates as drowned) in a magnificent salsa roja made from a blend of chillies including morita, which gives a fantastic smokiness, grilled tomatoes and other seasonings, dotted with pink pickled onions (£12.5). The sandwich was punchy, vibrant and so delicious.

For dessert, we had the tres leches pancakes with banana (£7.50), made with three types of 'milk' including dolce de leche, served with a Mexican chocolate de agua (£3.50), a traditional water-based drink with cinnamon and sugar. The pancakes were surprisingly light, flavoured with cinnamon and a side serving of fresh raspberry puree cut through the sweetness of the pancake and syrup.

What We Drank: We had a couple of 180 Tequila Bloody Maria's (£8.50) - made with blue agave tequila, tomato juice, Santo Remedio chilli blend and celery.

Likes: The Torta Ahogada was sublime, the Motuleños were excellent. The food tasted fresh, vibrant and full of flavour. 

Dislikes: None 

Verdict: The Mexican dishes I tried at Santo Remedio are some of the best I have had in the UK, and indeed took me back to some of the best restaurants I experienced in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Santo Remedio is my go-to place for Mexican food in London. Highly recommended.

Bubbledogs 6th Birthday Collaboration with Santo Remedio

Name: Bubbledogs and Santo Remedio

Where: Bubbledogs at 70 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 4QG (https://www.bubbledogs.co.uk/) and Santo Remedio at 152 Tooley St, London SE1 2TU (https://www.santoremedio.co.uk/)

Cost: A 3-course meal at Bubbledogs cost on average £25 per person, not including drinks or service.

About: Bubbledogs have been serving up their celebrated combination of hot dogs and Champagne from their Charlotte Street restaurant since 2012, when husband and wife team Sandia Chang and James Knappett (who runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Table at the back of Bubbledogs) founded the restaurant.

To celebrate their 6th birthday, Chang and Knappett teamed up with Mexican food specialists Edson and Natalie Diaz-Fuentes of Santo Remedio in London Bridge.

The special birthday menu had some of the most popular dishes of both restaurants, and an offer of cocktails or flights of Champagne or Mezcal.

What We Ate: From the Bubbledogs menu, we ordered a selection of their classics.  The signature Jose beef hot dog (£7.50), with a zingy tomato salsa, sour cream, jalapenos and guacamole was as good as I remembered.

Equally good was the Sloppy Joe hot dog, served with melted cheese and beef chilli (£8), was rich and very well flavoured.

To accompany our hot dogs, we ordered chipotle tots (£4) - potato croquettes and nachos with the works (£7) - beef chilli, guacamole and cheese.

Best of all though was the black bream aguachile 2 pieces (£8). A Mexican-style ceviche, here served as a deconstructed taco - with thin slices of raw black bream, salsa, guacamole, radish, all brought together with a vinegar-based dressing, I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
    

From the Santo Remedio menu, the pork belly torta ahogada (£10), literally translated as a drowned cake or submarine sandwich, came served in a baguette, with a delectable morita salsa. This was for me the star dish of the evening - chunky pieces of fried pork belly filled the baguette, with sliced pickled onions over a spicy smoked jalapeno chilli sauce.

Also outstanding was the braised ox tongue taco (2 pieces, £10), served with with pipian rojo. This classic Mexican sauce is made from various types of chilli, pumpkin, sesame seeds, cinnamon, onions and garlic, among other ingredients. The ox tongue was soft, and combined really well with the accompanying diced raw onion, lime and micro-coriander.
  

To finish, we had a dessert that resulted from the collaboration between Bubbledogs and Santo Remedio  - rice pudding with green tomatillo jam and grated dark chocolate (£5).  This was luxuriously creamy, but with a lovely tartness from the green tomatillo jam.

What We Drank: We opted for the Champagne flight, sadly available for one night only. But on the menu there is a range of Champagnes and wines available by the glass or bottle. For example, the Solessence Champagne (see below) is available for £8 per glass or £45 per bottle, while the Collin-Guillaume Rose costs £10.50 by the glass or £60 for the bottle. 

We opted for the special birthday Champagne flight (£20). Jean-Marc Seleque, Solessence was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, and had lemony fruit and a touch of toast.

The Christophe Mignon was made from 100% Pinot Meunier, and had a rich palate of pears, brioche, with good minerality while being bone-dry. 

The rose Champagne offering was Collin-Guillaume, made from all three Champagne varietals, this had lovely strawberry notes, and a touch of vanilla.

Likes: The black bream aguachile, the pork belly torta ahogada and the ox tongue taco were the outstanding highlights. I loved both Bubbledogs, and the incredibly well priced, top quality Champagne.  The staff are well informed and enthusiastic. 

Dislikes: None 

Verdict: Bubbledogs is celebrating its sixth anniversary, serving up its signature combination of hot dogs and Champagne. They still feel as innovative, fresh and vibrant as on day one. Recommended.

The London Foodie Goes to Mexico - Merida, Uxmal and Kabah

The capital city of Merida is a great place to soak up the Yucatan state's colonial and Mayan cultures, whiling away the hours in one of the city's beautiful squares, with live music being played in almost every bar and restaurant in the old town and a seriously chilled beer (see earlier review here).

Colonial architecture

It is also the most convenient spot from which to reach some of the state's most impressive archaeological Mayan sites at Uxmal and Kabah, and the fine coastal towns and nature reserves of the Mayan Riviera.

Uxmal

The city also boasts some of the best Yucatecan restaurants in the region, and this is where I had one of my best meals in Mexico (see 'Where to Eat' below). 

Where to Stay

Hotel Hacienda Merida

Hacienda Merida was by far the most elegant hotel we stayed at during our trip in Mexico. A small boutique hotel, it was recently named one of Condé Nast's best new hotels in the world under US$200.

The hotel is owned by French ex-corporate executive Alex Degoute, who travelled the world on business in his former life, but decided to settle in Merida when the opportunity to purchase a couple of derelict colonial houses arose, which now make up Hotel Hacienda Merida.

The hotel is on Calle 62, just a stone's throw from the main square, and has a very unassuming appearance from the street which adds to its charm, as few would anticipate such grandeur on walking through its doors.

The hotel is divided into two - the original building with 8 rooms having a reception area and small bar open to the public, and a second 'VIP' building with 6 larger rooms with no reception or direct access to the general public. It is quieter and more private, and it was in this latter section that we stayed.

It was a long, painstakingly hard process taking Alex's total devotion to bring the houses to their current state, but it has definitely paid off. Dotted with beautiful French antique furniture and paintings, the hotel has discreet indirect lighting, white drapes between the Romanesque columns, polished ochre floors, and crystal-clear, well-sized swimming pools with loungers.

Our room faced one of the swimming pools, and included a private veranda, a large separate closet and luggage storage room, and a very spacious bathroom. The room was huge, with high ceilings and was very elegantly furnished. I have stayed in a few 5-star luxury resorts that didn't have half the sense of style that the Hotel Hacienda Merida has but charge twice as much.

Breakfast is taken in the courtyard by the swimming pool, and includes individual cafetieres of good strong coffee, a generous platter of freshly cut fruit, pastries and a cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs and fried potatoes. It was wholesome and generous, and started us off on a good footing for both our days there.

A gourmand at heart, Alex was very friendly and generous with his time giving us excellent advice on things to do and eat in Merida. Hotel Hacienda Merida was one of the highlights of our trip to Mexico, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Merida.

Where to Eat

Merida was also where I had the best meal of my trip in Mexico. La Chaya Maya, opened only a year ago, and is now considered one of the best restaurants in the region. There are two branches in the city, and I was so impressed on my first visit that I decided to visit the second branch during our four-day stay in Merida.

Both restaurants are in the historical centre of town, close to the main square, and are within easy walking distance of each other.  They have the same menu, but are very different in style. The original restaurant is smaller, modern in style, occupies a corner on Calle 62 and is busy and lively.  The newer version, occupying a large colonial home, is more elegant with an open courtyard and several different dining-rooms including al fresco and indoor dining options. 
   
La Chaya Maya - newer, larger and more elegant branch

I was surprised to see turkey being featured in many of the dishes on the menu but was later told that it is the poultry of choice for that part of the country. I am not a great fan of turkey but the "Sopa de Lima" (£2) a  soup made of shredded turkey, turkey stock flavoured with lime and topped with crisp tortilla sticks was delicious and an excellent start to our meal.

Our second choice of starters were "Panuchos" (£3). These were handmade crisp corn tortillas which had been split and filled with black bean purée and then topped with shredded turkey, lettuce, cucumber and tomato, pickled red onion and slices of avocado. I really enjoyed this, they had a fresh and well balanced combination of flavours and great texture - crunchy, creamy and meaty.

The best dish of the evening however was the "Tikim Xic" at £5.50. This was a generous portion of fish fillet marinated with achiote (the seeds from the Annatto flower), cooked in banana leaves and stuffed with shrimps, squid and clams. The achiote gave a nice, reddish colour to the dish but also imparted earthy, peppery and smokey notes to the fish and seafood. In retrospect, this was the best dish I had in my entire trip in Mexico, and a good break from the more stodgy and meat laden local Yucatecan dishes.

For dessert, Dr G and I shared a "Dulce de Papaya" (£2). This was a portion of pumpkin in chunks cooked in a sugar syrup flavoured with spices including cloves and cinnamon and topped with grated cheese. This is a similar dessert I grew up eating in Brazil which brought back many happy childhood memories.

La Chaya Maya - original and smaller venue

Of our four days in Merida, we decided to return to La Chaya Maya for our last meal in the city. This is the original La Chaya Maya, a smaller but equally busy venue. Given that this restaurant is relatively pricier than most restaurants in town, I initially thought it catered primarily for visitors, but it was nice to see many Mexican families also eating there.

For this meal, Dr G and I decided to go for "Los Cuatro Yucas" which is a set of four traditional Yucatecan dishes for 2 people (£9.50). This offers a good opportunity to taste four dishes at once (each individual dish is priced at £5). I enjoyed all dishes, they were well seasoned and delicious although I was craving for some vegetables or greens of any kind as an accompaniment rather than the ubiquitous tortillas which was served with every dish.

Cochinita Pibil - pork marinated with achiote, sour orange juice, spices, sweet chilli, tomato and onion, then cooked in banana leaves and served with black bean purée.

Pavo en Relleno Negro - turkey and minced pork cooked in a spicy sauce made from different varieties of black beans, chillies and spices.

Pavo en Sac col Indio- thick slice of baked turkey served in sac col, a rich turkey gravy seasoned with dried herbs and Mayan spices, garnished with olives.

Pavo en Pipian - turkey simmered in a deliciously rich pumpkin seed mole.

What to Do

There is a lot to occupy a few days in Merida (see earlier review here), but here I focus more on the places of interest outside of the city. However, a couple of things I enjoyed doing while staying at the Hotel Hacienda Merida were relaxing by the hotel's pool, and strolling around Parque Hidalgo.

Relaxing and people watching at Parque Hidalgo

The Hotel Hacienda Merida has a beautiful pool, good for relaxing in the hot afternoons, as well as spa with affordable rates for massages, at around £25 for one hour. Parque Hidalgo on the intersection of Calles 59 and 60, about 50 metres north of the Main square is a pretty spot surrounded by hotels and restaurants, and is a good place to retreat and relax with a drink, being calmer than the main square and surrounding streets with their continuous music and wandering street vendors.

Beyond the confines of the city, It would be a shame not to visit one of the Mayan ruins in the vicinity, of which Uxmal is probably the best and largest example. We took a whole day excursion, being picked up from our hotel at 09.00, and returned at 17.30, with Turitransamerica.

Carlos, the larger than life guide, drove us around and gave a very detailed explanation of all the sites. Although it was entirely in Spanish, he was so expressive that it was not difficult to follow what he said for anyone with a smattering of the language. There was certainly much more detail on the buildings in his tour than we had in our guide book.

The ruins at Uxmal are in many ways more impressive than those at Chichen Itza, but far less visited, and are within an hour's drive from Merida. Thanks to its good state of preservation, it is one of the few Maya cities where visitors can get a good idea of how the entire ceremonial centre, pyramids and buildings looked in ancient times.

After a few hours at Uxmal, we had a good lunch included in the tour price (£25 per person), and then visited the smaller but equally impressive ruins at nearby Kabah before returning to our hotel.

Another option for a day trip from Merida, which unfortunately I did not have time to visit is the coastal town of Celestun ( 2 hours each way by bus), for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico, and a visit to the wildlife reserve to see great flocks of flamingos and other waterfowl. This is also provided as a day trip by Turitransmerida, including a fish lunch on the beach. 

Travel Essentials

Hotel Hacienda Merida
Calle 62, 439 x 51 y 53
Centro Historico, Merida
http://www.hotelhaciendamerida.com

Trip to Uxmal and Kabah was arranged with Turitransmerida, at a cost of £25pp including a pick up from the hotel and transport to and from all sites, lunch and a guide
Calle 55, 504 x 60 y 62 
Centro Historico, Merida 
http://www.turitransmerida.com.mx

La Chaya Maya (New Branch - more elegant)
Calle 62 481, Centro
97000 Mérida, Mexico
+52 999 928 4780

La Chaya Maya (Original Restaurant)
Calle 57 x 62 (corner), Centro
97000 Mérida, Mexico