Sunday lunch at Hacienda

 30 June 2024

 

HACIENDA COASTAL MEXICAN

Heritage Square, 92 Bree Street, Cape Town

 

It’s a well-known quip to suggest that a piece of undercooked steak could’ve walked to the table on its own feet but when the server cheerfully announced that the mole that’d just been placed in front of us is alive, I had serious  ethical concerns. 

 

Eating very rare steak is one thing, being expected to be a plant based cannibal is in a different multiverse altogether.  

 

However, I pulled myself towards myself and tucked in. 

 

I survived emotionally intact, the mole didn’t.

 

Today’s Sunday lunch was Hacienda’s Winter Set Menu at R395,00 a person, including a glass of Guardian Peak Merlot.  The wife was in luck; she had two glasses of Merlot. I drank two beers.

 

The complimentary starter comprised of multicoloured tortilla crisps and three tantalising dipping sauces: a salsa verde, black bean and a chipotle flavoured tomato. These are the kind of tasty snacks one can overdose on before the actual meal is served.

 

The four main courses are served in batches of two, with four tortillas, also in various bright hues. The wife thought they were a bit of fun; I prefer my tortillas au naturel.

The fish tacos were delicious, with refreshing, light elements and were the wife’s highlight of the meal until we got to the dessert.  

Four tortillas weren’t enough for the very generous portion of mole and I ordered two more (R39) but there was still so much mole left that I scraped the remnants off the plate with my fork.

 

After we got home, I googled mole and discovered that it’s a sauce intended for eating with, or over, other food but I can’t quite see me topping a fish taco with it.

 

Hacienda claims that their mole contains “as many as 30 individual ingredients” and though my google search gave me an indication of what they might be, the only ingredient I identified, or thought I did, was beans, not only the taste and flavour but also a dryness of texture.  Whatever. I love beans.

The mole was very tasty and unctuous; the kind of thing I could easily have all day long, with a plentiful supply of tortillas and beer.

 

At the same time, we received three more sauces, two of which were mild though the mango chilli had a less than amusing kick if taken in substantial amounts and lingered on the palate, slightly ruining the taste of  anything else you ate afterwards. 

 

The brisket tacos were deeply, richly flavourful and I loved the rice, moist like a good risotto but infused with fresh coriander and good hit of chilli heat with each mouthful that never escalated to an unbearable level. 

The churros were sublime, with a crisp crust, creamy centre and just the right amount of sugar. The chocolate ice cream was creamy and chocolatey, a tad too much for me, but absolutely excellent. For the wife, the memory of the fish taco faded slightly. The churros were the supreme delight of the meal. 

 

The closing ceremony was a huge cloud of candy floss, the size of a small moon, as thank you for dining at Hacienda.  It’s a faintly ridiculous childhood treat but a good bit of fun to end off a very good, satisfying meal.

The bill, with a bottle of water, the two beers and extra tortillas, came to  R752,00 before tip.

 

This was our second meal at Hacienda. We came for dinner with the fam last year and I liked the food then and I thoroughly enjoyed today’s meal even if the wife, conceding that the food is of high quality, is of the opinion that she probably won’t travel to Mexico for the food.

 

The winter special is a great deal, so giddy up and get there before you miss out!