/ Reviews / Mexican
My Land, My Food, My Mexico
by by Monica Liau
on Friday, February 12, 2010 12:00 AM
A lot of buzz surrounds the opening of Mi Tierra. The Mexican consular has sung its praises, the media is salivating and hungry parties are banging at their door - but is the kitchen at Mi Tierra able to satisfy the city's ravenous hunger for fresh, traditional Mexican food?
The palatial new restaurant is an impressive setting for the kitchen's self-proclaimed down-home cooking. Housed in a mansion from the 1920s, the space has been gutted and restored as a three-floor Mexican villa, complete with a beautiful glass-ceilinged courtyard, a taco bar, an art gallery, shops that sell Mexican wares, and a Latin dancing space on the top floor.
However, Chef Gabriela Fernandez's food remains the main event. The Mi Tierra Protein Salad is an unexpected must, full of toasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts and almonds, all bound together by an elegant coriander dressing. Zucchini Volcancitos (RMB65), stuffed with garlic and goat cheese then fried in batter, are also tasty though heavy going.
Well-spiced beef steak is cushioned between cheddar cheese and two thick, handmade corn tortillas in the Beef Coyotas (RMB65). Parrillada #2 (RMB480) is a plate of meat meant to feed 6 and showcases sweet mustard chicken, long savory sausages, tender pork ribs and more. The biggest break from tradition came in the form of the Costilla de Lechon en Mole Verde. Mole sauce, which is usually dark brown, is instead a vibrant green color, bolstered by 32 different spices in addition to its signature chocolate.
Sneak peaks into Mi Tierra's menu promise high-quality comfort food, though not a lot of spicy surprises. While the dishes aren't revolutionary in concept, the restaurant is still in a good position to become the new place to be seen eating Mexican food in Shanghai.
The Bottom Line: With its combination of competent cooking and impressive interiors, there's no reason not to expect Mi Tierra to take pole position in the city's Mexican food race.
