New Westminster’s best spot for modern Mexican has a new set menu for August, that included a tequila pairing add on. So we headed down this evening to give it a try.
It was busy for dinner, lively and upbeat. It felt like the neighbourhood was out and everyone stopped in to say “hi”. We got a chance to chat with the restaurant owner, who spoke to how El Santo has been a familiar corner stone of the community for over 9 years now. And that they are currently participating in the Shannon’s Table Society, along with other local restaurants like Fable. Our owner/host, even sits on the Board of Directors. It is not yet a registered charity, but continues to work as a “not-for-profit initiative that recognizes the challenges that face many families who care for individuals with disabilities”. (As taken from their website).
“Each month Shannon’s Table sponsors a complimentary dinner for two deserving parents or caregivers who care for a disabled child. The goal is to pamper those hardworking guardians and give them a much-needed night out with a relaxing environment and a delicious meal.”
Once again, this speaks to the community and following that El Santo has naturally garnered.
We asked for a seat up front for a more well light dinner. The further back in you go, the darker it gets and more ambiance the space has.
The August set menu is $58 for 4 courses of your choosing. To add on the tequila pairing is is $26 more (and I suggest that you do). Both together are such a great deal, and make for a delicious dining experience.
Our first tequila course were both Reposados. Reposado describes tequila that has spent between 2 months to a year aging in oak. This is typically the mid option for tequila potency.
For appetizers we passed on the tuna tataki and went for the corn soup and birria, feeling both more Mexican, and unique to El Santo.
The Sopa De Maiz is sweetcorn soup with a cotija sable and chives. This was the perfect sized serving to leave you wanting more; too much of one thing otherwise. The thickness and the sweetness of the cheesy soup than ended sweet on the tongue felt like a drinkable dessert. Especially with the short bread meets flaky pie crust, garlic biscuit on the side. I can see this being baked into a corn bread cake. We have never had a soup like this before.
Here, the Espolon Repersado pairing gives you the acidity and smokiness you need to balance out the one toned sweetness of the soup. I suggesting drinking this before and having it linger on your tongue before you take a sip of soup.
The Quesabirria is a taco of Adobo Braised beef shank, a blend of local cheeses, onion, and cilantro; served with a consomme for dipping into. I appreciated how the taco was stuffed full of beef. Dense as is and given more gristle and salt with the broth. The topping of raw diced onions are critical in helping to balance out these heavier bites.
Here our La Gritona respersado pairing with its bold burn and less sugars was helpful as a chase. Great at cleansing the mouth full of meaty gravy in between bites.
Our second course was strictly tacos and started with the Koch Espadin mezcal as the pairing for all 3 options. Definitely much stronger than our two tequilas before. Heavily peated, this is a mezcal you slow sip on its own to enjoy the body and fullness of it alone.
We passed on the braised beef cheek tacos, seeing as we had beef tacos the course before. Instead we got the pork with pineapple and the vegetarian option the Brussel sprouts.
The Tacos de Pastor is Charcoal grilled pork, onion, cilantro, grilled pineapple, and salsa verde. I love the sweet and salty pairing of the fruit and meat. There were pan fried crispy bits for added texture. And the bowl of salsa on the side provided self serve spice.
Between the two we had, my favourite was the Tacos de Bruselas. When I see Brussel sprouts on any menu, I am obligated to order it. This taco was filled with fried brussel sprouts, sikil pak, and charred jalapeño vinaigrette. “Sikil pak” is a Mayan dish that is described as a “seedy salsa”. Here, it provided a nice starchy base to the mountain of crispy sprout leaves dressed heavily in garlic, and finished with a flavourful, tiny back of the throat burn. For those wanting to forgo the taco, the Brussels sprouts are also available on the regular menu as is.
For our mains we passed on the risotto and ordered the two proteins. The Carne Ahumada was the heavier of the two. So was paired with the heavier tequila pairing of Hornitos Anejo Aged tequila. It was syrupy in the mouth, tasting and feeling like honey.
Leek ash rubbed Wagyu flank steak, red pepper & habanero demi-glace, roasted cherry tomatoes, confit potato,
broccolini, and mesquite smoke. Served covered, our server warned us that sometimes when removed, the dish is still smokey, and sometimes (like today) it is not. The slices of steak were still all connected, but easy to pull apart to grab your piece. Tender and perfectly pink, my partner claimed he got coffee and chocolate notes from the rub. The ashy crust was unique, playing well off the crisp and juicy vegetables. No complaints here.
For our fish course we had the El Tequileno Reserspado, a lighter tequila with a gentle floral essence that played off the tea in the dish below.
Pescado al Sartén was BC ling cod, chacayote, braised green chilis, chamomile and avocado leaf tea. The broth is poured over your fish, table side for an unexpected presentation (given the more casual local). I enjoyed it so much that I took the bowl to my lips and drank every last drip. The fish was well prepared, as the ideal base for all the gentler flavours listed. The julienned cactus with its slightly bitter nature gave a saltiness to the dish, a similar feeling to seaweed. I liked the creativity of the tortilla balls, pushed down and baked for their take on gnocchi, but found them too dense and hard for such a gentle dish as a whole. I would have liked the fish as is, with more of the deep fried fish skin as textured crunch. Or if you wanted carbs some rice or a celeriac risotto would have been elegant.
The tortilla gnocchi would have been better served with a bold and bright, tangy tomato sauce, topped with braised beef.
And for dessert there was a tequila pairing as well. All dessert options are accompanied by the Cazadores Crist Anejo. With a charcoal filtering this was a lighter and more neutral tequila to neither mask or take away from the desserts.
We passed on the basque style cheese cake and went for the Dark Chocolate Mousse with Morita chile and chocolate ganache, chocolate tuile instead. A velvety and rich dessert that has you applying multiple licks to clean your spoon. Only chocolate lovers need apply.
And we had to have the cinnamon & sugar dusted Churros, served with a dulce de leche dipping sauce. These were extra crispy churros that might have been over fried as they were slightly dry. The sweet, milky, caramel dip was helpful in adding moisture and sweetness to the popular treat.
In short, a great set menu, a great meal, and a great restaurant to come out and visit. This menu is only available until August, before they release their seasonal September feature, so be sure to check them out over the next two weeks.
El Santo
680 Columbia St, New Westminster, BC V3M 0E3
(604) 553-1849
elsanto.ca
The creativity and vibrant flavors in the dishes perfectly capture the essence of late summer. The detailed descriptions of the seasonal ingredients and unique combinations make me excited to try this menu. Thank you for sharing such an enticing preview of what’s in store at El Santo this August!
It’s exciting to see how the restaurant showcases seasonal ingredients and innovative flavors. This menu must offer a fantastic experience for anyone looking to try something new and delicious. Can’t wait to hear more about the standout dishes!