maiz & mezcal.

I first learnt about Maiz & Mezcal through urbanspoon, where the ratings were pretty high at 89% (you will soon realise that I use urbanspoon frequently to find new places).  I read through the reviews and decided to go there for a catch-up dinner with a friend.  My friend had been there previously and she said she had liked their food and had especially enjoyed their Margaritas.  Too bad I'm not a drinker.

When we arrived there weren't a lot of tables taken so we chose one by the window.  I had rung up previously and was told although there were free tables at 6 pm, we had to be finished by 7pm since there was another booking.  So keeping in mind that time restraint, we went through the menu and decided quickly.

We ordered the guacamole dip as an entree and two taco dishes to share for our mains.  We also ordered the horchata (rice and coconut juice) for each of us.

Horchata (rice and coconut juice)

We had both originally wanted to try the hibiscus juice but they didn't have any that night.  The horchata had a very unique taste.  After my first sip, I didn't know if I liked it or not.  It wasn't exactly sweet, but it wasn't salty or sour either.  It was creamy and refreshing, and it took me a few more sips before I realised it felt like I was drinking something that I would normally put on my face.  That doesn't make it a bad drink per se, but I'm not sure if I would be in a hurry to have another one again.

Guacamole Dip: $6.50

The guacamole dip was a great starter.  It was fresh and not too creamy with tomatoes and lemon juice mixed in.  The corn chips, as I was told by my friend, are made by the restaurant themselves and therefore taste different to your regular corn chips.  I found them a little too salty and too hard for my liking, but that may be because I'm used to the Dorito's kind (which is probably very far from the authentic corn chip).  The amount of dip given was enough to finish the chips and also to mix in with the tacos as well.

Cochinita Pibil (pulled pork marinated in achiote with Yucatan onion): $11

Carne Asada (chargrilled steak, white onion, coriander and salsa): $11

I preferred the pork tacos over the steak tacos.  The pork was more tender whereas the steak was pretty dry without sauce.  The taco itself wasn't too chewy or too soft.  It was also a bit dry though. The flavours of both dishes were not too bad, except they got cold quite quickly so it didn't really taste as good as it could have.  The serving amount also wasn't really enough for a main dish, in my opinion.  Each taco was barely the size of my hand, and as we were sharing the dishes, it didn't feel like I had eaten much after finishing everything.

 Service was quite good that night.  Our food was brought out quickly after we had ordered (time restraint being considered) and the waitress who served us was very friendly and eager to help us out with anything we needed. The food itself was a bit of a let-down after having read so many positive reviews.  It didn't really leave much of an impression and I'm not sure if I'd like to come back.  It may be possible if I went with a larger group and therefore would be able to sample more of their dishes.  But at the moment, it's not delicious.