Fan of the Yucatan

>> La Hacienda brings quality
Mexican fare to Outremont

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Thanks to a hot tip from some friends, this gringa just discovered la Hacienda, a choice little Yucatanean eatery on Van Horne, in Outremont, a few blocks west of Parc, where I was immediately seduced by the charming interior and especially the trellised patio.

We were definitely off to a smashing start with the guacamole appetizer for two ($10)—an amorphous mound of vibrant puréed avocado that is both encircled and speared by salted golden nachos. Very fresh and tasty indeed, though some compadres might object to an omnipresent dose of diced onion. Not I, however. With its fresh chopped cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice and, yes, even small tomato chunks, the spread was all slopped up before the words “Yucatan Peninsula” could be uttered. My dinner companion and I also thoroughly enjoyed the accompanying spicy salsa roja, featuring a blend of hot jalapenos, which we happily slathered on our main dishes.

There’s nothing worse than a main course that fails to live up to a promising appetizer, unless that’s a dud as well, of course. Thankfully, neither was the case here, as the oven-baked enchilada de pescado ($16.50) lived up to its predecessor. One bite of this main had confirmed it for us: the cook was on a roll. Two homemade tortillas hug adjoining rows of chopped salmon and tilapia, my personal favourite. Four different sauces are offered, including roja (red salsa), verde (green salsa), mole verde (a spicy sesame and sunflower seed blend) and chipotle (smoked jalapeño salsa). Well-calibrated toppings consist of grated cheese, shredded iceberg, red onion bits, cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of radish and black olives. And, it’s hard to forget the delicious salsa verde libation (green tomato or tomatillo, lime juice, garlic, onion and cilantro), in which the whole enchilada waded.

According to our server, both the enchiladas and the chilaquiles are specialties at this place, and since I didn’t want to violate eatery dining tip number 23 (“always take your server up on suggestions”), I went for the chilaquiles de chorizo, with the verde sauce por favor ($14.95). The chorizo can easily make it or break it, when it comes to any dish incorporating sausage. Here, nachos form the foundation for a bed, on which non-fatty, rather mild, oval slices of sausage rest beneath a blanket of the same toppings as the delectable enchilada, which surpasses the chilaquiles, in my view.

Upon first laying eyes on the portions of mains making their way to the table, I thought they would be history in as short a time as the guacamole, until I actually tried to polish them off, that is. But, by the time mine was all gobbled up, there was no more room for the postre, dessert ($4.50). It was my first, and might I add only, disappointment of the night.

The thought of not being able to let mango mousse or coconut flan melt in my mouth was more than I could bear. So, I replaced those more filling dishes with a liquid dessert by taking a trip down margarita lane ($7). Good to the last refreshing drop, I might add, especially on a sweltering summer eve when there’s nothing better than sipping a well-executed cold cocktail with your backside firmly planted on a terrasse. I had overheard the server telling the next table that this drink was somewhat of a specialty there, so I made it my business to put it to the test, all in the name of resto reviewing, of course.

This kind of good does come at a price, ranging from $14.50 (for two beef tacos) to $18 (for the chiles rellenos—peppers stuffed with cheese and either beef or mushrooms). But, given that places serving quality Mexican fare seem to be few and far between in this city, it’s worth the extra cash.