At last, truly authentic Flavors of Mexico

My latest obsession – a hidden gem in Plaza Damas KL called Beszz Cafe. This is probably the only authentic Mexican resto in KL, if not Malaysia. Mexican chef Ivan Chavarria Hernandez has made it his mission to share his Mexican heritage food and educate folks on this side of the globe on his cuisine.

We tried the soda drinks with familiar and unique flavours. Compared to our soft drinks, these were very lightly flavoured and less sweet as cane sugar is used instead.

Tacos – we tried the works: birria lamb, slow-cooked for 12 hours, juicy, tender. Taco de Pollo Al Pastor is marinated chicken with a touch of spice and pineapple relish. Hongos Taco – vegetarian taco with sauteed mushrooms on black bean base, blanched spinach and vegetarian sour cream. Taco de Camaron has tempura prawn with chipotle mayo and pineapple relish while Taco Baja is fish. Our fav was the lamb but IMO each one had its merits and was delightful in its own way. The taco skin itself was soft, smaller, about a woman’s palm size and quite thin. Best eaten fresh lest it gets soggy. Prices range from RM10 to RM16 each. 

Ceviche (fish) – sourish lime cured fish with avocado accompanied by corn chips as did the Coctel de Camaron – a sweetish tomato-based version with prawns. Great starters and dangerous, as you can’t stop eating! Nachos come with bean paste and lightly sprinkled with sauces, not wet and cheesy.

For mains, we shared Pollo y Mojo – grilled chicken with tomato garlic sauce and potato wedges which was a version of our Chicken Chop. Meat was succulent and moist, wedges seasoned to perfection. 

We also tried Flautas, crisp tortilla filled with cheese inside, with tomato/salsa sauce over it. To chef Ivan, this is what he knows as enchiladas and while the Tex Mex version with beef chilli inside is tasty, this was unbelievably good and addictive.

Of course, we must have churros, and chef says the Mexican way is crisp outside chewy inside. Dipped in cajeta – caramel sauce – best churros ever!

We also had gelatina con fresa, custard with jam and nuts topping. You can also shop for Mexican beans and other other products at the front shelf. Mexican flavours are so different from the usual Tex Mex stuff, and absolutely delicious. Makes me want to hop on a plane and explore the country further!

Add: Ground Floor, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur.