Carabinero taco, one of the most original and delicious proposals of Mantarraya MX
Marbella's golden mile is full of restaurants that you can't go to unless you book weeks in advance. One of them, Lobito de Mar, owned by star Dani García, is right next to the recently opened Mantarraya MX, also owned by Michelin star chef Roberto Ruiz . There they tell us to go from the Mexican restaurant itself: they are so new in the area that Google still does not place them well on the map.
Inside the premises, we are received earthy colors like sand and bluish like the sea , natural fibers that evoke coastal paradises, crafts with subtle nods to Mexican culture and colonial details in the form of a fan. The Cousi Interiorismo teachers sign this " atmosphere of unassuming sophistication ", as they explain from the establishment itself, a huge space that has open kitchen, living room, bar, winter terrace and spectacular summer terrace with abundant vegetation.
We are not in the Pacific, but it could well seem so both for the decoration and for the dishes that, according to my companion as he tastes them, "they taste like Mexico" . He, who has spent a lot of time on the Mexican coast, tells me something that I sense: that, based on the exquisiteness of Ruiz's proposal, there is honesty, authenticity... and, of course, a lot of spice . In fact, the staff, after encouraging us to order the daisy of the house Among the appetizing cocktail menu -balanced, perfect-, it welcomes us with a clear slogan: "Here we have come to chill!".
Mexico on the terrace
in the letter there is a lot of sea -after all, it is a few meters away-. Fish and seafood are the protagonists of a menu that takes advantage of the local raw material while going through the almost 8,000 kilometers of the Mexican Pacific coast from north to south : from Ensenada and Baja California to Chiapas. "These are territories where, historically, there were many trade routes, which led to the miscegenation with Asia Through elaborations such as raw fish from Asian cuts, fried foods or citrus sauces , which offer flavor profiles where both cultures come together", they explain from the establishment. It is, perhaps, the least known flavor of Mexico -and exploited- beyond the United States.
With the menu in hand, we choose -and it is very difficult to choose, even if it is a short menu- Manta ray guacamole, with scallops and jalapeño pepper emulsion . It lasts so little on the table that it's even embarrassing. We continue with the oysters with fermented chili sauce and passion fruit granita , a surprising, fresh and delicious bet that, like the spirit of Mantarraya MX, is pure hedonism.
More delicacies arrive at the table with an unexpected twist: Grilled octopus black ceviche with charcoal habanero chili sauce; Green pineapple and prawn aguachile macerated with serrano chili ; more octopus, this time, grilled tossed with pico de gallo and crispy yucca, served as a taco.
house daisy
As we devour, the place fills up more and more, even though it has been open for less than a week: it is clear that we are facing another winning bet from Ruiz, creator of Punto MX, cataloged as "the best Mexican outside of Mexico" -or the first Mexican restaurant in Europe to have a Michelin star - until its recent post-pandemic closure.
But the chef has reinvented himself: in February opened in Madrid Barracuda MX which, in a matter of days, won the favor of the public with its cuisine also based on Pacific specialties. There, the star dish is the Sea bass a la carte with red guajillo chili marinade and green poblano chili marinade . Here, the whole chicken fry prepared 100% without flour thanks to a technique based on water and salt, which allows the fish to be dehydrated and fried so that it is completely crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, to be enjoyed in refreshing lettuce heart tacos with pico de gallo and bullfighting chili sauce. Yes indeed, this dish requires two days to prepare , so it is only offered in limited units: it will be a matter of luck.
Products have also been incorporated into the Marbella menu like tuna or carabineros . The latter must be tried yes or yes in their preparation of devilish tacos with enchipotlada sauce, guacamole and pico de gallo -and you have to repeat-. The shrimp dumplings with enchipotlada sauce are also another juicy must.
we ask beef tacos with habanero sauce and chiles toreados too, for that of testing how the meat is. And it passes the test with flying colors, like all the specialties that Ruiz serves with his star combination: honest dishes, of -only apparent- simplicity, with a lot of flavor, a lot of imagination, a lot of pique, an excellent product and an inimitable know-how . Go reserving now: Mantarraya MX is also going to fill up and, sooner rather than later, it will be rare who doesn't know how to put it at the exact point on the map.
Scallop guacamole, a 'must'
Address: Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe 269, C.C Coliseum, 29602, Marbella, Spain View map
Telephone: 951 21 00 00
Schedule: From Monday to Sunday, from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Half price: 45-60 euros