Vegan tiradito with black recado base
In the morning, Luwac serves specialty coffee and dishes such as the breakfast burger; a toast of miso humus, mushrooms and furikake; brioche with homemade ricotta, red fruits and mint; or kimchi sandwiches with mozzarella. Everything in order, everything on track. But it is at night when the local dresses in canteen with Mazu, a concept that is mobilized with a different menu, but coexisting in harmony in the same space.
"Mazu was made up of a group of friends. We lived in Barcelona but decided to settle here," says Juan José Ramírez, one of the creators of the project. "I am from Mexico, while another of my colleagues is Argentine, one from Seville, another from Tenerife and one more member from Madrid," he explains. "The adventure of sharing two projects in one space it was a result of our need to optimize, to rethink everything after the pandemic and to link two projects with one similar aesthetic to take advantage of the day and the night".
The name comes from the Mexican beach of Mazunte and, curiously, the name of the dog of a friend of Ramírez. "We are inspired by the South of Mexico and in the Pacific Coast to give a nod to a Mexican canteen that is located between Oaxaca and Baja California," he adds. All with the intention of getting out of the typical context of nachos, burritos and tacos; giving way to fish and seafood, ceviches, aguachiles, tostadas and tamales.
Mussels with hibiscus sauce
Competing with the neighborhood Triana and Vegeta , there is the area of Guanarteme and Santa Catalina , with alternative proposals for leisure and gastronomy such as Mazu, and with a young public that tries to get a little out of the norm. "Even so, although we have only been open for a short time, we have been surprised because all kinds of people have come," they add. Their esthetic –with a geometric mural by Italian artist Marco Oggian, a Berlin-style terrace with colored light bulbs and a long bar inside – it appeals more to a young audience, but it is its cuisine that also convinces more experienced customers at the table.
Coffee shop by day, canteen by night
The short but comprehensive menu is designed for sharing, with dishes such as a aguachile (spicy ceviche) of prawns; toast (fried tortillas) of tuna or octopus; mussels with hibiscus sauce or a Tamale Oaxacan blue corn or a Tiradito corvina with black recado sauce, made with chili ashes that give it a smoky flavor.
"We also have a vegan watermelon tiradito , which is vacuum-packed with ponzu sauce and compacted to look like red tuna". In terms of tacos, they did not want to be very obvious, adding a couple of options that do not dominate the rest of the menu, such as roasted sweet potato with a base of black beans, chipotle mayonnaise and red cabbage; of suckling pig or lamb cooked at low temperature for 14 hours. "You prepare them at the table. With pineapple, burnt onion, pickles, black beans and chorizo mayonnaise."
This wouldn't be a good canteen without a good mezcal , a traditional drink from Oaxaca that is represented with up to fifteen references such as Amores, Picaflor, El Rey Zapotec, Los Siete Misterios, Real Minero... If they are not drunk alone they are integrated into cocktails , which also rely on infused liqueurs, as well as homemade syrups. "One of our favorite cocktails is the Daisy flower but with a twist, replacing some of its traditional ingredients with pineapple, ancho chili liqueur, tequila and Cointreau.
The Canarian natural wines They are also your cover letter. Nothing typical with a concept of Mexican cuisine and drinks but that marry with the young and fresh dynamic that the owners of Mazu seek to convey when eating and drinking. "Since the Canary Islands are in a volcanic zone It has quite a few interesting wines. And in the line of natural wines there are many little-known producers and small houses that we like to discover to our clients", they tell us. "They are Canarian wines and yet you don't even know them around here". Curiosity begins to arouse in drinkers alternatives and their thirst is quenched with labels such as Chivo (El Hierro) or Benje (Tenerife).
Weighty and compelling reasons to affirm that Mazu is well worth the visit.
Cocktail Pinata