After attending a wonderful performance at the Source Theater with Samuel (a super zarzuela by the In Series) we headed next door to MASA 14 for the last day of the official restaurant week (www.masa14.com) where the special menu of $35.12 includes FOUR courses or tapas.
There were three adults and we ordered up a bottle of MALBEC Valle Perdido 2008 from Patagonia in Argentina which went nice with some of the intense spice in the dishes. Our second wine was a 2209 Mendocino Zinfandel from ARTEZIN which also easily works with the spicy foods here. Samuel enjoyed his two portions of plain flatbread (aka pizza) and we chose 4 courses each with a couple of extra plates (indicated as "extra").
TOM KHA GAI is a coconut milk broth with huge chunks of white meat chicken adobo and Masa dumplings which will warm you up on a cold night for sure. Our server Amy said the Hot & Sour soup is even better, but quite spicy.
MASA CHICKEN SALAD is pulled chicken, cabbage, carrots, piloncillo vinaigrette and crispy noodles. The portions are large for sure, but this is one of the lighter starters.
Second course options chosen included the Country HAM FLATBREAD with Goat Cheese, Cantaloupe, Arugula, Truffle and Lime. The elements combined were a play on prosciutto and melon and the only flaw here is that the flatbread is quite thick and therefore too much. It might fill you up, but crispy is the way to go with flatbread, not thick. The aroma of the truffle was great and I simply gobbled up the toppings leaving much of the bread.
WILD MUSHROOM Flatbread was like the other flatbread but with Oaxaca cheese, red pepper, avocado and lots of earthy tasty mushrooms.
SHRIMP & PORK FRIED RICE is another tasty dish marrying Kim Chee, Chile Guajillo, Carrots, Corn, Scallion, Bean Sprouts and Cilantro in a tru fusion of Asian and Latino cuisine.
Third course choices were an "extra" of SALT & PEPPER CALAMARI which is made with a light 3-pepper flour, ginger, thai basil in a sweet and spicy chili sauce. The dish is superb and the calamari fried to perfection with no gummy coating at all. Do watch out for the lone Thai Chilis on the plate. I popped one into my mouth and regretted it.
PORK BELLY STEAMED BUNS are also large tasty buns with a mound of achiote pork, hoisin, pineapple, red Fresno chili, lime, cilantro and pickled onion. These orders come with two each, so we ordered one "extra" so we could each have our own. It was a nice dish, but won no awards.
The hit dish of the evening was the MOLE DUSTED TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS which came two huge slices to a tapas plate over Mustard Potato with an Edamame/Pomegranate Chimichurri. The meat was just past rare as requested and as buttery as could be and the sauce was divine.
For dessert we had many choices but there was no agreement to choose THREE different ones. There were two BANANA CAKE with Dulce di Leche Ice Cream & Tequila Bananas Foster Sauce which was quite good save for the chewy slice of banana that was baked(?, fried?) and tasted like shoeleather.
SALTED CARAMEL Chocolate FLAN was nice in that it was really a Homemade S'mores with Spicy Peanuts and a Blood Orange Reduction.
Next time we need to try the Mango Panna Cotta or the Mexican Opera Cake (just for its name)!
Hope your Restaurant Week was as tasty as ours!
