Every great once and a
while, you dine upon a meal that for reasons of taste, timing, setting, mood
and a host of intangibles, just makes you happy. One of those moments of
happiness that borders on euphoria, when your stomach is exactly the right kind
of full, when every scrap and morsel settle together like a snug jigsaw puzzle,
when – maybe because of a perfect dose of capsaicin – endorphins rush around
your body, which flat-out feels good.
Perhaps I’m setting up my recent experience with Cancun
Mexican Restaurant’s cuisine with superlatives that are difficult to believe,
but (I did mention timing as a reason) these feelings were exactly mine on a
too-cold day when I dove into a smattering of select items from Cancun’s menu.
Unfortunately I can’t answer one of the questions people
are bound to ask if they’ve never been to a new Mexican eatery: “How are the
margaritas?” I’ll venture a guess that if as much care and quality is applied
to their tequila-laced creations as they do to the food, I feel pretty
confident Cancun’s ‘ritas are top-notch.
But I can answer several questions I’ve been asked
personally about essentials in any authentic Mexican establishment: “How’s the
salsa? The chips? What about the guacamole?”
The reigning king of condiments is piquant and just-right
in the spicy department, perfectly textured, and the slightly bitey cilantro
flavor neither over- or under whelms. Chips are fresh and crisp, with the right
amount of salt for any reasonable person. And the guac’ is built of layers of
citrus and spice, with nice and irregular chunks of avocado. Having addressed
the “bread and butter” items we generally encounter first when dining at a
Mexican restaurant and giving each a solid “A,” let’s move on to the entrees.
First off, after whetting my appetite with salsa and
chips, I sampled the Rio Grande, which is two tilapia fillets seasoned with
Cancun’s “Aztec Seasoning” accompanied by rice (one of the finer, more
delicious Mexican-style rices I’ve tried), along with a fantastic mix of
sautéed peppers, squash and mushrooms. The fish was spot-on, perfectly flaky,
plump and juicy and the seasoning, while spicy, would be tame enough for all
but the most sensitive tongues. The vegetable/side mix couldn’t have been a
more perfect compliment to the tilapia, which I’ve since tried – and failed –
to recreate at home.
On to the Pollo Cancun – marinated chicken breast and
grilled shrimp with melted cheese, sautéed onions as toppings. What incredible
flavors… this, much like the Rio
Grande, shows that there is thought, care and
experience that go into these dishes. The tastes mingle together as if in a dance of sorts, which I know sounds sort of corny,
but when you try to put a metaphor to something as subjective as taste, this
works for me.
Yes, there was more (I did not, in fact, eat all of each of these entrees). T-Bone Cancun
was next. Angus beef, again with much depth of flavor – I don’t know what the
t-bone was marinated in, but man was it awesome – accompanied by fries and
rice. I’d never tried a steak or a burger from an authentic Mexican eatery, but
I am glad that I did (okay, to be truthful, I did eat all of the steak). Again, flavors – such a complex and wonderful
array of complimentary flavors – are the stars here.
But flavors and textures, the interplay of savory, salty,
spicy and sweet were to me expressed most notably in Cancun’s
Paella. To be quite fair, this is not the classic seafood paella well-known in
Europe’s Iberian Peninsula. But this one is
delicious nonetheless. Hearty and well-proportioned, Cancun’s version includes
charbroiled chicken breast, shrimp, steak and their Aztec Seasoning along with
a mix of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and rice. And while there is no
saffron, there is – once again – that intangible and difficult to pin down dance of flavors that pull the triggers on each and
every taste bud. Of each entrée I had the chance to sample (and thank you, by
the way, to Cancun for being so generous);
their Paella was the most interesting, most delicious and most skillfully
executed. Each was very, very good; this was outstanding.
If you enjoy Mexican food, there is no chance of being
disappointed here. If you appreciate the possibilities afforded to you when a
dish has had some serious thought put into it – how this texture plays off
that, why a certain spice or sauce heightens the overall flavors of a certain
meat or vegetable – if you appreciate the ever-shrinking art of subtlety,
you’ll also enjoy Cancun.
You may also find yourself brimming with happiness, as I
was, thanks to a meal.
Cancun Mexican Restaurant has two
locations: 10604 SR 662 (Outer
Covert Ave.) in Newburgh
and at 341 S. Green Street
in Henderson.
For a really fun time, on the last Saturday of each month, the Newburgh
location brings in a mariachi band, which launches into it at 5:30 p.m.
Contacts for each restaurant are 812-490-9936 (Newburgh)
and 270-826-0067 (Henderson).
You can also find them on the Web at CancunMexicanRestaurant.info.
Comments (
Every great once and a
while, you dine upon a meal that for reasons of taste, timing, setting, mood
and a host of intangibles, just makes you happy. One of those moments of
happiness that borders on euphoria, when your stomach is exactly the right kind
of full, when every scrap and morsel settle together like a snug jigsaw puzzle,
when – maybe because of a perfect dose of capsaicin – endorphins rush around
your body, which flat-out feels good.
