Rosa Mexicano – Mirdif City Centre

To start of with, I am a big fan of Mexican fare. From nachos to tacos to burritos, I am in love with them all. But what really gets my senses tingling is the guacamole and salsa. The creamy avocados, the spicy chillies, the tangy tomatoes – they are the perfect match for my taste buds!

Rosa Mexicano is not your usual taco joint. It’s more of Mexican fine dining, although it can be categorized into casual dining as well, but what’s important is that its a leisure dine restaurant more than a quick food fix.

Being located inside Mirdif City Centre, it probably gets a lot of visits on the weekends. But since I visited on a Tuesday (mid-week), I realised weekdays can be pretty slow.

The restaurant is huge. Yes, huge. High ceilings, ample space to move around, various seating options, decorated walls, colored glasses and best of all a photo booth! The restaurant makes an attempt to take you on a Mexican desert culinary journey.

The service was noteworthy. From the minute we entered, I was surprised. I had made reservations about 8 days earlier, but without making myself known, the hostess referred to me by name. Impressive, I must say.

The service is divided between a host/hostess, a server and the occasional food runners/assistants. There is always someone around should you need anything, but it might get a little too cheesy, especially when they keep coming back every 5 minutes!

While we were going through the menu, the hostess got us Salsa Norteña with tortilla chips and a lemony Mexican drink. We started off by placing an order for their signature Guacamole en Molcajete which was prepared fresh on a live station. That was really cool. The items were all mashed up in a mortar and served in a rustic bowl. It had fresh avocados, which we asked to be mashed rough so we could eat them. Followed by tomatoes, cilantro, onions and jalapenos. It was a creamy and spicy indulgence. So much that I am considering visiting the place again just to have their guacamole with tortilla chips.

The drinks had their own charm. The Pina Colada, which is my all time coconut favorite was slightly grainy. It was creamy, rick and frothy, no doubt, but it could have been more smooth.

The Passion Fruit Mojito my friend ordered had a light and lemony refreshing flavor.

Both the drinks were sufficient to last throughout our meal.

We also ordered Crispy Jalapenos for appetizers. These crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside fritters were cheesy with a hint of spice. They were neatly presented over a navy blue paper towel and served with a spiced ranch sauce for dipping. The sauce has a slight tinge to it which made it a good combination with the fritters. We felt the portion was pretty huge for two. (We got it packed for take-away later on, and they threw in some tortilla chips too!)

One of the entrées we ordered was Polo Pibil, also known as Grilled Achiote Chicken. It was plated with succulent grilled chicken pieces over a bed of herb rice with green sauce on one side and grilled peppers on the other. There were two whole chillies placed over the chicken. I had asked for this dish to be made extra hot and it was just great. The chicken pieces were tender and spicy to my liking. The peppers were fresh and the rice well cooked.

The second entrée ordered was Camarones Veracruzana, also known as Shrimp Brochette. Soft yet crunchy pieces of shrimps were served over a bed of herbed rice with brown sauce on either sides and a large chilli. I am not a fan of seafood, but my friend insisted I try the shrimp, and it was just yum. (I am thinking Dynamite Shrimps from PF Chang’s should be next on my list)

Both the entrées were served with a creamy black bean sauce topped with a hint of grated cheese

For desserts, (yes we still had some place for it) we ordered Tres Leches de Zarzamoras, known as the Blackberry Three-Milk Cake. Rightly put, it was pure sinful indulgence and the highlight of the meal. It combined the goodness of the soft and sweet sour cream pound cake with a tangy raspberry compote coat. We loved the swirly and lightly toasted meringue topping. It was served with berry sauce along with pieces of strawberries and blackberries for a fresh twist. Perfect, isn’t it?

One of the highlights of the dine was the photo booth. They had a Wild West inspired backdrop with Mexican props and after we were done with our main course, our server offered to click some pictures for us. We donned a sombrero hat with a colorful poncho and posed with a guitar and caracas. It was obviously fun!

Overall, the whole experience was great, although I personally feel I should have gone for the Crispy Chicken for the main course.

My Visit: 13th January 2015 – Dinner

I would recommend this place for: Lunch or dinner with a group of friends. The restaurant has many seating options with a lot of space to move around, which would make it ideal for a big party of people.

The occasion: Ideal for a family or friends reunion. Make a reservation in advance, and enjoy the special treatment.

The food: 4/5 The Guacamole is great. I would try a different drink and main dish the next time.

The value: The portion sizes were great which makes it excellent in terms of value.

1 Guacamole – AED 54

1 Crispy Jalapenos – AED 35

1 Polo Pibil – AED 79

1 Shrimp Brochette – AED 89

1 Pinacolada – AED 22

1 Passion Fruit Mojito – AED 25

1 Small Water – AED 8

1 Tres Leches – AED 33

Total: AED 345

The ambience: 4/5 Love the colored glass, yellow walls with mosaic frames and thatched look chairs. More romantic, private dining options would be a nice addition.

The Experience: 5/5 We enjoyed the service, the photo booth and most of the all Guacamole trolley!