Newly opened about 2 weeks ago, Koko by Bakan Restaurant group in Coconut Grove sports good mexican food for the weary shopper or anyone looking for something fun, jovial whimsical and light. A good date place, a good lunch place. I would use all these to describe this restaurant with margaritas, fundidos, tacos and burritos. But when it comes down to a serious dish for a family, the Asado A La Lena Para Taquear Estilo El Mercado De Oaxaca with meat selection.
I came for lunch on a Sunday afternoon and decided to have a drink, an appetizer, a short rib mole dish and Flan for dessert. The music was at the right sound and the social atmosphere was very relaxing as it began to fill around me with about 1/2 the restaurant full and full of happy lively chatter. The inside has regular tables and also a long couch like sitting place in front of the bar. The kitchen is open so that you can see into and better yet, smell the dishes as they are made.
Frozen Mango Petacon
From the drink menu the Frozen Mango Petacon with mezcal, a refreshing mix. I was drinking it and ready to chomp down on ice as per usual when I have frozen margaritas, however as I chomped down, I realized I was biting into mango and not ice...a pleasant surprise!
Queso Fundido Chorizo
I next had the queso fundido with chorizo added to it. The nice thing about this dish and the meal itself is that it comes with freshly made and still warm blue corn tortillas with a great corn taste to them. The queso fundido by itself was good but the Chorizo really elevated the dish. this on a freshly made and still warm blue corn tortilla was heavenly! I could have only had this and been satisfied with my meal.
Mole Coloradito Short Rib with sesame seeds, string beans and house rice
Of the several regions of Mexico, the Oaxacan region and Pueblan region lay claim and both are known for Mole sauces and I am on a personal journey to find a good mole as it can vary from not only on place to another but from one person to another, similar to the way a family has it's own special dishes, a good mole is something that is personal. If anything it should have a good hearty and possibly earthy flavor with the texture of a puree. This dish was delicious and with a nice tender meat like short rib, you can not go wrong.
At this point I was feeling generally pretty good and happy but I could not resist a dessert so i opted for Flan.
This dish had a nice sugar tortilla on top of it and was not overwhelming with caramel that I often see. I was overall happy. But, I would like to come back for the Asado A La Lena Para Taquear Estilo El Mercado De Oaxaca with meat selection at some point. The following are links to the menu.