Tequitzlan

I found myself in Miami recently for a short work trip and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to stay extra days and explore the food scene. A good friend of mine is a University of Miami graduate and I asked him for some recommendations. The first one I decided to try was Tequiztlan, a Mexican restaurant tucked away on the bay side of Miami Beach just south of 20th street.

I’m from Texas so I can be picky with Mexican food but I’m always openminded and like to see how different regions interpret the cuisine. To drink, I got a glass of horchata, a refreshing rice milk with cinnamon and vanilla. For my appetizer, I got the ceviche tequiz which is mahi mahi, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, avocado, cilantro, and lime. I thought the dish overall was bright and fresh but I thought the lime was a bit overpowering. Seafood is a delicate ingredient and other ingredients like acids and dairy can really smother the natural flavors. What did help though were the crackers they provided which helped neutralize some of the lime.

For my entrée, I got the chilaquiles con carne asada. Typically, I like this dish with red sauce but this one came with tomatillo sauce which I didn’t realize until the dish came. Again, I think the tomatillo sauce overpowered the entire dish. The sour cream and Mexican cheese could have been more substantial but as is, they didn’t offset the tomatillo. One thing that helped neutralize the tomatillo was taking the small serving of refried beans and pouring them over the dish.

For dessert, I got fried ice cream and it was on point. The actual way the ice cream was fried (in pan de miga) wasn’t as crispy as I’m used to but the crispy taco shell it was served in made for a great complement and texture combination.