The festive season is in full swing. We decided to try something new this season and experience Christmas at Loca Abu Dhabi. They currently have a Menu de Navidad for a limited time. You can check out some of the traditional Mexican dishes enjoyed during this holiday. Feliz Navidad!
I still feel quite odd getting used to Christmas in this 20 degree Celsius weather in Abu Dhabi but its quite wonderful to be able to sit outdoors. We sat on their terrace while enjoying the festive spirit from the Winter Wonderland at Galleria Mall. Children laughing, playing and a few festive parades were seen from just our table. We couldn’t help but sing along to the carols sometimes!
Their Menu de Navidad is quite simple consisting of 7 menu items. It has a choice of 2 starters, 4 mains and 1 dessert.
All their menu items including their starters and desserts also come with a free glass of Rum ponche. I think their rum ponche was really the best part because it really reminded me of the Christmas Markets in Europe! Its delicious, warm and smells like Christmas!
Starters
We decided to try both of the starters from the Menu de Navidad.
Caldo de Pollo Rojo – chicken broth with Guajillo chili, chayote, zucchini, and epozote AED 46
Tostadas pavo Pipian – blue corn tortilla filled with roasted turkey served with poblano peppers, coriander sauce and black bean puree AED 72
The soup was super tasty and flavorful. It has a nice spicy and sour kick to it and quite hearty as its filled with veggies and chicken.
We had a bit of trouble trying to eat the blue corn torillas as the size of these were quite huge. The presentation and plating of it is beautiful and tastes as delicious as it looks. Roasted turkey is definitely a must for this years festive season. If you love black bean purree, this dish is definitely for you. Comes in a pair so it is perfect for sharing.
Mains
We ordered the corn masa and the slow roast ribs for our mains. These portions were rather large and they also come with sides of Mexican rice and beans. These items including the tortillas are handmade so you know its very fresh. The tacos had a hefty portion of tangy saucy meat, presented into two soft shell tacos which was more than enough for me.
The corn masa was a completely new dish to me. It was a long tortilla that took up the entire plate. I love avocados so this dish (topped with avocados) was perfect for me too. We had heaps of filling of roast turkey from this. Id definitely order this one again!
Tacosa de Carne Cochida – handmade tortillas filled with slow roast ribs, chilorio sauce and habernero rajas AED 80
Hurache de Pavo – corn masa topped with roast turkey, black beans, tomatillo sauce with avocado and fresh cheese AED 78
Last but no least, for dessert we tried their
Patron Flan – traditional caramel flan with patron café tequila AED 48
The flan was sweet, had a smooth pudding texture and I love the caramel syrup on top. I did not find that it has much of the patrol (alcohol) taste to it. We only ordered one as we were both too full from the mains we had earlier. I think it was a good portion and a sweet treat to end the night.
Our festive meal at Loca was one for the books. I am so glad we tried out their Menu de Navidad as we were able to try new dishes and experience what Christmas dinner is like in Mexico. These dishes are only available during the festive season! Enjoy.
Table bookings recommended at Loca Abu Dhabi – Call for reservations:
02 5823639
