ARCA
Pulque Sourdough, Local Butter
Soft Shell Crab in Amaranth Tempura, Grosella, Habanero Salsa, Hoja Santa Emulsion
Seared Prawns, Chile Mix Butter, Plantain Vinaigrette, Grosella, Chile Manzana Salsa
Octopus Al Pastor, Guajillo Adobo, Lentil Puree, Lentil Granola, Pickled Radish, Xcatic Salsa, Epazote
Bone Marrow, Tamarind Pasilla Glace, Charred Scallion, Pickled Onion Flowers
Suckling Pig Roulade, Chorizo Sauce, Chicharron Peanut Crumbles, Fresh Chayote Salad with Garlic and Mint
White Chocolate Cheesecake, Edam Cheese, Coconut, Guava
Built in the spirit of Hartwood, off-the-grid and “micro-seasonal as a current representation of the flora and fauna around us,” ARCA opened in 2015 and has since made a name for itself amongst travelers visiting Tulum’s beachfront road.
Now toqued by Chef Jose Luis Hinostroza, a California native with Mexican roots who came to Tulum by way of Rene Redzepi’s Noma pop-up, ARCA seeks to create bold flavors by working with only the land around it, close ties to local fisherman tying in with the jungle’s intrinsic diversity.
Open air across an expansive footprint, without the need for advanced reservations or a protracted wait for walk-ins, leaves fall from overhead occasionally as copal burns to tame bugs, all this while perusing the menu of a man trained not only in Copenhagen but by the Roca Brothers and Achatz.
Decorated in wood and candles, an ambient soundtrack playing while waiters fluent in English assist a nearly all-American crowd, most tables get started with Bread imbued by the fermented sap of a Maguey Plant, a flavor complex on its own but better with Butter or scoops of charred Marrow in a Tamarind Glaze beneath Onions.
More pricey than Hartwood, a portion of Cephalopod prepared like Adobo and plated in “new Nordic” fashion offering approximately 1/4 the Protein at similar cost, Soft Shell Crabs strike a seasonal note thanks to flash-frying and service in a green leaf intended to be eaten like a Taco with local Gooseberries and fiery Salsa.
Next kissing three Prawns with fire in a thick and tangy Sauce, similar to five better-executed by Chef Eric Werner the previous night, Suckling Pig arrived crisp on the exterior but spoon-tender at the center alongside spiral-cut Chayote before ending just sixty minutes after seating with frozen Edam Cheesecake filled with Guava and rolled in Coconut.
www.arcatulum.com