La Docena
Tostadas and Crackers, Hot Sauces
Shrimp Aguachile with Radish, Jicama and Onion in Red Broth
Octopus Tostada with Tomato, Pineapple, Guacamole and Onion
Blue Crab with Tomato, Avocado and Serrano Pepper Foam
Thick-cut Chicharron with Lime, Red Sauce and Fresh Tortillas
New Orleans Style Shrimp and Oyster Po-Boy, fully Dressed
Dulce de Leche Volcano with Almonds and Banana Ice Cream
Originally pegged for lunch on the day of arrival, the location no more than 200 meters from sleeping accommodations, it was to a packed house and hour-plus wait that two diners were greeted on Saturday, March 11th at 2:25 in the afternoon, a careful bit of shuffling seeing La Docena squeezed just under one week later, an arrival minutes before the White-Hot import from Guadalajara’s 1:30pm opening allowing for immediate seating with the waitlist soon to grow past sixty minutes mere moments after 2:00pm.
Undeniably Mexico City’s most popular new restaurant of 2016, its location in Roma Norte and focus on fresh Shellfish, a well-priced Wine List plus a breezy floorplan attracting everyone including local hipsters, socialites from Polanco and visiting American tourists, La Docena takes on the identity of an Oyster Bar up front while also focusing on American favorites including Po-Boys and Hamburgers plus Spanish Ham and Mexican standards such as Tostadas and Tacos, a handful of daily specials and Happy Hour deals keeping regulars satisfied while first-timers will find themselves presented with enough options that most will wish that they’d skipped breakfast or, at least, brought along some more friends.
Decorated in the expected nautical theme, the music a bit too loud and thus inciting diners to speak at a volume which creates a din that can be heard down the block, it was with menus handed off by the hostess that decisions were made from a list divided into several sections, a plate of packaged Crackers and Fresh Tostadas delivered to pair with three styles of Hot Sauce already present, the daily Aguachile of Tiger Shrimp in a Tomato-based Broth not at all spicy, much to the dismay of one diner, while Octopus served atop two Tostadas was a bit too finely diced, the addition of Pineapple making for an unanticipated bit of sweetness at about 50 Pesos each, a bite not nearly as good as the version at Contramar despite a similar cost.
Improving henceforth, the freshly picked Blue Crab with Tomato and Avocado dazzling in its sweetness beneath vibrant Serrano Pepper Foam, a plate of thick-cut Pork Belly arrived with warm Tortillas for making Tacos, most of the bites perfectly fried and fatty though a few seemed a touch dry even after a squeeze of Lime and a dip in the spicy red Sauce served on the side.
Surprisingly deciding to channel New Orleans for one of its most popular items, though in reality the Tortas served throughout the city are really no different with a crunchy Roll on the outside and plenty of Meat and accoutrements within, La Docena’s Shrimp and Oyster Po-Boy arrives stuffed and fully dressed with fully dressed with Tomatoes, Lettuce and Mayonnaise, the restaurant’s only Dessert offered by request only proving every bit worth the fifteen minute wait as the ubiquitous ‘Lava Cake’ is upgraded by replacing Chocolate with Dulce de Leche alongside a few sliced almonds and smooth Banana Ice Cream.
http://ladocena.com.mx