Kitchen Table
Sope – Masa, Chive Cream, Pickled Onion, Avocado, Cheese, Squash Blossoms, Fresh Huitlacoche
Carnitas – Crispy Chivitas, Chayote Recado Negro, Green Tomatoes
Wonton – Local Squash, Chaya, Purple Beans, Onion Puree
Jungle Sourdough – Lima Beans, Roasted Pepitas, Lime Butter
Gorillaz – Chocolate Spice Cookies, Banana Cream, Lemon Meringue
Salted Caramel – Dulce de Leche, Walnut Crumbles
Any traveled diner will realize within 24-hours of arriving in Tulum that Hartwood changed everything, nearly all its current competition including Kitchen Table built on the jungle side of the Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila with solar panel power and burning copal to keep the bugs at bay.
Established in 2015, a relocation and change of toque to Chef Angie Mata breathing new life into a Restaurant and Bar built on seasonality and local fresh products, Kitchen Table features an open kitchen centered around a massive brick oven that is responsible for nearly everything not grilled over an open flame.
Known for smart Mixologists and Vegetable-focused fare, everything offered reportedly native to Quintana Roo, dinner arrived as six plates divided into three courses, the first featuring crisp Pork on a Tortilla atop smoky black Sauce alongside a delicate Sope filled with Onions, Avocado and Cheese plus Chive Cream to balance aromatic Huitlacoche.
Staffed by friendlier service than Hartwood or ARCA, a young woman fluent in English carefully explaining each dish, “Wonton” may seem out of place on a Mexican menu until one realizes the Vegan-friendly entry simply refers to pan-fried Dumplings filled with Squash and Tree Spinach, the bed of snappy Beans and Onion Foam so good that guests would be smart to order a few slices of Focaccia-like Jungle Sourdough to sop it all up.
Prone to frequent change, though thick Dulce de Leche with Walnut Crumble remains a signature Dessert for good reason, another standout sweet titled “Gorillaz” finds Banana Cream smooshed between spiced Chocolate Wafers with Lemon Meringue adding texture.
www.kitchentabletulum.com

