CancúnTom's Mexico

Saturday morning we attended the grand opening of a new restaurant in Cancun. It is across from the new Malecon park on the lagoon and behind the new part of the Plaza Las Americas Mall complex.

They are open for Breakfast, lunch, & Dinner

We were served an assortment of breakfast items, juices, coffee, tea and sweets.

The entry signage…..

The exposed kitchen and bakery counters…..

Goodies galore……

and more……

Pre-made salads to go…….

Chocolat’s………….yummy!

Gelato’s…….

Large high ceiling main dinning room from above…..

Wood carving of a bird in flight……

They will be having wine and cheese tastings in the near future upstairs featuring only wines made in Mexico

All the wines are nicely temperature controlled……

Glass enclosed children’s play room on the balcony…..

This is the cook staff…….this is a big place….

The wait staff…..all nicely uniformed……

The blackboard menus above the bakery and kitchen…..this one for their selection of salads, quiche, and torts

Sandwich menu……

cafe, and much much more…..

We had a great time and enjoyed all the delicious samples. This is a beautiful place and we wish them the most success.

 

 

Well, one afternoon we were sitting in Pancho Willy’s having a beer and nachos……and I noticed this guy flying above the water in the lagoon……

(Click anywhere on the first picture to start the video……)

Suzie checking out the flyboarder……dude

You place your feet in these boots and jump in…..

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I guess this 180 elbow either goes in the attending ski-doo or under water…..the water feeds into it and up the long red hose and a motor in the ski-doo pumps the water at high velocity pushing you into the air thru those two handles that you use to steer with ……..all new to me.

 

The Habichuela Sunset is the second of 2 family owned restaurants with the Habichuela brand located here in Cancun. The original is located in El Centro and is a local legend for it’s culinary delights. It has been a staple in Cancun since 1977. This newer endeavor has been in existence for a couple of years now. It features a similar menu. The ambiance and decor is spectacular. This is our 3rd visit so I thought it was time to see how they have matured.

This facility is located in the hotel zone at kilometer 14 across from the fire station on the lagoon side. It is very near the Kukulkan Mall. The reservation line is: 998-884-3158 or 998-887-1716. We always make a reservation.

The outside signage……

The palapa entrance-way and valet parking

This is the street level dining room which we wanted to try this time. On previous visits we sat outside in the garden and after that in the lower level dining room at the bottom of the stairway. The decor resembles the Chichen Itza ruins. It is very well done with authentic looking artifacts highlighted with colored lighting.

This is a picture looking at the glass floor panel at the bottom of the stairway…..It’s a leap of faith to step on it as it looks as if you will fall into the archeological dig 7 ft below….

A toast from Suzie to all our readers………….

We started with icy cool Cosmopolitan cocktails….. 88 pesos each

An Hors d’Oeuvres….. toasted bread and crab meat spread….. complimentary

The waiter’s assistant came by with a basket of various hot rolls and buns, your choice served with garlic and plain butter…..complimentary

Suzie started with an Italiana Ensalada……w/ house dressing…….. 93 pesos

I wanted to try their famous Cream of Habichuela string-bean soup…….98 pesos

Recipe: Habichuela Cream  of String Bean Soup

Start with high quality fresh vegetables which is the secret to making the real cream of string beans.

Chop carrots, onions, garlic, leeks and celery.  Cover lightly with flour. Add cold butter, brown until  golden. Cover with water. Stir and bring to a boil then simmer for at least 20 minutes until thickened. Correct the seasoning. Be careful not to add too much salt. Pour into bowls. Use pastry cream in a tube to make the design. We always serve Bean Cream accompanied by our homemade bread.

Recipe for 4 people

• ½ kilo green string beans

• Carrots 60 grams

• 1 clove garlic

• Onion 80 grams

• Celery 40 grams

• Leek 60 grams

• 4 tablespoons wheat flour

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A small scoop of Lemon sorbet to cleanse the pallet before the main course arrives served in a half Guayaba melon….complimentary

Suzie’s dish was the Ginger Shrimp…..340 pesos

Tom ordered his favorite…..Coconut Shrimp w/2 dipping sauces…pineapple and tangy…..335 pesos

Suzie’s wine…Cabernet Sauvignon ……. 135 pesos…(house brand)

Tom’s Grand Mariner…….143 pesos

The railings are hand carved wood and resemble the snake coming down the stairs of the El Castile temple in Chichen Itza…..

The entire back wall is glass providing a beautiful view of the outdoor garden dining area and the lagoon beyond……

 

 The bar………….located on the upper level…………

 The main bar located on the lower level spans the entire floor…..

Closeup of the railing……………

 The wall relief behind where we were seated………..

A panoramic view of the area on the upper level where we were seated……………..the ambiance is so well done here at La Habichuela

We really enjoyed our evening at  La Habichuela.  The food was delicious, perfectly prepared and the service attentive without being intrusive and the ambiance elegant but  comfortable.  We would highly recommend locals and visitors  to Cancun to give it a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

This was our bill for the evening……1,543 pesos or $134.17 USD plus tip…….generally 15 to 20%

(since we paid in pesos at an exchange rate of 12.6 the conversion to dollars works out to $122 USD)