Each month Yucatan Today visits a restaurant in order to describe what it has to offer. This is not a review; it is a summary of the menu, service, ambience, prices, and opening hours.
April 2010
Hacienda Teya (circa 1683) deserves its standing international reputation as serving the best traditional Yucatecan food in the region. Since 1995 its restaurant has been offering authentic and exquisite Yucatecan cuisine, patiently and lovingly prepared by Maya hands. And if you, like so many other visitors to Yucatán, wish you could recreate these delicious dishes at home, pick up a copy of their own recipe book which is available in several languages and formats in their lovely gift shop.
While their menu includes all the Yucatecan specialties like Longaniza de Valladolid, Papadzules, Sopa de Lima, Pollo and Cochinita Pibil, Queso Relleno, Pavo en Escabeche and Relleno Negro, and Lomitos de Valladolid (all simply exquisite, by the way), they also offer some unique house specialties as well.
On the appetizer menu, Panuchos are shown only with chicken, but you can also order them with Cochinita. How about a combination of both? Panuchos are soft-fried hand-made tortillas filled with beans, and topped with shredded chicken (or cochinita), lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado…both are freshly made and mouth-watering. They also make Empanadas de Cazón, pies filled with tasty dogfish and smothered in tomato sauce and Dutch cheese. The creamy cilantro soup, Crema de Cilantro, is full of flavor of the fresh herb and served steaming hot.
For the main course, if you like chiles Xcatic (slightly hot), you can either choose them stuffed with ground beef and pork, or with dogfish, and topped with a white and tomato sauce. Poc-Chuc fans will be pleased to know they can order this Yucatecan favorite made with either the traditional pork, or with tender chicken! Another restaurant specialty is Carne Ahumada Teya: smoked pork, tender and full of flavor. For steak lovers, try the Filete de Res a la Yucateca: a tender beef filet seasoned with achiote…simply sensational…and cooked to order. If all of this is too much to think about, you can always opt for the combination plate of pork specialties: Nohoch Tun Yucateco includes Cochinita Pibil, Poc-Chuc, and Lomitos de Valladolid.
And now for something very special: on Saturdays and Sundays only, you can try some local venison specialties: Consomé de Venado (venison broth), Filete de Venado Encebollado (marinated venison filet), or Tzic de Venado (shredded venison). The quantities of these specialties are limited.
Desserts include the velvety Flan de la Casa, coconut and chocolate ice creams, and other Yucatecan classics. To accompany your meal, there is a variety of local fresh fruit drinks, a full bar, and plenty of beers and wines to choose from.
After your meal, take your camera and stroll around the magnificently restored grounds, and look at the installations they have for weddings, banquets and other events. Stained glass windows, lush gardens, a chapel, elegant staircases and their delicious food are key ingredients when you are planning a special event.
Hours: 12 pm – 6 pm
Km. 12.5 Carretera Mérida-Cancún
Tel. (999) 988 0800
Web: www.haciendateya.com
Recommended reading: - Hacienda Teya
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