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| - Most people can't resist the allure of cheap, fast-prepped, heaping piles of food, regardless of quality, and that's what attracts them to Mexican food. That's what makes me despair for Mexican food. By contrast, Cocina Real serves a decent variety of dishes with different flavors, and is just darn good food, even if it deviates from the expected combination of: Taco/Enchilada + Salty Rice + Watery Beans. I can't say that it is the most "authentic" Mexican food, but the cooks here obviously play around with the flavor combinations in a way that rewards the taste-buds of their diners.
The tortilla chips are neither greasy nor salty, but coarse in texture, with a bold earthy flavor. They remind me very much of the El Milagro Totopos tortilla chips sold at local Mexican groceries. While others are bound to disagree, I think that the salsa at Cocina Real is the hands-down best for the Champaign area. The tomatoes are pureed into a smooth paste with little pulp, complimented with plenty of red onion and cilantro. I was impressed by the presence of some heat, which most restaurant salsas avoid.
As an additional appetizer, I also tried one of their specialty dips, the guacamole rostizado. The menu advertises that guacamole will be prepared table-side, but unfortunately we didn't get to watch the complimentary performance (maybe because we were dining at an odd hour?). Again, I was impressed by some flavors that are usually absent in standard restaurant food; in particular, the addition of lime, which gives the creamy avocado a pleasant freshness.
Entrees are decently-priced. Some run the upper range for Mexican food ($13), but there were also some equally filling dishes around $5. My friend ordered one of their specialties, the Tacos Azteca. Wow wow wonderful! Battered and fried tilapia wrapped in white corn tortillas and served with creamy chipotle sauce? YES PLEASE. I ordered the Tamales Poblanos: formidably-large pork tamales smothered in mole sauce. Tamales? Flavorful, the meat slightly spicy. I liked the mole sauce less as it was a little too sweet and gravy-like in substance (but still, they get points in my book for serving mole sauce on the menu). My dish came with a side of fijoles charros: bean soup with bacon and salted ham. I would have devoured a pot of those beans alone.
Overall, I give this place a high score because, while their flavors are not entirely novel, they still deviate from the standard fare you'd get at other Mexican places in Champaign. I'm a detail person, and it's those unnecessary, small gestures in food preparation that really hit it home for me.
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