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| - Santi and I came to La Santisima looking for a good Mexican fare, and walked away pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. The small, squared-shaped interior included a small dining area, a full salsa bar, kitchen, and a small bar area in the back. The wall-to-wall paintings and artifacts were striking, and nicely added to the casual and festive atmosphere. The menu consisted of an eclectic listing of gourmet tacos, street tacos, burros, deep-fried corn quesadillas, and lonches.
The Al Pastor Burro ($8.95) arrived with spicy pork, homemade salsa, pineapple, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, onion, cilantro, avocado, and al pastor salsa. The burro was tightly wrapped in hot pressed tortilla. The spicy pork was nicely seasoned with sweet pineapple to brighten the flavors. The rest of the supportive ingredients added subtle touches and kicks. The textures of the onions, lettuce, and tomato were noticeable, but I wished there could be more guacamole to round out the flavors. The burro was sizable, and good to share when cut in half. I recommend it.
The Aztec Tinga Taco and Maya Cochinita Pibil Taco ($9.39) came with rice, black beans with Oaxacan cheese, and two sizable double-decked tacos with shredded meat and red onions layered on top. The Tinga Taco encompassed tender shredded chicken, tomato, and chipotle salsa. I wished there could be more chicken, but the taco was mouthwatering delicious. The Cochinita Pibil was made with pork shoulder wrapped and slow cooked in banana leaves, lime marinated onions and salsa to add acidity and sharpness. Their distinctive taste from one another made the experience worthwhile. The rice and black beans were not simple fillers, but instead they were surprisingly flavorful and addictive.
The Tialoc Veggie Burro ($8.95) was put together with mesquite-grilled cactus, caramelized onion, garlic, tomato, mushrooms, jalapeno, and Oaxacan cheese in a tightly wrapped hot pressed tortilla. Personally, I prefer the soft, spongy, and stretchable flour tortillas, but the firm and hot pressed version was surprisingly good, resilient, and held everything together quite well. The grilled cactus came in large pieces, and the pleasant textures nicely complemented the generous earthy mushrooms. The Burro could taste bland for some people, but the addition of melted Oaxcan cheese added nuances to the sweet and savory flavors. If I were to order this again, I would add guacamole and more cheese to the mix.
Lastly, the Arabe Burro ($12.99) had plenty of al pastor, hummus, aguacate, pastor salsa, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion, avocado, red pepper, and Tzatziki dressing on top. In this case, cognitive dissonance can be a good thing, as this Arabic-inspired burro was a hit. The sweet and spicy pastor coupled nicely with the smooth hummus, and the support ingredients rounded out the flavors by bridging flavors of the two worlds. This is one of the worthy items for those looking for an adventure, along with their great looking deep-fried corn quesadillas at many tables.
The chips were refilled upon request. Among the 12-salsa options, my favorites were the chunky chipotle, smoky Cabo, sweet pecan, spicy Mexicana, peanut, and spicy avocado. Unfortunately, the cilantro salsa had an overpowering sour cream flavor, and some of the other options were too watery, didn't register, or live up to my expectations.
The restaurant can get very busy throughout the day, so service was not their strongest attribute on each visit. The food took some time to arrive, but the salsa bar and complimentary chips were there to scale down the hunger pains. I thought the prices were a bit higher than San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, there was a nice mix of original and innovative flavors to set them apart. Quality-wise, the food was less greasy when compared to a traditional taqueria. Interested diners should come open minded, and not expecting the most authentic fare. I hope to return to try their Oaxacan Shrimp Mole Burro, Chicken Mole Street Taco, and Pumpkin Flan. 3.5 stars for the overall experience.
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