A lot of incredible food can be found in the high-rent districts but they usually come at a very high price. Not so with B’ui – cocina de campo.
When I asked Daniel about the $400 peso price tag on his seven course tasting menu, he responded that “B’ui is making an effort to reach as many people as they can in this stage of the restaurants’ growth. I will always strive to stay down to earth in every sense, one of them being pricing.”
The Tasting Menu…
On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in both July and August, we opted for the tasting menu, which gives you the widest variety of culinary experiences.
July Tasting Menu
Amuse-bouche:
The term Amuse-bouche is French, literally translated as “mouth amuser.” You get all 3 to start out:
Tuna seared, pineapple pure, habanero syrup, recado negro
Mole squash, cauliflower, baby corn, yellow tomato
Squash blossom tempura, black bean pure, epazote, chihuacle powder
We chose these selections to round out the meal:
Black Bean, star anise, chochoyota, truffle oil, bean pure, watercress
Ceviche (black) octopus, shrimp, tuna, scallop, Aguachile, chile ashes
Picana bacon, morel mushroom, bean pure, black bean salsa with pork broth
Honey pollen cigarette, avocado, honey and ricotta cream, black Zapote sorbet
We also ordered this selection off the regular menu:
Pork ribs (sous vide10 hours) glazed house BBQ + chile sauce finished at the mesquite grill
Lucky for me, the group at the table next to us insisted I photograph their food as well. Almost too beautiful to eat, don’t you think?
August Tasting Menu
Amuse-bouche:
La milpa; mole xiquilpac (chamomile) squash pumpkin , squash blossom , cherry tomatoes
Plantain risotto with avocado
Cold soup; lemon grass, spinach and panela cheese
This is the complete menu and will give you a sense of some of the choices:
1st Course
Corn soup, saffron, shrimp , potato pure
or;
Carnitas broth, avocado , Serrano chile , radish
2nd Course
Portobellini , ragout , parmegiano
Infladita (inflated corn dough) stuffed with black bean pure , tatemada sauce , egg poche
or;
Salad; mix beans , colored tomatoes , baby carrots , olive oil , homemade vinagrette
3rd Course
Mole de olla; Short Rib (sousvide) carrot pure, baby corn;
Dorado (white fish); squash blossom, olive oil emulsion, squash blossom sauce
or;
Picaña; Morel mushrooms , thyme , brandy reduction
Dessert
Yogurt Panna Cotta with fruits of the forest
Raspberry sorbet, grapefruit syrup, raspberry meringue
We also ordered the tuna tartare off the regular menu; the tuna coming all the way from Japan and was some of the best we’ve had anywhere.
Sourcing Locally…
About 90% of B’ui – cocina de campo’s food is locally sourced. The produce is purchased from Jalpa, Toyan, and Trinidad and when they can’t find something they need in San Miguel, they bring it back from Mexico City´s San Juan Market, the culinary gem I was exploring in DF just last week.
Exceptional Wine Choices…
Daniel views the restaurant as an extension of his home. He appreciates good wine, especially from Mexico, and takes frequent trips to the vineyards in order to bring back new labels for his guests to enjoy. “When stocking wines, there are some must haves,” he said, “like Casa Madero 2v.”
B’ui – cocina de campo doesn’t have a wine list because the wines change depending on what they happen to find during the week.
B’ui – cocina de campo also sells wine by the glass, along with Tequilas, Mezcals and other fine spirits and liqueurs.
Chef Marko Cruz likes to get in the mix every now and then and makes his now famous Nopal Sorbet Margaritas.
Here are the wines we enjoyed:
Espacio en Blanco, Chardonnay, Mexico, Valle de Guadalupe
Daniel discovered Espacio en Blanco on a shelf in a wine shop he wandered into and out of curiosity, he took a few bottles home to taste and see if it would pair well with their menu. He said of Espacio en Blanco “It was beautiful to drink and so easy to pair.”
What more can I say? I’m a Chardonnay drinker and this is the best Chardonnay I’ve ever tasted.
Casa Madero 2v, 50% Chardonnay, 50% Chenin Blanc, Mexico, Parras Coahuila.
Founded in 1597, Casa Madero is the oldest winery in Mexico. We love the entire line of Casa Madero wines including some of the reds, which I rarely ever consumed until I tasted them at a local wine festival two years ago.
Terras Gauda, 70% Albarino, 18% Loureriro, 12% Caino Blanco, Espana Rias Baixas, Valle de O Rosal
Terras Gauda is a fine Spanish wine from the extreme southwest of the province of Pontevedra, in the O Rosal Valley,bordering Portugal and was coincidently already on our itinerary when we visit Northern Spain next summer. Now that I’ve tasted Terras Gauda, I am even more eager to visit the winery.
What’s Ahead…
When I asked Daniel about future projects, he said YES! The enthusiasm was evident. So here is the news:
Around November, he will be opening a farm to table concept inside of Casa Doce #18, formerly Casa Cohen.
This confirmed the rumors I’ve been hearing about a work in progress at the old Casa Cohen that I walk by almost daily. Personally, I’m excited to have another first-class restaurant in San Miguel’s Centro. Stay tuned.
At B’ui:
Starting the weekend of August 22nd, B’ui – cocina de campo will serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Want to see Bradley Cooper in Burnt? So do I!
On Thursday night at B’ui – cocina de campo, you’ll get drinks, botanas, and a foodie movie.
B’ui – cocina de campo is also starting a wine club. Buy a paired dinner and taste three outstanding Mexican wines. A few weeks later, the wines will be delivered to your front door.
Earlier this year, Daniel partnered with Ricardo Pare Trejo and Jorge Alarcon L to run the highly successful SMA Food Festival which will repeat again in 2016. Watch for a date and mark your calendar. You don’t want to miss this event.
So, Daniel Estebaranz pretty much defines the art of giving pleasure through food but will B’ui – cocina de campo be your heaven on earth food experience?
Just ask for Angel and Gabriel when you get there…oh, and a glass of Espacio en Blanco. I’m betting you’ll be back before the menu changes in September.
Buen Apetito!
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