RESTAURANT REVIEW |
El Arrayan - A Tasty Cultural Feast
By Jesus de Avila - August 2007
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It was time to visit El Arrayan, a restaurant of authentic traditional Mexican cuisine, awarded best of its class in 2005 and 2006; having learned this, I couldn’t wait to get there.
We were greeted by the ever-active restaurant owner Carmen Porras, a true Mexican committed to rescuing original recipes of the traditional gastronomy; a passionate promoter of our flavors among the visitors to our destination. To her, opening her restaurant is every day a new cultural adventure, and sharing our essence is her great pride and satisfaction.
 That evening, Montserrat started by ordering the tasty Plantain empanadas stuffed with black beans and cheese, an authentic and very special recipe from the beautiful port of Veracruz. In turn, I ordered a delicious, fresh, nurturing “Cactus salad with panela cheese from the ranch, with fresh marjoram and onion vinaigrette”. These dishes are some of the options found in the “Sidewalk Delicacies” section of the menu, through which we have the opportunity to sample what we as Mexicans commonly and traditionally enjoy any given day from a street stand in the different regions of our colorful country .
From the main dish section we ordered the “Raicilla Flambé Chipotle Shrimp with seasonal citrics”, a true, inimitable delight to sight and taste. It brought the smooth, unmistakable flavor of chipotle to our taste buds, and, just as Carmen had foreseen, our plates were wiped clean at the end. Congratulations to Chef Juan Manuel Cruz and his team, who continue to do a great job in their impeccable kitchen.
The spacious, welcoming and charming restaurant holds a hacienda patio style with a beautiful Arrayan tree in the center, and offers a cool, casual atmosphere to relax while enjoying dinner without the warm summer weather getting in the way. Young staff members are always smiling, they provide attentive, friendly service, and make sure everyone is well taken care of. The bar and kitchen are at sight; the red-tile roof, the décor, lighting, the patio, the sound of meals being cooked coming from the kitchen, the aromas, the murmur of conversations, the attention and Carmen’s visit to each table, make up for quality time with friends. This has distinguished the restaurant since it opened in November 2003.
El Arrayan is currently the spearhead of the Slow Food movement in Puerto Vallarta, which consists of promoting the use of regionally-produced ingredients, and advising the public as to the significance of joining in this movement; enjoying clean, quality ingredients, and paying a fair price for them. One of Carmen’s aims is to influence others so every day therewill be more restaurants,regardless of their style of  cuisine, offering the opportunity to savor the authentic tastes of the region, through the products and ingredients used in their recipes. She explained that the panela cheese in the cactus salad comes from a nearby village called El Tule, and plantains come from the neighbor town of Ixtapa. The Slow food movement is a subject to be discussed broadly and accompanied by actions to promote and consolidate it. In the meantime, those interested are invited to learn more about it at http://www.elarrayan.com.mx
Although I was really trying to keep my calorie count low, couldn’t keep myself and ordered Coronado milk caramel flan, which accompanied with an excellent coffee, allowed us to round our dinner up with balanced, sweet luxury. I confess I am tempted to come back and try “Pickled duck tostaditas with lettuce, tomato and avocado, and the “Shrimp Aguachile served with mango or pineapple, depending on the season, marinated in lime juice with Serrano peppers onion and cilantro”. So I’ll be sharing that with you next visit!
Again thanks a lot to Carmen, and till next time!
Jesus de Avila.
E-mail: editor@pvmirror.com
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