Dinner a unique adventure at pop-up Cuate
Say the word “omakase” and a meal of sushi, sashimi, and Japanese dishes springs to (my) mind. So news of Hunger Street Taco’s new Mexican omakase pop-up series called Cuate piqued my interest immediately.
Omakase is a Japanese term and concept that simply means the chef will decide the meal’s courses — diners simply trust the chef to fill their plates with something delicious.
I’ll be the first to warn diners that an omakasestyle dinner isn’t for everyone. Some restaurants allow diners to submit their dietary preferences ahead of time, but as in the case of Cuate, some refuse to allow changes to their menu.
Beyond a lack of dietary restrictions, you also need a sense of adventure. Point blank: Can you handle sea urchin gonads (uni)? That’s the level I personally set — but of course not every meal will feature this delicacy.
Move past those cautions, and you’re in for a meal that satisfies a number of senses. Set inside The Heavy, Cuate takes full advantage of this new plant-heavy retail space in Winter Park. The dinner I attended was set in an indoor-outdoor oasis that practically dripped with plants.
We had front row seats to the assembling of our meals. It appeared that some of the elements, sauces in particular, were already created, but we got a fiery show as our chef cooked and heated items on a grill.
Our (now $75) fivecourse meals were made up of a Caesar salad; a tuna and uni tostada made with a squid ink tortilla topped with roe and a pipian (a sesame and pumpkin seed sauce); duck confit covered in a 40-ingredient mole and paired with rice flavored with poblano and a herb called epazote; masa cake (huarache) topped with pork belly; and a pumpkin puff pastry dessert (mille-feuille) dotted with pumpkin seeds and paired with sour cream ice cream. Each dish was perfectly paired with a different glass of wine.
Delicious food aside, I enjoy omakase experiences for the opportunity they offer to learn. At Cuate, I learned that Caesar salad was created in a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, by Italian restaurateur Caesar Cardini, and I tried a new-to-me mole — the earthy pipian.
And if I were to return, the menu would be completely different — offering another opportunity to learn.
Want to go? Cuate is held at 6 and 8:30 p.m. on Fridays at The Heavy, 1152 Harmon Ave. in Orlando. Reservations are required for this $75 meal at Explore Tock.com/HungerStreet Tacos.