Are you tired of bland Mexican food? Brave enough for strong and even challenging flavors? If you answered yes to everything, El Ghato Azul's messengers are just waiting for you

• The dishes of El Ghato Azul

  Photo: 

  Anatoly Michaelo (PR)

In general, our recommendation is to eat Mexican food every day. It's a food style that doesn't have a special reason to eat it, but today there is a real reason to do it, too, because there is a wonderful Mexican holiday that is popping up across the vast state and in quite a few parts of the US - Cinco de Mayo, May 5th. Come to Wikipedia, talk about food here.

Mexican dinners are endless and they all offer pretty much the same menu, except for differences in kosher or special meals. Everyone has the same Caesar Salad, Tacos, Nachos, Tortilla, Casadier, Burrito and we fell asleep before coming to desserts (Choros and Phelan, but what?). They all insist on using terms in Spanish that most people don't understand (Salsa Rocha, Pico de Gaio, Caso Fresco) but no one pretends to serve her wonderful Mexican food with some twist, which will make us come back to her next time, and not choose an an-dino for which Mexican was chosen to go now, simply because they are all more or less the same.

For all these reasons (literally), every Mexican street food enthusiast must take advantage of the re-opening of "El Gato Azul" (the Blue Cat) from the Rima Olvera chef's restaurant, the luxury restaurant "Oasis."

We ordered Caesar Salad, Crisp Fish Taco and Chili Con Carne and also indulged in a "Bloody Maria" cocktail. Truth be told - the Emperor's salad itself does not look very inviting. The lettuce does not look as crunchy as it must be because it swims in the sauce, and therefore the lid of the round packing was removed with suspicion. But any concern we had evaporated was from the moment we lifted the lid and the ripple of the page dripped all the way to dizzy us.

The Mexican Emperor Salad (yes, that is its source) has a tendency to bore, after all, how to surprise with lettuce, croutons, sauce and some cheese. But in this case, it is - without a hint of exaggeration - the best emperor salad in Tel Aviv, and that without forcing it with anchovies or chicken. The rich flavored sauce will make you lick your plate and want to order more.

And this is actually the magic secret of El Gato Azul's delivery menu - even dishes that you've already eaten countless times in countless places will surprise and excite you thanks to a rich, accurate and uncompromising seasoning. Compared to many Mexican restaurants that prefer to keep the ingredients bland, assuming their combination is enough to stimulate the taste buds, El Gato Azul is not afraid of spices, herbs, strong smoky flavor and not even the reason.

The taco comes in a sophisticated packaging that will initially make you think you may have been confused with the order. The tortillas lie at the bottom of the package, with a cardboard substrate to separate them from the other ingredients, which will not get wet, including salsa, cabbage, sauerkraut, fresh cilantro, slice of lime, opaque chipotle sauce and of course the fish.

We will not dwell on the tortillas, which, though quietly lying at the bottom of the package, were not their problem, just say we expected something a little more level than that, and move straight to the excellent, crispy and meaty on the inside lying above them, which can happily function as a main course in itself. We talked about strong flavors, and in the case of this dish it is El Gato Azul's chipotle, which has a very strong smoky flavor, like we have not encountered anywhere.

We came to Chili Con Carne, whose fat comes in two small packages alongside sour cream. The beans are soft on the inside and hard on the outside, the meat is tender and the liquid is precise enough so that it can be eaten with a fork without leaving a crumb at the bottom of the package, and believe us you will not want to leave any crumbs. This is a wonderful and very satisfying dish that, despite its relative simplicity, the emphasis on flavors (in this case sweet and spicy together) makes it perfect.

Even when it comes to cocktails, El Gato Azul does not skimp on anything and is not afraid of anything. So, the traditional "Bloody Mary" cocktail becomes "Bloody Mary" thanks to the vodka replacement with tequila, but that's not all. The Tabasco is replaced by Salsa Sergio, which gives the drink a rich, thick texture and a real change, which upgrades the cocktail on several levels. This is, without a doubt, the hottest cocktail we've ever had, both in terms of the generous amount of alcohol put into it and the plethora of spicy drinks that have been added to the mix, and the result? Not for everyone, but anyone who tastes it will relish every drop and want more. The cocktail comes in a 225 ml bottle and is highly recommended.

In conclusion, despite El Gato Azul's repertoire, the prices are reasonable and definitely justify the pleasure. Tacos cost between NIS 42-58, and Chili Con has NIS 65. The delivery service is open every day except Sunday from 12:00 to 22:00. enjoy your meal!