Pez Cantina, a beach inspired new Mexican restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on Bunker Hill. Former executive chef of Patina, Bret Thompson is cooking some Baja classics with a fresher touch.
The space is airy and open to the outside business complex with a nice bar area and friendly staff. As for the food, some of the best Mexican food I have had in years.
The margarita’s are icy cold and with our weather in Los Angeles, they really hit the spot. There is an extensive list of beer, wine and tequila to please everyone.
For starters, the Fresh Oysters are a must. The unique Spicy Tomato Raspado (granita) and Jalapeno Lime Picosito (mignonette) were outstanding. I wished I had ordered more!
If you are looking for something a little unique and loaded with flavor, I recommend the Shrimp and Chicharron Diablo. This delightful opener is fresh shrimp and chunks of pork in a light red chili sauce that is not hot, but loaded with flavor. Garbanzo beans are delicately folded in for texture and served with a Habanero Mustard Sauce. Pile this Mexican treat on top of crunchy lettuce leaves and I bet you beg for more?!
The tacos are outstanding too. The Fried Fish Taco, you can get grilled or fried, was light and airy. The flavors are so nice, I haven’t enjoyed a fish taco like this in a while. The Carnitas Taco is another treat, loaded with slow cooked pork and seasoned perfectly.
For entrees, Pez Cantina has an array of specialties — Guajillo Braised Beef Cheek, Pibil Pork Shank and the Whole Fried Daily Dive, but I fell in love with the Molcajete. The Molcajete was a simmering Tomato Chili Stew with Chorizo, Shrimp, Nopal, Menonita (cheese), Seared Beef and Carnitas. It was a great dish to share and comes with freshly prepared corn tortillas. The broth was so fragrant and loaded with flavor, I can’t recommend it enough.
Chef Thompson has created a real delight with Pez Cantina, I can hardly wait to go back. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily, except on Sundays.
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