Patric Kuh Talks Modern Mexican Cuisine in Three-Star Broken Spanish Review

This month, Patric Kuh gives his take on Broken Spanish, Ray Garcia's downtown restaurant in the old Rivera space. Like the Gold and Rodell review, Kuh is rather impressed with the chef's contribution to Modern Mexican cuisine and discusses the "vital conversation going on these days as Mexican American chefs have begun to reflect their layered experience in what they cook."

For Garcia, that means marrying his background as a Cypress Park-raised, Peninsula Beverly Hills-trained chef:

Now he's reached a juncture where he can discreetly blend the private realm into his dishes. His green beans, rather than being professionally crisp, are braised so that they're as squishable as the poached egg and the sofrito he crowns them with. He takes pan dulce, an airy bread, and covers it with foie gras butter and a dusting of pilon-cillo. The slice has room for improvement (too much butter and not enough foie gras), but what's neat is how a classic ingredient is used in a new way, perhaps introducing itself with a wink to a client who grew up eating a rebanada for a school-day breakfast. [LAM]

Broken Spanish scores three stars.

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The Elsewhere: Golden Road brewmaster Victor Novak shares his favorite LA cocktail bars and Bill Esparza talks taco parties from Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara.