Quetzal has really changed from our first visit. It’s busy and absolutely buzzing on a Thursday evening, likely thanks to their one Michelin star rating. And they started offering a tasting menu ($125 per person) to really increase the dishes each duo can try. They even have an “off menu” version, where you’re presented with some dishes that aren’t available a la carte or adjusted based on seasonal ingredients. You don’t have to ask me twice; off menu we go.

Note: This post contains the prices for dishes that are available a la carte. Portion sizes will likely be larger than what’s pictured.

Almost every table seemed to order the dry aged amberjack aguachile ($32). It’s certainly stunning with the ruby pink rhubarb juice studded with scallion oil, a mild but refreshing accompaniment to the fish. Having been dried aged, the amberjack was denser but still tender and the dollop of pasilla and chickpea miso gave it a bright pop of flavour. While I could have done without the jicama slice (it’s a bit dry and sucks some of the flavour out of the dish), the garnish does add to the dish’s presentation – just enjoy this separately.

Then things get interesting: we’re asked if we’d like to have a drink with the remaining rhubarb juice. Um, yes! Spooned into shot glasses and mixed with mezcal, the flavour profile completely changes from tart to savoury and spicy. It’s like magic.

Our next dish goes off the menu with a flatiron steak tartare. This needs to get on the menu as it was one of the best tartare I’ve had. Diced beef was mixed with olive, chilis, and something slightly crunchy (fried capers or puffed rice?) creating a wonderful varying bite. But it’s the airy hollandaise crowning the tartare that stole the show, adding a creamy element that’s not unlike aioli but much fresher and lighter.

The following memela is available on their menu, but the tasting gives it a different take. The toasted blue masa tortilla was covered with melted cheese, poblano (?) sauce, mushrooms, and pickled cactus, and a host of other ingredients. Together it created what I’ll describe as an amazing deep dish Mexican pizza, without the excess sauce and breading. One of these with a salad would be a great meal for one.

Who would have thought popcorn (albeit in powdered form) would pair well with Newfoundland scallops ($39)? A meaty sweet scallop, salty butter powder, herby garlic butter, and sprinkling of tangy Tajin created a delicious bite. Like Lays tag line goes… they’re so good, you can’t just have one.

While the hulking bone marrow and wild Argentinian shrimp ($52) looked impressive, it doesn’t work with tortillas – the flat bread doesn’t have the capacity to soak up the oily juices and the marrow was too blubbery to spread on the smooth surface. In the end, you have a slightly oily tortilla with a clump of blubber in the centre.

Still, I followed their instructions to scoop a bit of marrow onto a tortilla, add a piece of beautifully grilled shrimp, and top with a squeeze of lime. It’s edible, but I feel like the shrimp paired with slices of lardo it would work even better. Just make sure to scrape some of the honey glaze from the bone marrow as its burst of smoky sweetness brings the taco to a whole new level.

Every course is accompanied with tortilla, so by this time I’m getting full. Hence, if you’re doing the tasting menu, hold off on finishing all the tortillas at the beginning. Another plate arrives with the grilled hanger steak, and they complement this dish perfectly, so you’ll want the room in your stomach. Slathered with the black garlic mole negro and wrapped around steak, shishito pepper, mushroom, and sprinkled with queso fresco, you have yourself a delicious taco.

Still, if you’re too full, each element tastes great solo. The steak was tender and beautifully cooked. Add some of the earthy and slightly sweet mole negro for a deeper flavour.

Grilled maitake mushrooms are such a treat and Quetzal provides a generous portion alongside oyster mushrooms in the mushroom and shishito ($26). Having developed a crust, the mushrooms take on a meatiness with a creamy spiciness from the poblano crema and ancho sauce.

I’m glad it’s all paired with the Clearwater Farm tomato and cucumber salad ($25) as I really needed something light and refreshing to end the meal. A variety of tomatoes and crispy de-skinned cucumber are tossed with pickled garlic scape, queso fresco, fermented anaheim crema, garlic crisps, and shiso so the salad was anything but boring.

Surprisingly, the coconut nicuatole ($17) was the richer dessert of the two presented. The coconut cream was thickened with masa creating a luscious pudding that resembled tapioca or rice counterparts. I just wish there were more pieces of the compressed pineapple soaked in mezcal to go with each bite as it really jazzed up the nicuatole.

The spiced Mexican chocolate ($16) was airy and almost glided across the tongue. Crispy sponge toffee adds crunch while passionfruit provides freshness. I normally hate chocolate and fruit desserts but didn’t mind this one.

Usually, I don’t like eating at the bar, but scoring a last-minute reservation didn’t leave many options. Luckily, the bar seats were the next best thing to the Chef’s table - the bartenders were so friendly and even educated on the dishes.

Of course, they are even more knowledgeable about mezcal, so if you want to sample this spirit, Quetzal is the place to visit. They have an amazing selection and if you provide a price point, they’ll bring forward some options and describe each one in detail. It’s how we settled on the Colores ($57), after finding out the high-end bottle at $150 per oz was too rich for our blood.

It just seemed appropriate to end with a sip of mezcal. After all, it brings our tasting full circle, having started us off when mixed with the rhubarb juice from the amberjack. 

Sometimes tipping can be an awkward encounter… what percentage should you leave to allow you to express your gratitude, without leaving a burning hole in your pocket? It’s a custom widely found in North America, where restaurants tend to underpay staff with the promise of gratuities to make up the shortfall. Hence, when a traveller is not accustomed to the 15% - 20% North American expectations, it can create animosity between the diner and staff.

Maiz adopted a stance to alleviate this awkwardness by building in a fair wage (at least $20 an hour, according to their website) into their menu prices and removing the need for diners to tip at the end of their meal. Whether this custom is attractive to their staff, only time will tell.

To begin, Maiz runs rather leanly. During our Monday evening dinner, there were two people – one person cooking and another doing everything else (sitting people, taking orders, finishing up plates, serving, checking in on customers, and ringing check through at the end of the meal). At the same time, there weren’t too many patrons, only three tables when other restaurants in the area were closed or fully booked.

I hadn’t return since their opening years ago, my first experience with arepas and the dinner platters left me underwhelmed. Yet, their menu has really expanded along with a lightened and brightly lit dining room that makes Maiz seem more inviting.

The house made tortilla chips served with guacamole ($14.95) were amazing – thick enough for dunking but still breaks easily creating a satisfying crispiness. It’s also surprisingly un-oily for a chip that gives off such a lovely crunch. There’s enough smooth guacamole to get through most of the chips with a small side of smoky salsa roja to finish off the rest, which consequently goes nicely mixed into the moros cristianos.

Before getting into the mains, I suggest you choose wisely and order something that offers a side of the moros cristianos or soft-fried rice and beans. If it doesn’t come with it, order the side ($3.95) as it was our favourite part of the meal. The spice-laced rice is mixed with black refried beans and heated through creating a flavourful creamy mixture that’s like a thick dairy-free risotto. I liked having it solo or heaped on a crunchy tortilla, give me more!

The rice comes with the quesadillas. While the menu describes the vegetable quesadillas ($19.95) as being stuffed with soft-fried chickpeas… they weren’t soft at all. Maiz should just keep it simple and used a grilled vegetable filling instead. Heck, add in more moros cristianos … anything is better than hard chickpeas. At least it contained a decent amount of cotija cheese creating a lovely gooeyness around the chickpeas and the tortilla was well-toasted creating a crunchy crust.

I’d skip the churros ($11.95 for three), which were overly dense. A restaurant should only attempt making this dessert if they churn out enough daily to warrant creating fresh batter and having hot sizzling oil ready. Otherwise, it’s just an overly sweet chewy concoction that leaves me wanting a Tim Horton’s crueller more than a churro.

Maybe create a creamy Mexican-spiced rice pudding instead. After all, if it’s anything like the moros cristianos, the rice pudding will be fantastic.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10