Third Time's the Charm

It's funny how we have so many sayings about numbers in life, like "two's a party, three's a crowd", "sweet sixteen", "sixth sense", and the likes.

But these aren't just a play on words - sometimes, they actually carry predictive meaning.

On our last night at the resort, we decided to have our last dinner at Amber. The first two times, if you recall, ended not-so-spectacularly. So we thought that third time has got to be the charm, and decided to venture again into the unknown space of fine dining.

We decided to sit on the outside terrace this time overlooking the cenote, because I'd noticed that couples outside tend to be louder than the elderly couples inside. Or perhaps it's because of these round balls of decorations that make it more festive.

We noticed a lot of new face that evening. I noticed that the tourist turnover rate at the hotel is about a week. By Friday of every week there tends to be more and more new faces, like our fresh, untanned faces a Friday ago when we'd first arrived there. Sitting beside us was a couple from Montreal who probably have a few drinks too many before coming in. 

Amber's menu pretty much remains consistent throughout the week, with daily specials now and then. They usually put the daily specials at the beginning of the menus so you can see right away what is new and different.

Our waiter was ironically the same waiter who'd served us earlier that day at Ceviche when we grabbed some late-afternoon snacks. He told us that they change shifts in the afternoon, working at multiple locations around the resort. 

By now we'd recognized all the service people's faces, and it was kind of sad to think that we'd leave their warm tutelage soon. 

  

After perusing the drinks menu, we settled and this and this:

 

Yea I know what you're thinking, "Boring!" Trust me, we'd get booze if we could, because the entire drink menu is dedicated to the fine art of well, getting drunk. But we decided to be good-two-shoes and drink "healthier" options instead. I got the guavapple drink and Hubby his usual lemon water. Speaking of lemon water, I like how the waiters come around with a plate of lemons, limes and cucumber to ask you which one you'd like in your drink.

The meal started with some seared tuna croquette, which was dainty yet refreshing. I was worried that the tuna was raw, but when we bit into it (yea I know, I probably should have asked first), it was surprisingly warm. 

Since this was the last dinner here, Hubby told me to go without reservations and order whatever I wanted. I got this red bell pepper cream soup as my appetizer.

Red Bell Pepper Cream Soup

It was pretty creamy, so much so that I couldn't finish it. I had to dip my entire bread in it to dampen the flavor. Hubby chided me for being picky with my food, so I had to shove more of it into my mouth.

Surprisingly, the more spoonfuls I ate, the less heavy it became. I managed to finish all of it, albeit with some help of course.

Hubby on the other hand got the endives salad with grapefruits, which was surprisingly light but flavorful.

For my main, I got the shrimp breaded with coconuts with a side or rice served in a cute dim sum basket with a plantain chip. Not sure why I didn't get this earlier, because not only did it look positively charming, it was delicious as well. Here's a closer look at that dim sum basket of rice-y goodness:

I really couldn't get how they managed to make the shrimp so crispy yet tender. It was the perfect combination in terms of texture and taste. I actually managed to polish off the whole thing.

Hubby got the beef flank sad with chimichurri, beet puree, and grilled eggplant. I'm not sure why he didn't get it earlier either, because this was so flavorful and tender, even though he'd ordered it well-done.

I also liked the pieces of eggplant and carrot on the side, because this time it was actually grilled to an edible state, unlike last time when it was still semi-raw.

We thought we'd go all out with dessert as well. I got the chocolate torino with carmel sauce and vanilla ice cream, while hubby got passion fruit gelee.

While the passionfruit looked positively radiant in its presentation, it was devoid of much flavor, putting it on the bland side. Again, the only "good" part was the fig.

The chocolate torino on the other hand was overwhelmingly sweet, but it worked with a cup of dark Americano. The ice cream? Nothing but divine.

So after that long and filling meal, we lingered around, listening to the laughter and watching the (obese) chef cook up a storm with the guests who were pouring in (it was around 9pm already, but hey they operate on vacation-time there).

You know it funny how we remember things - our memories have a place not only in our minds, but also in our heart. I know I'll remember this meal for a long time to come.

Mexican Fiesta

Being in Mexican, you naturally have a craving for Mexican food. Unfortunately being at a resort, it's hard to get authentic Mexican fare.

Thankfully Aquamarina has alternating nights with differently themed menus. That evening, much to our delight, Mexican.

We started with some shrimp ceviche, which was lovely when paired with the chip. My only complaint was that we could have used more housemade nachos like they serve at authentic Mexican joints.

Mexican Salad with Epazote Vinaigrette

I got the Mexican salad with baked tortilla chips on a bed of lettuce, brown beans, radish, coriander and julienned carrots.  It was a nice combination of veggies and carbs, with the crunchy chips accenting the savory veggies, giving this nutritious plate an extra oomph.

Sprouts Salad with Fruits

Hubby got the sprouts salad with lettuce, papaya, mango and annatto vinaigrette. I liked the fruits in this plate more than anything, because it added a tinge of sweetness to the bitter accents of the sprouts. Here's another look at the tiny little alfalfa sprout:

Hubby, being a stickler for things, actually ventured outside his comfort zone of enchiladas, choosing the "Chile en Nogada", essentially poblano chiles stuffed with pork, beef and fruits, covered with a warm nut sauce.

Chile en Nogada

While I liked the stuffing, the chile carried way too much heat for me. I don't know how hubby managed to finish that thing when your whole mouth is exploding with spiciness (it took me a whole glass of water and another glass of mocktail to recover).



I got the beef ribs with potatoes and onions, drizzled with "mocha salsa" and steamed tortillas. When the waiter set down the plate, I was amazed at the portions. Though I was already stuffed with the appetizer, somehow I found a determination to chow down.

Spiced and Braised Beef Ribs with Steamed Tortillas

My will was short-lived though, as the beef ribs were over-spiced, making it too salty for my liking. I really enjoyed the rice and beans though, since that's my go-to comfort tex-Mex food. 

I ate two tortillas, while hubby helped with me the third. But I still had a lot of ribs left over, and much to our mutual dismay, I didn't end up finishing it.

At the end of the meal, I couldn't believe that we had dessert left over. I had to order some French press to help wash down the heaviness of meal and prepare room for the next course.

For dessert, Hubby and I got the dough fritters with dark chocolate sauce, which were essentially churros and chocolate ice cream. I really liked this pairing because the sweetness of the ice cream complemented the crunchy cocoa of the churros. Only downside was that the ice cream melted way too quickly.

Dough Fritters with Chocolate Ice Cream

We left that evening with our bellies full to the max. I wanted to walk or bike back, but it was dark so we took a cab instead. I must have done 10 laps in the bathroom when we got back because I was so full. Another downside of being too full? You can't fall asleep until 1am, which was the heavy consequence I had to face for being a fatty.

Second Chance

Life, despite all its misgivings, it all about second chances. We embraced this principle as we headed back to Amber, bearing in mind that the first time had been less than stellar.  

Bite-sized Appetizer

Dinner proceeded in the same format - bite-sized appetizer, first course, second course and dessert. Of course, we all know that dessert is the course that is the most important in meal - everything else is secondary.

We started the dinner with a shrimp brochette garnished with mint extracts, which was a mini-explosion of flavors in your mouth. After the awful lunch we'd had earlier on the Chichen Itza tour, it was a treat to our tastebuds.

Next came the bread. I stuck with a basic sesame bread and regular butter, and saved it for my main dish, the pot-au-feu.

I ordered another mocktail, this one called Rose Bay, a blend of tropical fruits and well, more fruits. It was a tad on the sweet side, but still pretty delicious.

Octopus Carpaccio

After experiencing the octopus carpaccio last time, Hubby decided to order it again. I didn't have any this time because I was waiting for my main dish.

Mixed Greens

I got the mixed greens, which was wonderfully presented. The best part was once again the figs on the side.

Pot-au-feu with Palm Heart

For my main, I got the pot-au-feu, a heaping pile of veggies with a heart of palm filled with "fake marrow". The presentation was exquisite - colorful veggies surrounding a statue-like limestone heart of palm. Here's an aerial view:

Pot-au-Feu with Heart of Palm "Fake" Marrow

And that's the unfortunate thing about life and a lot of things - what's on the outside doesn't say much about the inside. The inside of this thing, my dear friends, was a heavy sour cream that filled your palate with nothing but, well, sourness.

So while I managed to finish off the vegetables, which btw were pretty plain and lacked flavor (I almost asked for a bottle of ketchup to go with), I really didn't get to finish the heart of palm. I even gave some away to Hubby, who refused to touch it.

Beef Flank

Turns out he was having trouble finishing his own dish, the beef flank steak with chimichurri, beet puree, grilled eggplant and carrot. Unfortunately his beef flank tanked like his last dish - it was way too tough, as were the vegetables. It was like eating cardboard, chips and all.

So with only the dessert left to salvage the meal, we held our breaths. I ordered the cassis custard while hubby got the pistachio mousse with vanilla sauce.



The pistachio mousse was the right degree of creaminess, but it was too heavy on the pistachio. The result was an interesting mix of heavy (and heavily flavored) cream that made it hard to swallow.

Pistachio Mousse with Vanilla Cream

The only edible thing was the wavy chocolate strip. Here's another look at the culprit in question:

Next and finally came my cassis custard with coconut daquoise, with a side of cranberry compote and mango sorbet.

Cassis Custard with Coconut Daquoise

I didn't even know where to go with this dish, because though the presentation looked like it was deserving of Michelin stars, it was pretty much the apotheosis of creamy disgustingness (if that's even a word, oh apparently it is!)

 

The problem was that the cassis was heavily infused with the liquid flavor, making it kind of mushy, with a texture similar to con leche cake, while the coconut was basically food coloring + jello. The best part was probably the sorbet, but that melted too quickly for me to enjoy.

At the end of the day, I walked away with the understanding that while you can't have everything go your way, you can at least have a cup of joe to wash away your sorrows.