With original dishes that give a unique touch to Mexican food classics, such as guacamole with caviar or beef aguachile, Casa Bond has just opened its doors in downtown Manhattan.
After having a short stint in the South Street Seaport area under the name Casa Tulúm, where they were very well received, owner Mike Khuu, executive chef and owner Rodrigo Abraján and managing partner Luis Villanueva, moved to this new and elegant space, where diners can enjoy a menu that covers various regions of the neighboring country, from the Mexican Riviera to the mountains of Sinaloa and central Mexico.
Chef Rodrigo Abraján is in charge of the varied menu./Photo: Courtesy Casa Bond
“We want to bring a higher level of Mexican food. We offer the best in food, cocktails and service,” says Villanueva.
Chef Rodrigo Abraján, who has a long history in the New York gastronomic scene, gaining recognition with the El Paso Taquería restaurant in Harlem, developed dishes that mix the traditional with the modern.
Thus, we can find the caviar guacamole with avocado, chives and fresh cream, served with homemade blue corn sope, with the option of ½ gram or 1 gram of Imperial Osetra caviar; or the lobster guacamole with habanero, jicama, cilantro and corn toast.
Guacamole with caviar is one of the house’s delicacies./Photos: Courtesy Casa Bond
In the ceviche and more section, the Aguachile Negro from the mountains of Sinaloa stands out, made with top quality ribeye seared to medium rare in a sauce made with seven types of chiles, topped with avocado foam; the Lobster Ceviche with passion fruit, lychee, fresh mango, chile de arbol and pomegranate, served with baked multigrain toast; and the Quesadilla Verde made with spinach and jalapeño epazote, Oaxaca cheese and cremini mushrooms, pressed into a dough tortilla.
The aguachile is prepared with premium beef./Courtesy Casa Bond
Among the main dishes, the Duck Confit stands out in the house’s exclusive mole made with 24 ingredients, including pumpkin, sesame and crushed sunflower seeds with white chocolate, Hoja Santa and pine nuts; Cochinita Pibil, pork shoulder wrapped in banana leaf with annatto paste, habanero and tetemado chili; Lamb Shank Adobo with pickled cactus, aromatic avocado leaves and raw green sauce; and Pescado Zarandeado, a branzino roasted in annatto-guajillo-marinated butter, served with hand-pressed tortillas.
The shaken fish is served with hand-pressed tortillas./Courtesy Casa Bond
“We import 90% of the ingredients, all the spices on the menu come directly from Mexico, such as the salt we use in our ceviches is from Mazatlán,” says Villanueva.
The desserts, which are molecular in style, are by chefs Erica Huertas and Daniella Castro, who created two miniature versions of classic Mexican desserts, such as a cylinder-shaped churro filled with caramel mousse and decorated with striped chocolate green and yellow; and a diamond-shaped Tres Leches cake filled with marzipan.
For his part, Luis Villanueva is also the beverage director, and created classic and innovative cocktails, such as the Couture, made with McQueen gin, Licor 43 and Luxardo, mixed with fresh lemon juice that changes color from purple to pink; the Deluxe Margarita, made with Casa Dragones silver tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and agave nectar; and Mr. Bond, a version of the Old Fashioned, using Woodford Reserve bourbon, aromatic bitters, smoked maple syrup and Amarena cherries.
The XXIV Carat cocktail is prepared directly at the table./Photo: Courtesy Casa Bond
As an original attraction, a drinks cart equipped with 15 premium tequilas travels around the restaurant to prepare the exclusive XXIV Carat cocktail at the table. The drink combines yuzu-infused Grand Marnier Cuvée Louis-Alexandre with local honey with Herradura Legend tequila or the customer’s choice of premium tequila, mixed with ice and decorated with 24-karat gold flakes and activated charcoal foam.
“We don’t want to create an experience, we want to create a memory,” Villanueva concludes.
Interior designer Michael Arguello created using black and white with touches of nature, diamond crystal lamps and circular glass lights./Photo: Courtesy Casa Bond
Casa Bond is located at 334 Bowery, New York, NY 10012. For reservations, visit: or call (917) 639-3009
2023-12-21 00:42:00
#Casa #Bond #explores #Mexican #gastronomy #Diario
