This venue has closed.
Cantina Agave on Fumin Lu was
starting to look a little sad
towards the end of last
year. And despite an
outdoor furniture
facelift, when we saw owners Kelley Lee, Raffe Ibrahamian and Chloe Xiang had decided to renovate the space and update the menu, the change felt overdue. The revamp has reinvigorated this corner of Changle and Fumin Lus, with hordes of people flocking to try the new menu; it wasn’t easy to get a seat during the opening weeks.
When we managed to get a
booking, we started with Margaritas
– always a big draw at Cantina
Agave. Newcomer Tepito’s version
on the rocks (70RMB) is classic
and delicious. Shaking up Corralejo
Tequila Blanco (and plenty of it) with
Grand Marnier, agave and lime, it’s
refreshing and strong – something that you might not realise as it slides
on past the addictive spiced sea
salt rim.
Also worthy of a sip is the smooth
and balanced Pisco Sour (70RMB),
well-shaken with lime, egg white and
finished with a swirl of Angostura
bitters. The Holy Mole (80RMB)
is a heavier and sweeter
drink with mole-infused
plantation
dark rum mixed
with cinnamon
syrup and
chocolate mole
bitters. Served
with a cinnamon
quill, this drink
almost takes like
a dessert.
We also
recommend eating
here, not just to stop
yourself from getting too
boozed, but because the
food is damn tasty. With
Mexico-City native Chef
Edgar Hernandez behind the
burners in the semi-open
kitchen, dishes are authentic
and well-prepared.
A good place to start is
with the Chicharron (50RMB).
Dishing up a huge pile of chilli-powdered
crispy pork rinds
with a bowl of uber-fresh and perfectly seasoned guacamole, this
offering is high fat and errs on the
heavy side, especially if only sharing
between two, but it’s satisfying
and teams perfectly with the
aforementioned Margarita.
A somewhat lighter place to
start is with the Esquites (48RMB).
Labelled as ‘Elote for lazy people’,
this mix of hulled white corn, lime,
chili, mayonnaise, crema and
queso fresco is great for those who
don’t like munching off the cob. It
also allows for a greater amount of
delicious corn to be consumed at a
quicker pace – another win.
Ceviche de Mariscos (88RMB) is
also a highlight: the fragrant mix of
raw marinated sea bass, shrimp and
octopus is fresh, has good zing from
the accompanying citrus and chilli,
and is topped off with a few slivers of
soothing avocado.
The Pescadillas con Mayonesa
(68RMB) are equally delicious,
serving up three crispy tortilla shells
stuffed with succulent sea bass.
Accompanied by olives, almonds
and capers, the dish manages to be
simultaneously crunchy, flavourful
and delicate; and although the
ash mayonnaise isn’t especially
discernable, it nevertheless
contributes to the overall success.
Given its location, quality drinks
and affordable food, Tepito (it’ll
probably be called ‘the new Cantina’
for a few months) looks set to be as
busy as its predecessor a long while
to come.
By Victoria Brownlee
