Some new dishes of Habanero

This post is, once again about Habanero, the Tex-Mex restaurant in Bangalore. This time I was there to try out some of their new dishes and interact with Chef Dan Durkin, who is the COO of Habanero.

Here's a photo tour...

Bespectacled Dan looks more like a geek than a chef but he is quite a craftsman when it comes to creating delicious food...

Dan Durkin, a native of Colarado, US, spent a significant amount of his youth in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, which inspired his interest in and love for Mexican cuisine. A certified chef with more than twelve years of experience under his belt, Dan has consulted with several prominent food and beverage brands in Asian countries. He has been involved with Habanero from its inception in 2011, when he helped to create the recipes for Bangalore’s first Tex-Mex dining experience...

We started off with the Holy Guacamole, ubiquitous Mexican sauce, traditionally made in a “molcajete” with garlic, avocado, onion, lime and tomato. This is usually made fresh at the table. Dan volunteered to make it...

The creamy Guacamole is served with warm homemade tortilla chips. It's tasty and refreshing...

Chipotle Chicken Skewers - Sweet, spicy and smoky chicken grilled and finished with a chipotle honey sauce. Goes awesome with beers and margaritas. 

The idea for this came from a French style brasserie that Dan worked at years ago where they served grilled duck breast with a smoked paprika honey glaze. According to him this is pretty close to that, but with some zing from the smoked chili’s...

Margarita on the rocks...

Chicken Albondigas, a Mexican meatball preparation. Usually in Mexico this would be served in a soup, here Dan wanted to introduce it as more of a bar snack, so they braise the meatballs in a spicy “chile rojo” (red chile sauce). 

A lovely repast for sharing and goes well with pretty much any beverage... 

Seabass en Pibil, Seabass(usually!) marinated in chiles and garlic, wrapped up tight in a banana leaf and grilled. 

According to Dan, this is an old Mayan preparation from the Yucatan Peninsula ( the Caribbean Coast) where banana leaves figure into a lot of the cooking. 

A must try...

Basa Baja Fish Tacos, a fish dish from the other side of Mexico (the Pacific Coast) beer battered and served with shredded cabbage and lime crema. 

This is Mexican style beach food and they go awesome with a Corona...

Colorful lamp shades...

Smothered Carnitas Burritos, slow braised pork wrapped in a tortilla with cheese, salsa and other goodies. Smothered in housemade chile rojo, sour cream, and guacamole. 

A dish with incredible balance...

How can a meal end without desserts? Seasonal fruit Panna Cotta, a creamy chilled dessert infused with this season's fresh fruit and topped with pomegranate pico de gallo...

Overall, it was lovely meeting the chef and knowing the ideas behind his creations. Some of the dishes were really interesting and I spotted a lot of other things I want to try on the menu.

Leaving you with the smiles of Ema, my gracious host...