The most acclaimed chef in Mexico, Martha Ortiz, brings the flavour and beauty of her homeland cuisine to the British capital. Her new project, Ella Canta, "Authentic Mexican restaurant" inside the InterContinental London Park Lane, perfectly represents typical Mexican elements: tradition, art, culture, past and present. She combines these elements in an elegant representation of Mexican cuisine in which food and the visual context surrounding it are part of the same recipe, of the same iconicity.
To put it simply, Martha explains that at Ella Canta “food is like a vibration, a voice and an aesthetic taste. In this sense it’s womanly, it’s feminine; it is chanted by beauty and sensuality, by impulses that can be as lyrical as the image of Latin American women of whom we have various examples: poets, painters, photographers.”
Those who know Martha Ortiz thanks to her famous Dulce Patria in Mexico City know they can expect an imaginative, creative, feminine and colourful cuisine at Ella Canta ; “I believe in Mexico we eat with colours too” – says the chef. The menu tells an intriguing story through flavours, textures and indeed colours that all meet in the same action, tasting. Tasting simplicity, richness, subtlety.
Martha Ortiz. It all began at Dulce Patria, Mexico City, her flagship restaurant
The first part of the brunch is a festival of dishes to share: guacamole with pomegranate, ricotta and
chapulín dorado (golden grasshopper) for those who dare tasting it [it is totally worth it] served on the side with tortilla chips,
chile de árbol sauce and salsa verde; razor clams ceviche with
chile habanero, mango and passion fruit, a very fresh and light recipe; oyster with
tomatillo granita; a selection of
quesadillas in different colours and fillings, with mushrooms, beef barbacoa,
chile poblano and
huitlacoche – the so called Mexican truffle, that is to say corn mushroom; or
memela de maíz (a sort of thick corn tortilla) with beef tongue.
As for the
Main Act, in the words of
Martha herself in the menu, you can choose among various interesting dishes with a strong respect for the classic flavours of traditional gastronomy, like
pescado a la Malimba Veracruzana, snapper filet in the style of Veracruz served with mashed potatoes and saffron;
chilaquiles with green or red sauce; prawn soup; or
enchiladas potosinas. There’s a leitmotif based on authentic flavours, respected in the
Final Curtain too, with emblematic cakes like
pastel de tres leches (a cake with three types of milk: condensed, whole and evaporated);
churros with chocolate sauce and
cajeta (dulce de leche); or mango and lime sorbet.
The dining room at Ella Canta
The exquisite selection of spirits is also worth mentioning, Mexico’s presents to the world: tequila, mezcal, sotol y bacanora, plus of course different types of margaritas which will certainly add liveliness to the culinary experience.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
Ella Canta
One Hamilton Place Park Lane
+44.(0)20.73188715
London, UK
Average prices: starters 11, main courses 27, desserts 9 pounds
