meets-bush kitchen, and it encapsulates
the intoxicating, raw beauty of the valley.
Surrounded by all that scorched desert,
it’s easy to forget that you’re less than an
hour’s drive from Ensenada, Baja’s popular
coastal fishing town. Deckman’s winery is
a reminder of the ocean, with a line-up
of raw seafood dishes, such as dressed
oysters and clam ceviche, setting the
scene for a degustation that honours
provenance. Vegetables, lamb, eggs
and olive oil are all estate-grown, cheese
is from nearby Ojos Negros, seafood is
sustainable, and the scent of smoke
infuses every dish.
Arrive at Fauna in time to catch the sun setting
behind the giant petrified tree that sits in a central
pond casting a theatrical silhouette against a
gold background. It’s a stunning sight and that’s
before you sit down to ex-Noma chef David
Castro Hussong’s envelope-pushing menu, which
is served in an earthy indoor-outdoor setting and
paired with natural and low-intervention wines.
The Noma-effect of minimalist dishes that convey
a strong sense of place can be seen in a pretty prawn
andjicama ceviche, a sculptural wedge of charred
cabbage, and a plate of glazed duck (a common meat
here) accompanied by a glossy puddle of mole.
Another highlight with an arboreal twist is celeb chef Javier
Plascencia’s restaurant, Animalón, a fairytale pop-up (which
never actually popped-down) on the remote Finca Altozano farm
under the drooping branches of a 200-year-old oak tree. Don’t
be fooled by the earthy setting and outdoor kitchen, this is
precise cooking delivered over a lengthy tasting menu that
displays French technique and highlights local ingredients and
traditions. Chicatana ants feature as ‘caviar’ atop a local mussel
relocated to an edible shell that has taken three days to craft.
The pièce de résistance is lamb barbacoa, cooked in clay over
a caja china, then cracked open at the table and served with salsaa ride. The hearty
Mexican home-
cooking includes corn
pancakes, meltingly
tender birria braised lamb
in a rich tomato and chilli
sauce, machaca con huevos
(spiced shredded beef with
scrambled eggs), and the must-eat
borrego tatemado (slow-roasted lamb served with warm
tortillas). Sip cafe de olla, a local specialty of sweet black coffee
infused with orange, cinnamon and clove served in traditional
clay cups. A word to the wise: arrive (very) hungry.
Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman cuts a striking figure
among the smoking grills and racks of the completely wood-
fired kitchen at his restaurant, Deckman’s at Mogor. Wearing
goggles and intermittently emerging from the clouds of smoke
to check the tortillas smoking on the blazing caja china roasting
box, Deckman promotes a slow-food ethos at his steampunk-