Chichen Itza
Mr. Larry and I went out to dinner on Saturday to a place that had been recommended. The restaurant is called Chichen Itza. We had been to their other, less fancy restaurant in the Mercado La Paloma food court on Grand Ave. while we were on our L.A. Conservancy Mosaic Tour a few months ago, but I didn't connect the two until I read about that online. The restaurant is named after the great pyramids on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Chips w/Bean Sauce and Tomato Salsa (gratis)
Surprisingly, Larry ordered the exact dish that Mary Jo had for lunch that day at the Grand Ave. location, Papadzul (Yucatan Style Enchilada) which is four rolled corn tortillas moistened with ground roasted pumpkin seed and epazote sauce, stuffed with hard boiled egg and topped with tomato sauce. I ordered the Questo Relleno which is a ball of baby Edam cheese, carved out and filled with raisins, almonds and caper-flavored ground pork, covered with white and tomato sauce. For our appetizer we had Kibi which are small ground beef and cracked wheat patties, seasoned with mint and spices, fried golden brown and served with Yucatan pickled red onions and cabbage.
Kibi Appetizer
Papadzul
Queso RellenoEverything was delicious and served beautifully. 
The restaurant is located on 6th St. across from the Park Plaza Hotel @ Carondelet St., west of MacArthur Park (site of the recent, violent May Day protest). It's on the first floor of the Asbury Apartments which is a very laa-de-dah and fancy looking building from the mid-1920's. At one time, this area, called Westlake, was a very desireable and high-rent neighborhood. It has gone thru transition in the past few years and is slowly coming back. There is some amazing architecture to view in this district.
Entrance to Asbury Apartments
We didn't have room for dessert at Chichen Itza, but they have three that sound enticing: Papaya en Almabar con Queso which is papaya slices cooked in sugar syrup with aged Baby Edam Cheese; Caballeros Pobres which is bread soaked in raisin syrup; and Queso Napolitano which is a dense vanilla flan with caramel sauce.
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
2501 W 6th Street L.A. CA 90057
213/380-0051
posted by Ellen Bloom @ 10:44 AM
5 Comments:
Yum! That sounds fabulous. I'm definitely going to have to add this place to our "must visit before baby" list.
You are so lucky.... *sigh*
You have NO idea how hard it is to find really good Mexican food outside of California.
You have to eat a LOT of bad stuff to find that one good place, so I've eaten a whole lot of bad.
I'm so freaken hungry now.
I'm so glad that they've gotten better!
I went there when they first opened, and it was, well...less than stellar.
You've restored my faith!
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hey! i used to live in that bldg! my apt was the one w/the window on the left there covered by the trees. aw. that apt was great [but the management is NUTS]. little know fact: this was the first apt bldg in l.a. with "underground" parking.
that restaurant also has live music on weekends sometimes.
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