Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

Last weekend, Rob and I were invited to a special evening hosted by Chef and friend, John Gray, at his flagship restaurant in Puerto Morelos. A "degustacion" menu had been planned and we were to be amongst the first to try some of his newest culinary creations. We arrived in time for the 7pm seating and quickly realized we would essentially have the restaurant to ourselves. September is notoriously slow on the Riviera Maya and we would be joined throughout the course of the evening by only a dozen or so fellow diners. We decided to sit front and center at the bar where we could easily see into the kitchen which was abuzz with activity. We were presented with the plan for the evening, a series of courses scrawled in black marker on a sheet of plain white printer paper. We were immediately intrigued. The culinary journey that followed would amuse and sometimes confuse our senses and, in the end, leave us well satisfied but wanting more!

Dirty Martinis to start the evening off right! General Manager Robb Hiner makes some of the best!

To wake up our palates, delicate lettuce tacos with Executive Chef Karl's lightly smoked Grouper

Delicate sweet potato bisque with a touch of mezcal and crowned with a grilled shrimp

Spinach and mushrooms tossed with raspberry vinaigrette and drizzled with truffle oil. I'm such a sucker for truffle oil.

Seared sea scallop atop cilantro risotto with smoked tomatoes. The smoked tomatoes alone will change your world!

Sticky sweet BBQ duck legs

Lamb lasagna served au jus - inventive and amazing!

Creme brulee a la John Gray

Chocolate mouse with baked figs and mascarpone ice cream

Finished off with a sweet late harvest Riesling

Chef Gray gathers feedback from happy diners and friends.

Me with Mitch and Sev.

The tasting menu was remarkable and Robb did a nice job helping to pair some excellent wines from the list to go with each course. Rumor has it, this may become a monthly event. At just 300 pesos per person, not including the cost of wine, you can't afford to miss out on this opportunity to tag a long as Chef Gray experiments with new ingredients and combinations of flavors. To get on the mailing list for upcoming events email karenaeb[at]hotmail[dot]com for more information and reservations. You can be sure you will see us there again!