Fresca
1 Aug 2012
Fresca, meaning ‘fresh’ in Spanish, lives up to its name. The new restaurant offers popular Tex-Mex fare that we are all familiar with as well as the traditional Mexican delights. It was quiet on the night we visited, but that was fine by us as it helped set the ambience for a casual, fussfree dinner for winding down after work.
The menu has a wide variety of botanas, small plates of snacks perfect for sharing. There are tortilla chips with three different dips, tacos, sopes, and even the dangerously spicy Jalapeno Poppers. We decided to start with the botanas and tried the Camarones al Jitomate Tiger prawns sautéed in tomato-herb sauce and served with two pieces of flour tortillas and Hongos Rellenos con Crema, Portobello mushrooms stuffed with peppers, beef bacon and mozzarella cheese.
I was thrilled to find that the already succulent prawns were all the more juicy with the sauce. The tortillas were fresh and light, good enough to eat on its own—which I did with a few bites—but dipping it in the sauce was all the more fun. The Portobello mushrooms were very delightfully juicy and cheesy on their own, and the chile added a sharp bite but do remember to spoon the tequila cream sauce over them—the combination of flavours are amazing.
For mains, we had the Chile Rellenos, which is Poblano Chile stuffed with mushroom risotto and mozzarella cheese, and it comes with potatoes and caramelised onions. The risotto is fragrant and not too cloying when paired with the bitter chile, which is good because the serving is generous.
My dining partner had the Pescado a la Veracruzana, fillet of fish, sautéed with a colourful sauce of onions, olives and Jalapeno Chiles, served with Mexican white rice and mixed salad. This dish is a speciality of the coastal town of Veracruz in Mexico.
The fish came out slightly dry and not as light and flaky as should have been. However the crispy skin provided good texture to the fish and with the sauce, it was still altogether yummy. Soon it was time for dessert. We ordered Tequi-lime pie. It is a cheesecake-based tart with a hint of tequila and lime; the cheesecake texture is dense but it’s a refreshing end to a heavy meal.
Fresca Trio, consisted of freshly baked chocolate fondant, brandy-glazed banana and a scoop of homemade nougat ice-cream. The chocolate fondant was rich, while the glazed banana was blander and the ice-cream didn’t have a smooth texture—its flavour didn’t sit well with us either.
Fresca offers a list of traditional Mexican drink, and one which I have fallen so hard for is the Horchata. It is a cold rice milk flavoured with cinnamon—it’s very sweet, the cinnamon strong and fragrant, and is an excellent companion to the spicy Mexican fare that Fresca offers.
Overall, Fresca would be a good choice for a casual get-together with friends. The menu is extensive enough to keep you interested for several visits, and based on the quality of the food that night, we will definitely be back for more.
Details
Address: Ground Floor, Lot G242-A, The Gardens Mall, Midvalley City, 59200 KL
Telephone: 03 - 2201 2893
Website: http://www.facebook.com/frescabar
