Taberna Mexicana just off Wilshire at Bedford is a great choice for those wanting the best part of Mexican cuisine - chilies, heat, freshness and flavors without a lot of fat. Every dish we have sampled here is prepared to let the ingredients shine through. This is particularly hard to do with vegetarian entrees. While entrée salads are an easy way to go vegetarian, tackling some of Mexico’s traditional dishes of stuffed chilies and enchiladas are hard to pull off without using a load of cheese to replace the meat.
Taberna has come up with some exciting and delicious vegetarian entrees that are beautifully prepared, full of texture and flavor. You will start your meal with Plantain Chips and Blue Corn Tortilla Chips along with a combo of salsas, one a bright tomatillo and the other a roasted red chili. We can't get enough of the plantain chips, so much more than a tortilla chip. Pair them up with a fresh Blackberry Margarita and enjoy a nice change up to the usual starters. That’s what you will find here a Taberna, familiar ingredients that have been prepared on a more technical level and with more imaginative twists to traditional dishes.
Our first dish Seafood Empanadas are filled with shrimp and blue crab and served on a bed of spicy pickled cabbage that will wake up your taste buds. In amongst the cabbage you will run across hot peppers so if you are not a heat lover you should likely try the Crispy Calamari with cilantro lime sauce and chipotle aioli for dipping. Being a heat lover, we like the spicy tartness of the pickled cabbage.
We were excited to see that Spinach Enchilada was not just a corn tortilla filled with spinach, but a stack of layers with fresh corn tortilla, and a mixture of vegetables including sweet sautéed corn and spinach. Just the right amount of cheese and topped with sour cream, this dish is more like Mexican vegetarian lasagna. The corn was chewy and the Oaxaca cheese has a texture similar to Mozzarella with a little saltiness. A really nice vegetarian entrée with great mouth feel and flavors.
The Stuffed Poblano Chili is another surprise. Served opened faced and mounded with seasonal vegetables, Oaxaca cheese and a side of rice and beans. On this night, the seasonal vegetable included portabella mushroom, which has a great meaty texture. This is another filling and delightful vegetarian entrée that leaves you confident you made a healthy menu choice.
As a little bit of decadence for dessert we ordered the Kahlua Flan which is Chef Jose Miguel’s Grandmother’s recipe. This is one substantial flan, absolutely thick and creamy, melt in your mouth good. There is nothing that needed updating in this delicious dessert and is certainly a flan that has stood the test of time.
Taberna’s pricing is very reasonable and the Happy Hour menu with a selection of $4.00 cocktails and appetizers is a must try.
Taberna is located at 369 Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 – phone 310-858-7070.
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