About 10 months ago I had one of my best meals ever at Taller so when they they announced they were closing I was off course sad. I brighted my mood a lot when they announced that Taller was to reopen at a new location and PMY would take its open at the old Taller spot. With PMY Karlos Ponte is teaming up with Peruvian superstar Diego Munoz who together with head souschef Emilio Marias took Astrid & Gaston to nr 14 on The Worlds 50 Best list. The trio wants to cook comfort food from their homecountries Peru, Mexico and Venezuela hence the name PMY (papa, maiz and yucca which are national staples).
When entering PMY it is clear that they bring a authentic latin atmosphere through use of strong colour (red and blue walls), a cocktail menuboard full of palms and lots of small and charming nick nacks like an ekeko (god of prosperity).
Inside the restaurants there is a relaxed atmosphere with a distinct lation playlist, loud conversations and Karlos served us wearing a big smile and a AC/DC t-shirt highligting the fact that despite high culinary ambitions PMY is very informal place.
The snack serving was off course made from potatoes, corn and yucca. The rich yucca puree with a roasted chorizo was the highlight. Nice balance betweeen the creamy yuca and the spicey fatty chorizo.
The first dish on the menu was a tiradito a Peruvian type of ceviche made with a rich and firm halibut and a classic yellow chili, lime and lceche de tigre sauce with a bit of avocado and tomato. In my mind a good ceviche maintains the flavor of the fish through not “cooking it” too long in the lime juice while balancing the lime with a fatty fish. They did just that at PMY while turning it into a beautfill dish. As it was winter off course a bit richer “ceviche” is to be preferred to the more classic summer edition which is much richer in lime.
From Peru we were going to Mexico to have a quesadilla de Hongos filled with mushroom and fresh cheese. Delicious, creamy and rich but not a memorable dish
From Venezuela it was time for an arepa which is a grilled cornebread which in this version is stuffed with braised pork onions and tomatoes. The arepa had a crunchy outside and a warm and soft center. Where as other dishes on the menu felt a bit more like finedining because of use of techniques this felt like very good quality streetfood just like it is suppose to.
The hightligt of the meal is my girlfriends favorite dish to cook at home while I have never been a huge fan, sorry darling. I am however a huge fan of the version they do at PMY. A Aija de Galina. Chicken stew with an amarilio sauce, potato cream and on top a sous vide egg. It was just so creamy and delicious. Exactly how comfort food should be.
The first dessert was a combination between Mexico and Denmark. A bunuelos and horchata which is a fried rice and dough “cracker” topped with cinnamon and cinnamon parfait and a bit of black currant jam. I just loved the crunchy craker and the Christmas flavor.
I have said it before and I will say it again. They just make better cacao desserts in latin America and they did just that at PMY. Chocolate, nispero and cupuca. A great combination of cacao, bitter and sweet.
Having just been at the Mexican restaurant Sanchez 3 dayes earlier a comparison is obvious. The both serve great value for money food in the mid-price segment with two seatings and close tables. The Mexican dishes of Sanchez was superior to those of PMY, sorry Karlos. I did however think that the highlights at PMY were superior to those at Sanchez. That Aija De Galina was just pure delicious and latin cacao dishes are just amazing.
Only time will show which restaurant I end up visiting most because latin comfortfood done with great autenticity and technical skilleset I can eat everyday.
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