Ficoa’s 8-course tasting menu ($120 per person) aims to feature Latin American dishes with an elevated flair.  They also operate under an ethos of achieving “zero waste” in using leftovers from an ingredient within other dishes, such as in a sauce or garnish.

The meal started with a flavour bomb, a celeriac truffle soup where the root vegetable was pureed into a creamy finish and topped with an intense fermented chili that added a delicious kick. Table side, they spoon on a truffle foam that was way too salty but gave it a decadent touch.

Since the soup was so intensely flavoured the trio of small bites that followed seemed tasteless in comparison:

• I would have thought the braised short rib empanada would be rich and hearty topped with queso cotija and crema. Yet, if anything what stood out the most was the corn masa shell, which was crispy, airy, and light.
• If you like arancini you’ll love molote that takes mashed plantain and stuffs it with cheese, then deep fries the ball. It’s sweet and gooey making an interesting bite. It just needed more of the smoky salsa tatemada to bring out the savoury aspect of the canapé.
• The seabass ceviche tostada was nicely balanced, not overly acidic and incorporating creamier elements like cotija cheese and a dollop of salmon roe. In fact, I wish the tasting menu featured more seafood instead of the plethora of fowl.

It starts with the duck confit taco, which I had high hopes for as I love duck confit. Instead, the small palm sized shell made it messy to eat and the actual confit feel flat, seemingly sous vide rather than slow cooked in fat to give it richness. The habanero salsa was a good idea holding up against the fowl, if only the duck was more pronounced.

This is followed by turkey enmolada where its base seems like a rehash of the taco. The sous vide turkey didn’t taste that different from the duck, but the shell was much bigger and smothered in a fiery almendrado mole.  My advice, keep this dish and change the taco into something vegetable (cactus, mushroom, and/or corn) or seafood based instead.

Even the final main features chicken. The mishmash of an individual plate and family style dishes initially threw me off for the last savoury course. We’re each presented with a plate of flat iron wagyu that was a bit overcooked but topped with a vibrant chimichurri. Once again, the seasoning was off as all the elements on the plate were heavily salted. In comparison, the family style dishes were rather neutral; a blessing as the Mexican rice and salad helped pacify any saltiness.

Despite having my fill with fowl, the citrus chicken is a keeper. I liked that they deboned the dark meat to make a rullar. Plus, the citrus, chili, and herb seasoning created a great summery taste. And if you’re hungry, you won’t be after the main as each duo received a sizeable plate of chicken to share.

Up until this point, I haven’t mentioned their wine pairing ($80 per person), which featured a mix of lighter European wines that went nicely with the spiciness of the food. Just don’t expect a sommelier level of expertise with the pairings as the hostess also does triple duty as being a server and drink specialist. Still, despite not always knowing much about the winery itself (we were excited when told a bottle originated from the Maldives, only to find it’s from Italy) her choices for each course were solid. And knowing we weren’t a fan of sweet wines, even the dessert option was tamer having a sweet edge without becoming sugary.

The dessert wine paired particularly well with the mango sorbet palette cleanser that was whimsically made into a lollipop that you can dip into Tajin to add a savoury element.

The tres leches de café dessert was a hit; the moist milky cake incorporated a hit of coffee and chocolate pieces creating a tiramisu-like dessert. Who doesn’t like tres leches and tiramisu? 

And to end, a plate of petit fours featuring a delicious crispy bite of chocolate churro that must be enlarged, a buttery delicate alfajaro, and a moist crumbly classic cocada that’s ideal for those who love coconut.

As tasting menus go, Ficoa’s needs work to create more variety and properly ordering dishes so that intensely flavourful ones aren’t served before more neutral features. The format has already changed a couple of times since their opening in 2024, so who knows if this will be the last rendition.

The middling food aside, I appreciate Ficoa’s dedication to service. Due to miscommunications, I had to increase my reservation at the time of the meal, and they were able to accommodate. They even printed an extra copy of the customized menu for the additional guest, which was a nice touch.

Plus, its one of the first restaurants that builds the wine pairing around a guest’s preferences. A pairing without chardonnay? Muchas gracias!