Make a special trip to the upper west side to dine at Orale Mexican Kitchen, serving inspired Mexican cuisine with bold flavors. Executive Chef James Muir (Alain Ducasse, Rosa Mexicano) combines locally sourced and native ingredients with both traditional and modern techniques resulting in unusual food.
I was invited recently to sample the fare and walked from Union Square up 97th Street to have room to sample all their goodies. I began with one of their classic margaritas. I chose the Aumentar “Our Signature” ($9) made with 1800 Silver, citrus and agave, which I recommend. Not cloyingly sweet like so many others.
We couldn’t decide among the six unusual fresh guacamole offerings ($6 to $9 a portion), and so selected their trio of guacamole ($12), chosing El Bombero with chipotle and spicy chile de arbol; El Fresa with diced fresh mango; and the unusual blue demon. (Who would have thought that Cabrales blue cheese with toasted pumpkin seeds would taste so good with avocado?) Of course, that came with a bucket of homemade chips plus three homemade sauces in squirt bottles: One, chile de arbol with a toasted flavor; the second with serrano peppers, tomatillos and lime juice; the third a creamy chipotle with medi
um heat.
Not to be missed are the fried Brussels sprouts nicely seasoned with lots of salt & pepper. These may just become the new “fries.” Yummy ($5)!
Instead of the messy to eat corn-on-the cob, Orale serves up Esquites. That’s fresh charred corn, sour cream, pasote and queso fresco all sprinkled with a special chile blend ($5). We also tried the hot cast-iron ramekin filled with filled Queso Flameado ($7), a mix of melted Oaxacan & Chihuahua cheeses served with housemade chips. 
A meal in itself.
The enchilada I’d recommend is their enchilada Suiza ($16) with shredded chicken wrapped in a soft tortilla in a puddle of their creamy tomatillo sauce and topped with both Chihuahua & Oaxacan cheese. My recommended taco is their spicy chili-rubbed and seared tuna, sprinkled with tortilla chips and an avocado-tomatillo salsa served in romaine lettuce ($16) in lieu of tortillas; a plentiful five to an order.
The evening’s only disappointment was their main dish Dinosaurio ($26) as the ancho & chipotle marinated short rib arrived with the meat slices sitting atop a huge rib. Sadly they were a bit dried out and fatty at the same time. The accompaniments of tamal de 
olla & a tomatillo chipotle compote, though, were deliciously unusual.
For dessert we indulged in their moist Tres Leches with sliced strawberries, berry sauce and fresh whipped cream and Helados Domingo, scoops of vanilla & chocolate ice cream, cajeta (a caramel sauce), chocolate sauce, chocolate chunk cookies and & caramelized plantains ($6 each). Both decadent and worth the calories.
– bonnie
Orale Mexican Kitchen
768 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY
(212) 749-2929
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